Adipex Vs Phentermine: Differences and Similarities

What Is the Difference Between Phentermine 37.5 and Adipex?

Adipex and Phentermine 37.5 mg are two of the most popular diet drugs prescribed in the United States. These medications are designed to be used by individuals suffering from obesity. Alternately, they may also be prescribed to people who are overweight and whose excess body fat is increasing their risk of serious health conditions. Those conditions may include heart disease, some cancers or diabetes.

While you may know that Adipex (sometimes also called Adipex-P) is a brand-name version of Phentermine, you may also wonder if this makes them identical. It is, by far, the leading brand name for that generic medication. However, while they may contain the same active ingredient, that doesn’t necessarily make them identical.

Here are some important things for you to know about Phentermine 37.5 mg and its brand-name version, Adipex. These can be important details to know before you speak to your doctor or fill your prescription. 

Phentermine is the Adipex Generic Version

Phentermine is the name typically used to refer to the generic version of a prescription diet drug. This is because the drug is officially known as phentermine hydrochloride. This drug is not prescribed to people who are merely seeking cosmetic weight loss. It is a serious medication that comes with considerable potential benefits, as well as some significant possible risks.

It is not entirely clear how Phentermine works in order to help people to lose weight. That said, it has been widely studied and shown to be helpful with reducing the body fat levels of obesity patients. Moreover, it has been prescribed in the United States for over fifty years. This has given the medical community a long time in which to observe its effects in patients.

Phentermine is a sympathomimetic amine. They are believed to help dieters by suppressing the appetite while boosting their energy levels. This does not directly result in weight loss. Instead, it helps dieters to adhere to a healthy lifestyle including calorie reduction and regular exercise. In that way, dieters can naturally lose the weight while more easily overcoming some of the traditional challenges of weight loss.

There are a number of possible drawbacks associated with using Phentermine. Among them are side effects, addiction and withdrawal symptoms.

Some of the more common side effects include dry mouth, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation and sleep struggles. These are often mild and temporary. However, if they should persist or worsen, it’s important to promptly discuss them with a doctor or pharmacist.

More severe side effects are possible. In the case of serious side effects, it’s important to seek immediate emergency medical assistance.

The body will build a tolerance to this drug over time. Moreover, many people will also become addicted to it. For that reason, it is prescribed for only a few weeks at a time in order to minimize those risks. Furthermore, you may be instructed to gradually decrease the use of this drug so that you can keep withdrawal symptoms under control.

The risk of serious side effects, addiction and withdrawal symptoms worsens when Phentermine is taken in higher doses than prescribed or more frequently than prescribed. Additionally, taking too much of this prescription diet drug does not boost its effectiveness. For that reason, it’s vital to follow the usage directions printed on the bottle. 

Adipex

Adipex is the name of the most commonly prescribed brand of Phentermine. It is owned by GATE Pharmaceuticals.

One Adipex pill contains 37.5 mg of phentermine hydrochloride. This is the exact same chemical contained in generic Phentermine pills. All generic phentermine diet pills are bioequivalent to brand names.

Bioequivalence means that brand-name medications and their generic equivalents have been carefully studied and compared to ensure that they are the same and do not differ in efficacy, safety and bioavailability when they are taken at the same dosage. Therefore, the active phentermine hydrochloride ingredient is the same regardless of whether “Adipex” is on the label.

As long as you take the pills as directed, the majority of patients will experience the same results regardless of whether they use Adipex or generic Phentermine pills.

How to Buy Adipex

After discussing the Phentermine 375 vs Adipex differences and similarities with your doctor, you may feel that you are ready to make the choice between the two.  If your doctor does indeed prescribe this drug to you, then you will need to know how to buy Adipex and what you can expect from the process.

The main factor is that you should make sure that you only purchase this obesity treatment drug if you do indeed receive a prescription for it.  When you do, ensure that you only purchase from a pharmacy that requires you to present that prescription. Any pharmacy that does not require you to provide proof of a prescription from a licensed doctor should not be trusted. They are not acting legally, and you take a risk shopping with them. You risk receiving the wrong, expired, or improperly stored pills, and you risk suffering the theft of your private and/or financial data.

Instead, shop from a reputable pharmacy. If you have any remaining questions regarding Phentermine 375 vs Adipex, your pharmacist should be able to assist you with them.  Don’t hesitate to ask.  This is particularly true when it comes to the way your medication will affect your body, how it should be stored, and how you should use it.

How Are Adipex and Phentermine Different?

The primary differences between Phentermine 37.5 mg and Adipex are the following: 

• The primary difference between brand-name Adipex and generic Phentermine 37.5 mg is the name on the label. This means that a different manufacturer has produced the pills, despite the fact that they contain the same active ingredient.

• Adipex is sold in capsule form, whereas generic Phentermine and other brands of that medication may be sold in capsule or tablet form. It has also previously been sold in caplet form. Though that form continues to exist in the world, there aren’t any American manufacturers producing it.

• The phentermine hydrochloride may be the same regardless of whether the pill is a generic or Adipex, but the non-active ingredients may differ. These substances may not be medications, but they can cause certain people to respond differently to the drug. The non-active ingredients can include the substance comprising the capsule itself, fillers, anti-bulking agents, anti-caking agents and others. The caplets no longer available in the United States, for instance, were made with resin. Resin is an inactive ingredient, but it slowed the body’s ability to absorb the phentermine hydrochloride. This made it different from Adipex, which is not made with resin.

• Since everyone’s body processes medication in a different way, some people may react differently to the inactive ingredients in Adipex than others who take the same pill. As a result, certain individuals may find that Adipex is slightly more effective when compared to other generic phentermine alternatives, such as Phentermine 37.5 mg. 

• Generic medications are often sold at a lower cost than brand names, so Phentermine 37.5 mg is usually sold at a cheaper price than Adipex.

The Bottom Line

When it all comes down to it, Phentermine 37.5 mg and Adipex are the exact same drug. However, the brand name contains some inactive ingredients that may improve its absorption in the body compared to other formats. As a capsule, some people may find it easier or more challenging to swallow.

For this reason, some people find Adipex better than Phentermine in ways not related to the response to the medication itself. That said, the effectiveness of the prescription diet drug to suppress appetite, increase metabolism and boost energy levels is technically the same. Both Phentermine 37.5 and Adipex are prescription weight loss medications and require a doctor's prescription to be legally purchased online or at a brick-and-mortar pharmacy.