Question 1

About

Answer

A Better Way Health Center is a preventive medical weight loss program with goal to achieve and maintain a healthy weight without hunger.

Our focus is on weight loss through developing a healthy diet and exercise habits,
so that weight loss is not only achieved, but also maintained.

We prescribe the medication phentermine.

24 years experience
21,000 participants
120.000 office visits

Question 2

What is A Better Way Health Center program ?

Answer

A Better Way Health Center is a behavior-modification program

Participants meet with registered dieticians and physician.
Our program emphasize

focus on dietary education
self-monitoring
use of real foods
weight loss history
reinforcing progress
one on one coaching
ID eating triggers
ID bad eating habits.

We do not

practice psychotherapy
delve into participant’s private lives
have public weigh-ins
mandatory group discussions.

Question 3

How A Better Way Health Center Program Works?

Answer

Program participants experience losing substantial amounts of weight and successfully keeping weight off.

Certain habits are related to weight control success.
By developing these habits,
tailoring specific behaviors,
to optimize long-term weight control.

Question 4

What is the Average Weight Loss I Should Expect to See in the Program?

Answer

Weight loss phase
Participants complying with program
average weekly weight loss

1.5 to 2 pounds
1% of body weight

Transition to weight maintenance phase
To support new weight with proper

diet
exercise habits
calorie intake

Question 5

Program produces permanent weight loss only if combined with

Answer

dietary modification
increased physical activity
medical aide Phentermine
Registered Dietitian & Physician instruction
Follow-up appointments

Question 6

Ozempic vs Phentermine Comparison (drugs.com)

Answer

Phentermine

Rating 8,7/10
Reviews 3004
Positive effect 84%
Negative effect 5%

Ozempic

Rating 6,3/10
Reviews 1192
Positive effect 50%
Negative effect 28%

Question 7

Ozempic vs Phentermine. Key Takeaways of comparison

Answer

Phentermine

Cost - $125/month (A Better Way Health Center -full program costs include medicine, visit to Physician & Registered Dietician)
Side effects - dry mouth, sleeplessness, constipation
Length of treatment - expectation of life-long use or else rebound weight gain

Ozempic

Cost - $1000/month (average price)
Side effects - ozempic face, butt, bad breath
Length of treatment - expectation of life-long use or else rebound weight gain

Question 8

Phentermine's popularity as #1 prescribed weight loss drug

Answer

Until recently due to Ozempic marketing spend.
$491 million ad campaign 2023
$401 million in 2022

https://www.mmm-online.com/home/channel/spending-on-ozempic-wegovy-surges/

Question 9

Program Cost

Answer

$125 Monthly Program cost

Includes

Physician
Registered Dietician
Month supply of phentermine. Standard dose 30 /37.5 mg dose
$20 extra if participants require more then standard dose

Payment on a visit-to-visit basis,

no contracts to sign
No hidden fees.
We do not ask you to buy food or other products.

Program costs could be

deductible as medical expenses
or reimbursable by employer-sponsored flexible payment plans
or medical savings accounts (cafeteria plans)

Question 10

How Often Do I Come in for Appointments?

Answer

Program Participants should come in at least monthly. If participant prefers more frequent visits every two or three weeks we prorate fees

Question 11

When Can I Get an Initial Appointment?

Answer

Call 952-285-8000 to make appointment.

Question 12

Appointment Hours

Answer

Monday: 8 am to 8 pm
Tuesday: 8 am to 8 pm
Wednesday: 8 am to 4 pm
Thursday: 8 am to 4 pm
Friday: Closed
Saturday: 7:30 am to 1 pm
Sunday: Closed

Question 13

Why A Better Way Health Center Uses Phentermine to Help with Weight Loss?

Answer

Causes of obesity can be seen more as a chronic disease with biological and behavioral underpinnings, similar to diabetes or hypertension.

Just as medications are now being routinely used to treat conditions such as depression or smoking, which were once also thought due to poor behavior or moral failings,

Obesity recognized as a health condition is poorly controllable through behavior alone, can benefit from phentermine in combination with behavioral change.

Question 14

How Does Phentermine Work?

Answer

Phentermine works by Reducing calorie intake by

reducing hunger and
slowing gastric emptying, decreasing the calorie intake needed to feel satiated;
speeding up the metabolism, to a slight degree.

Phentermine effectively decreases appetite to levels below those normally experienced.
A markedly decreased appetite makes a calorie-restricted diet much easier to follow, which aids in the weight loss process.

Primary effect on the hypothalamus, which is a very deep part of the brain responsible for hunger, thirst, as well as influencing arousal levels and sleep.

Question 15

What is Phentermine?

Answer

Phentermine is a prescribed weight loss aid, for participants in a physician supervised weight control program. Phentermine is approved by FDA for treatment of clinically overweight or obese

Phentermine, the most popular and effective prescription weight loss medication available today!

The highest-rated FDA-approved weight loss medication available today!

Question 16

When should Participants Consider Phentermine?

Answer

Phentermine can be considered by

clinically obese BMI >= 30;
overweight BMI >= 27 with obesity-related health risk factors, such heart disease, colon, breast, endometrial and prostate cancers, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, and osteoarthritis.

Phentermine can be considered after

attempts at losing weight without a medication aide either through a formal program and/or self-dieting have proven ineffective.
after consultation with a physician, including a medical history and a physical exam

Question 17

Side Effects Phentermine

Answer

When Phentermine is used correctly, under proper supervision by Physician and Registered Dietitian, phentermine is a very safe medication with low incidence of side effects.

Under our program results, by 4 weeks into the program, persisting side effects for participants

10%: dry mouth
2%: dry mouth, sleeplessness, constipation.

As tolerance to Phentermine continues to build, these side effects continue to gradually subside.

Dry mouth

most common side effect
one which lingers the longest.
manageable by drinking water and chewing sugar-free gum.

Sleeplessness

next most common side effect

having a hard time falling asleep
awakening early in morning and not being able to get back to sleep.

2. This occurs primarily in the first week of Phentermine use subsiding to the level of a nuisance; however, for some patients it can linger for a few weeks, diminishing gradually over this time.

Constipation

occurs fairly frequently
lingers for some,
managed by water & fiber intake.

Mild headaches, restlessness, anxiety, irritability and occasional heart racing

not uncommon in first few days of starting the program
usually subside quickly throughout the first week.

Dizziness with sudden standing, blurred vision, hesitancy in starting urination (in men), and occasional gastrointestinal upset when taken on an empty stomach.

Other side effects are rare and usually mild when they do occur

Question 18

Is Phentermine Addictive?

Answer

Phentermine is an FDA Schedule 4 controlled substance with minimal abuse liability.

Majority of participants have no significant euphoric effect, high, nor craving.

Tolerance develops over time with lessening side effects & appetite suppressant.

If abrupt drug discontinuation, participants would experience rebound hunger and fatigue. But no severe withdrawal symptoms of sort associated with nicotine or caffeine cessation.

Of more concern are development of psychological dependence on Phentermine, to which participants are using medication in lieu of developing good health habits.

Question 19

Can I use phentermine for longer than three months?

Answer

Phentermine is the most commonly used drug for treating obesity. Although approved only for short-term use, US physicians have used it successfully for long-term since its initial approval in 1959. This drug, used off-label for long-term, has proven to be safe and effective, far safer than the disease it is used to treat. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28652791/
Phentermine abuse or psychological dependence (addiction) does not occur in patients treated with phentermine for obesity. Phentermine treatment does not induce phentermine drug craving, a hallmark sign of addiction. Amphetamine-like withdrawal does not occur upon abrupt treatment cessation even at doses much higher than commonly recommended and after treatment durations of up to 21 years. https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo201374
Long-term phentermine therapy does not induce phentermine cravings. Symptoms observed after abrupt phentermine cessation represent loss of therapeutic effect and are not withdrawal. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20592662/
Long Term Phentermine for Weight Loss. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/904926
In multivariable models, longer-term users of phentermine experienced more weight loss; patients using continuously for > 12 months lost 7.4% more than the referent group at 24 months (P < 0.001). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30900410/

Question 20

What Dose of Phentermine Do You Prescribe?

Answer

One pill per day.
Dose size 30 or 37.5 mg

Unless otherwise indicated by participants past medical history,

On return visits, based on physician experience, dose may need to be adjusted

Up for persisting hunger
Down for persisting side effects.

Question 21

How Often and When Should I take Phentermine?

Answer

When starting out,
Taking 1 phentermine per day,
Dose size 30 or 37.5 mg is adequate for all-day hunger control.

By Taking Phentermine at 9 or 10 am, hunger control

takes effect by lunchtime
lasts through dinner
wears off by bedtime

Question 22

Is There Any Way of Telling How I will Respond to Phentermine, Other Than by Trying It?

Answer

Phentermine Response Indicators

Stimulant medications, caffeine and OTC decongestants

If sensitive, low dose
If tolerant, increased dose

Close relatives have similar tolerance.

Body size is not a predictor of response.

Question 23

If Tolerance to Phentermine’s Effects Build, Does Phentermine Quit Working After a Period of Time?

Answer

Phentermine tolerance builds up over time to appetite suppressant effects.

Dose titration done under a physician’s guidance.
Tolerance increase compensated by gradual titration of dose to provide all-day appetite control.

Question 24

On Days That I Have Forgotten to Take Phentermine, I Am Still Not Hungry. Why is That?

Answer

Participants do best by taking prescribed Phentermine daily.

Phentermine takes

3 to 5 days to build up in system

not feeling full effect until being on it for several day

3 to 5 days to wash out of system

if a day is missed, quite a bit left in the system.

Question 25

What Over-the-Counter Medications Should I Avoid if I am Taking Phentermine?

Answer

If taking Phentermine,

We advise caution using OTC stimulant medications,
Decongestants (Pseudoephedrine) have blood pressure checked
Caffeine
Avoid all products containing Ephedrine.

Question 26

Can I Use Phentermine if I Have High Blood Pressure?

Answer

A history of high blood pressure is not an exclusionary condition to the use of Phentermine;

We check blood pressure every visit

Prior to beginning program
Blood pressure needs to be under control

systolic < 135 mmHg
diastolic < 85 mmHg

Question 27

Can I Use Phentermine if I am Taking Thyroid Medication?

Answer

A history of hypothyroidism and use of thyroid replacement medication should not exclude program participation, as long as amount of thyroid medication is appropriate to what participants need.

If overmedicated with thyroid medication, combined with another stimulant such as Phentermine,
could exacerbate these symptoms.

Question 28

Can I Use Phentermine if I am Pregnant, planning to be pregnant or Breastfeeding?

Answer

Should Not use phentermine
Those Women who are

pregnant,
planning to become pregnant
or who are breast-feeding.

Question 29

Is Phentermine the Same as Fen-phen?

Answer

Fen-phen is a combination of Fenfluramine & Phentermine popular from 1994 to 1997.

Fenfluramine,

Associated with increased incidence of heart valve changes.
At request of FDA, Removed from U.S. market by manufacturers

Phentermine,

Not associated with increased incidence of heart valve changes
On U.S. market since 1959.

Question 30

Do You Recommend Buying Phentermine Over the Internet?

Answer

If buying Phentermine from reputable US online source

Requires doctor’s prescription
You can probably assume getting a legitimate product.

If buying phentermine from internet

With no visible address or overseas address
Which dispenses Phentermine based on an online physician consult,
Aside from the legal issues you may be taking a chance that the product is not real thing.

Question 31

Does Phentermine Have Ephedrine in it?

Answer

Phentermine does not have ephedrine in it.
Phentermine and ephedrine are two separate medications.

Phentermine is available only by prescription.

Ephedrine was taken off market
With Risks of stroke & heart attack.

Question 32

Do I Need to Worry About Being on Phentermine if I get Drug Tested?

Answer

By Showing an employer a letter from our program, stating participant is receiving medication as part of a physician supervised weight loss program.
To the best of our knowledge, has been sufficient to avoid any problems.

Phentermine could produce false-positive results for Amphetamine like drugs on a Urine-Tox screen. However, a follow-up test, such as Gas Chroma-tography, should then clarify that the drug is Phentermine and not an illicit substance.

There are some professions such as airline pilot, where taking many medications including Phentermine are not allowed.

Question 33

FAQ DISCLAIMER. FAQ should not be interpreted as medical advice.

Answer

FAQ prepared by: Richard A. Nelson, M.D.

A Better Way Health Center Medical Director https://abetterwayhealthcenter.com/
U.of MN Medical School https://med.umn.edu/
Former NIH Staff Fellow & Guest Researcher https://www.nih.gov/
11 addiction related research publication at NIH https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Richard-A-Nelson-39151991

FAQ Based on

Phentermine literature review
24 years experience
21,000 participants
120.000 office visits