DOSE: T+ 0:00	1 cup	oral	Coffee
T+ 0:00	1	smoked	Tobacco - Cigarettes
T+ 1:00	37.5 mg	oral	Pharms - Phentermine
T+ 1:50	1	smoked	Tobacco - Cigarettes
T+ 0:00			Pharms - Lithium	(daily)
T+ 0:00			Pharms - Lamotrigine	(daily)
T+ 0:00			Pharms - Aripiprazole	(daily)
T+ 0:00			Pharms - Propranolol	(daily)

BODY WEIGHT:

200 lb

I was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and have been on the typical cocktail of Lithium, Abilify, and Lamictal, for over a year, during which I started gaining weight, a common side effect. I felt hungry all the time, even after I ate. I gained about 40 lbs before I spoke with my shrink about it. He put me on Phentermine.

I knew nothing about this drug other than that it would help suppress my appetite and possibly help me focus , a good thing since the depressive end of my spectrum makes it hard to concentrate at work sometimes. Here is my first-day experience, a Saturday.

5:00 am — Ate breakfast, a muffin. Drank a large cup of coffee and smoked a cigarette.
6:00 am — Took 37.5 mg of Phentermine 1 hour after eating as directed by my doctor.
6:50 am — Felt a little energy, and no appetite. Feeling of energy was increased by another cigarette, which was more enjoyable than normal.
7:54 am — Still felt the increased energy level, and a gentle but sweet kind of pleasure along the edges of my chest and belly. Hands were a little clammy, throat a little dry. I was watching television, but now I want to do something instead of sitting idle. So I decided to start an experience report. :) After getting this started, I still want to do something active, so I started the laundry. Not enough. I still have excess energy, so I tried coloring on my tab. Too chill. I decided to do some research online and this is more intellectually stimulating and feels right. Music was upbeat remixes and this fits perfectly.

8:30 am — Really in a flow state with my research and writing. This is going to be very useful at work. My friend called and interrupted me, but instead of feeling talky as some people have reported, I just felt annoyed to be interrupted and bored.
9:46 am — Any feeling of euphoria has left, but the energy remains. Unfortunately, I was also feeling hungry after 4.75 hours. But it was easier to ignore than usual because of an increased ability to focus on things of my choosing.
4:00 pm — Energy has waned some during the day but I still feel more focused and energized than normal. Off to the office holiday party.
7:35 pm — At the office holiday party I felt less anxious than normal in social situations. Although I was hungry, having skipped lunch, I ate very little and was satisfied. Back at home the added energy has almost totally worn off.
12:20 am — Went to bed at my normal 9 pm. Slept fitfully, waking up often. When I woke up I thought it must have been close to when I normally get up, but it had only been a little under 2 hours. I felt very awake but tried to sleep for another 20 minutes or so, finally giving up and getting up to watch some television. Couldn’t get back to sleep for the rest of the night.

Other than the sleep issues, I would take this again for focus and energy. I have tried methamphetamine a few times, and this was much gentler and less intense, perfect for everyday use, with none of the attendant side effects of meth. For me, it did not do so well on the appetite suppressant part (I still felt hungry), but it was easier to ignore the hunger and I was satisfied with less. I am, however, concerned about how this additional energy will interact with the manic portion of my spectrum. I am also concerned about long term side effects and dependency/tolerance issues.

Update: I have been taking phentermine in the above dosage for 4 days. Any pleasurable sensations have disappeared, but the energy and focus remain. Appetite suppression has somewhat increased: although I get hungry about 4-5 hours after I eat, I am finding that this can be ignored. When I do eat, I want to eat less. My need for sleep has been reduced from 8 hours a day to 5, which is under the recommended sleep requirements for adults.

Exp Year: 2017	ExpID: 111399
Gender: Female
Age at time of experience: 36
Published: Apr 9, 2019	Views: 2,616
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Pharms - Phentermine (248) : First Times (2), Combinations (3), Medical Use (47), Various (28)