Phentermine, commonly known by the brand name Adipex, is an FDA approved weight loss prescription drug. The drug works by decreasing one’s appetite. It can also increase your alertness, blood pressure, heart rate, and can cause muscles to contract.
Sounds familiar? Well, Adipex is quite similar to amphetamine. So if you are on phentermine, you might get a false positive for amphetamines on your urine drug test.
You might be wondering how long does Adipex stay in your system. The answer is – 1 to 4 days.
However, how long will Adipex remain in your body depends on how often you take it. Your metabolism also plays an important role.
There are also other factors, such as a person’s weight, height, age, and the amount of body fat. The kidneys and the liver clear most drugs out of the system relatively quickly. However, sometimes, traces of a drug can stay in the body for quite a long time.
For how long? No one can say for sure. Even though the FDA approves it, there aren’t that many studies about long-term use. There are no clinical data that would give us a definite answer.
It’s believed that caffeine helps speed things up. Nevertheless, if you are taking phentermine and your company administers random or periodic drug screening, it might look like you’re taking amphetamines. There’s no reason to panic – as long as you inform the testing lab beforehand, all should be good.
In case the test turns out to be positive for speed, the lab will conduct a confirmatory screening. You have nothing to worry about as the second test will rule out all other similar substances.
Adverse Effects
Even though you don’t have to worry about getting in trouble at work, there are a couple of things you must be aware of. Adipex is a stimulant, and it does affect your nervous system in a more or less the same way as amphetamines.
The substance can be habit-forming as well.If you quit cold turkey, you may experience withdrawal symptoms. It would be best to talk with your specialist about stopping it if you decide not to take it anymore. They will instruct you on how to reduce the dosage gradually.
Do not take medicine for longer than your doctor instructed you. Fatigue, irritability, and depression are some of the more common side effects that can follow the withdrawal. Inform your physician if the medicine is causing rapid weight gain, increased hunger, or swelling.