How Does Phentermine Work? Learn How To Stop Neurotransmitter Depletion

Why has Phentermine stopped helping me lose weight?

Many people are experiencing the same problem you face right now. We're all in the same boat when it comes to being frustrated about Phentermine tolerance. For some of us, the appetite suppression diminishes within a few weeks of beginning treatment. Others enjoy the effects for a longer time, but we all seem develop tolerance eventually. So, I decided to step up to the plate and help you continue toward your weight loss goals.

Phentermine, like many other prescription drugs, works with chemicals called neurotransmitters in your brain. It actually stimulates your neuron bundles to release a particular group of neurotransmitters known as catecholamines, these include dopamine, epinephrine (formally known as adrenalin), and norepinephrine (noradrenalin). They signal a fight or flight response in your body which, in turn, puts a halt to the hunger signal. As a result, you lose your appetite because your brain doesn't receive the hunger message. This is perhaps due to phentermine's affects on leptin levels in the brain. It is theorized that phentermine can raise levels of leptin which signal satiety. It is also theorized that increased levels of the catecholamines are partially responsible for halting another chemical messenger know as neuropeptide Y. This chemical initiates eating, decreases energy expenditure, and increases fat storage.

What are Neurotransmitters?

Neurotransmitters are chemicals in your nervous system and brain. They act as messengers, relaying electrical messages between the cells (neurons) of the nervous system or brain. Some people have naturally low levels of neurotransmitters. This condition may lead to diseases such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and obesity, and others.

How do prescription appetite suppresants work?

Prescription drugs work by moving neurotransmitters from one place to another, but do nothing to increase the supply of neurotransmitters in the nervous system or brain. These drugs trick your brain into thinking there are more neurotransmitters than there actually are. Because of this, your brain slows down the production of neurotransmitters.

Has Phentermine permanently depleted my supply of neurotransmitters?

We know of no studies which have shown that Phentermine can cause permanent depletion of your body's supply of neurotransmitters in the brain and nervous system. After thorough research on the depletion of neurotransmitters by prescription drugs, we've concluded that it is possible to reverse the negative effects of Phentermine usage.

An independent team of researchers has developed a solution called amino acid therapy. This method of replenishing the supply of neurotransmitters is discussed below.

What steps can I take to make Phentermine effective again?

Section 1: Amino Acid Therapy

You can do a number of things that will help to reverse the depletion of neurotransmitters by Phentermine. The first is, as mentioned in Section 2, therapy using the basic amino acids that promote production of neurotransmitters. To undergo therapy, you can take two supplements which are currently known to improve the situation.

The first supplement you can use is called D5. Developed by a company called Neuroreplete, it is designed to be used in combination with another supplement, CysReplete. It is also crucial to take a multivitamin in conjunction with these supplements to ensure adequate amounts of B vitamins which are essential to maintaining proper metabolism of nutrients in the body. If there are insufficient B vitamins ready for controlling bodily functions, they might be taken from the supplements. B vitamins are co-factors for the production of neurotransmitters from amino acids, if your body borrows them from the supplements, the production of neurotransmitters is compromised.

NOTE: Neuroreplete states that in order to use D5 safely and effectively, patients must use proper dosing of Cysreplete. Prolonged use of D5 without proper CysReplete dosage has been proven to result in irreversible dyskinesias. Dyskinesias are neurological conditions characterized by sudden episodes of abnormal involuntary muscle movements. For your safety, you need to read more about this warning.

Visit D5 page on the NeuroReplete website below:

http://www.neuroreplete.com/D5.htm

Dosing and safety testing instructions for using Neuroreplete's supplements may be found at this web page:

http://www.neuroreplete.com/rx.htm

You can purchase the D5 and CysReplete supplements at the Longevity Medical Center website, operated by Hans D. Gruenn, MD. Do not proceed with a purchase until you have talked with your physician about treatment. Your physician is the only one who can decide what dosage you should take, or if you can take these supplements at all. Proper dosage may differ between different people.

Section 2: Less Complicated Forms Of Therapy

Studies from the Wayne Diet Clinic Nutrition Guide show that lemon water can help prevent or slow tolerance to Phentermine. The formula for lemon water contains:

2-3 ounces of lemon juice

1 quart of water

The Wayne Diet Clinic has also found that avoiding drinking sodas and other caffeinated beverages can help slow or prevent Phentermine tolerance. This is because caffeine speeds up metabolism, which has a diuretic effect and in turn causes you to excrete Phentermine from your body much more quickly through urine.

Making an overall improvement in your eating habits might play a large role in improving your production of neurotransmitters as well as other vital chemicals in the body. Since amino acids are the building blocks of neurotransmitters it is essential to ensure adequate protein in the diet. I am in no way a licensed doctor, dietician, or nutritionist; but if there was any diet I would recommend, it would be the Zone Diet. I used to have to try hard to follow the diet, balancing protein and carbohydrates, but in no time, my body was used to the diet and I was almost disgusted by unhealthy foods or unhealthy amounts of food in general. My brain power and energy shot up, as well as my overall physical condition. So, I must recommend that you try the Zone Diet in combination with taking Phentermine. Trust me, it will probably be the 2nd best decision you've ever made in your life!

You may look over the Zone Diet website here:

http://www.zonediet.com

What substances should I avoid to help enable Phentermine?

You should avoid caffeinated foods and drinks as much as possible. Caffeine is a naturally-occurring substance found in the leaves, seeds or fruits of over 63 plant species worldwide and is part of a group of compounds known as methylxanthines.

The most commonly known sources of caffeine are coffee and cocoa beans, cola nuts and tea leaves. Caffeine is a pharmacologically active substance and, depending on the dose, can be a mild central nervous system stimulant. Caffeine does not accumulate in the body over the course of time and is normally excreted within several hours of consumption. It is toxic in large doses.

Caffeine speeds up the excretion of Phentermine from your body. Because of this, Phentermine has less time to suppress your appetite.

In the human brain, the centers which tell your body whether you're hungry or full are controlled by neurotransmitters. Increased levels of the neurotransmitters called norepinephrine and dopamine suppress the feeding center. Increased levels of norepinephrine in the satiety center stimulate eating, while increased levels of serotonin in the satiety center suppress the appetite.

Some researchers theorize that tolerance to Phentermine 37.5 and other doses is due to the fact that there is a limited amount of norepinephrine in the human system, and that those limited stores are depleted by repeated administration of phentermine. Others believe that the cells that respond to phentermine or norepinephrine become exhausted after repeated stimulation. Another theory is that the body is able to metabolize and excrete phentermine more and more efficiently as time passes. Eventually, the drug is metabolized so rapidly that effective blood levels are not maintained long enough for the drug to exert the desired therapeutic effect.

General Phentermine Facts:

The following non-bold, bulleted text was taken and adapted (into bullet points) from the Wayne Diet Clinic web site:

? Phentermine is available in several dosages and forms. The form produced and distributed by Medeva Pharmaceuticals is a 30 milligram capsule known as Ionamin. The active drug is bound to a resin complex that releases the drug over time.

? Fastin was a form of Phentermine produced by SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals. It supplied as a 30 milligram capsule. This brand name is no longer sold, but is available in its generic counter-part, the blue-white capsules.

? The form of the drug produced and distributed by Gate Pharmaceuticals is a 37.5 milligram pill known as Adipex-P.

? Neither Fastin or Adipex-P has timed-release characteristics.

? Adipex-P reaches a higher level in the bloodstream than any other form, but it is cleared from the bloodstream faster than the timed-release form. (7)

? There are generic forms of Fastin and Adipex-P, but there is not a generic form of Ionamin available.

? There is also a generic phentermine hydrochloride (the form of the drug used in Fastin and Adipex-P) that is available in a 15 milligram dose.

? One of the most frequently asked questions at the clinic by patients is whether they should use the brand name or the generic form of the drug. Most patients believe that brand name and generic drugs are identical. In reality, generic drugs can be compared to generic foods or other generic products, in that there are appreciable and measurable differences between brand name and generic products. Also, one company's generic product can differ from the generic product of another company, and there are several companies that produce generic phentermine in pill and capsule form.

? A brand name product has to be within a five percent tolerance of the ideal, with the ideal being defined as 100% bioavailability of the drug.

? Bioavailability is defined as the percentage of the drug dose ingested that actually enters the system and reaches its target organ or action site.

? Generic brands can meet the lower standard of being within 25% of the ideal, and still be marketed under the name of the parent compound.

? Because of the wide variation in patient response to phentermine, there is no hard and fast rule that can be adhered to in regard to the brand versus generic issue.

? Each patient must try all forms and brands of the drug to ascertain which is the most effective and well-tolerated form for their particular circumstances.

? In our experience, the main reason to prescribe Fastin rather than Adipex-P is in those patients who experience side effects such as insomnia, jitteriness, irritability, or palpitations, with the higher dose of phentermine that is present in Adipex-P. Ionamin would also be an appropriate drug in those circumstances, since the resinated (timed-release) form of phentermine is associated with lower peak blood levels of the drug. Higher peak blood levels of phentermine are associated with more undesirable side effects in some individuals. Most patients at our clinic (88%) prefer brand or generic Adipex-P, as they perceive that the higher dose gives them greater appetite control.

You may find the full Wayne Diet Clinic text at their official website:

http://www.waynedietclinic.com/csb/csb9.html

For extra information from the Wayne Diet Clinic, visit their homepage:

http://www.waynedietclinic.com/

Now it's your turn to educate me!

I would appreciate it very much if you could contribute more information to be added to this report. I am not a nutritionist, doctor, or research scientist. I am just trying to help remove some of the fog in the world of Phentermine tolerance. I am no expert, and this report is the result of non-professional research. I know many Phentermine users who are much more educated than I am in this field, so if you happen to be one of those people, please let me know if I've provided incorrect information, or if you would like to add something to the report.

I do hope my Phentermine tolerance report has been beneficial to you in some way. If it has, please let me know at your convenience, as I always love to hear your opinions and questions.

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The main point is as follows: Consult your medical doctor or physician before taking any actions based on the information provided in this document, the Phentermine Report.

Copyright (C) Shoppe.MD and Ian Mason, 2004-2005

Ian Mason, owner of Shoppe.MD, your source for Phentermine, health articles and drug information support forums.

Ian studies health, weight loss, exercise, and several martial arts; maintaining several websites in an effort to help provide up-to-date and helpful information for other who share his interests in health of body and mind.

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