Why Other Weight Loss Drugs, Hormones and Herbs Don't Work Either

Phentermine, Qsymia, Contrave, Saxenda, Orlistat, Ma Huang (Ephedra), and Thyroid Hormone

There are many other drugs used for obesity in weight loss clinics around the country and each has its own unique problems while they all share the common problem of starving the body of nutrients by reducing intake and thereby exacerbating the true problem. These drugs include: phentermine, Qsymia (phentermine-topamax, Contrave (bupropion-naltrexone), Saxenda (liraglutide), and Xenical/Alli (orlistat). Many patients go from one to the other as side effects develop.

There are also more “natural” seeming approaches to weight loss which are similarly flawed. Until the 1970s physicians often prescribed thyroid hormone for weight loss whether or not thyroid tests showed overt hypothyroidism. Functional medicine clinics today may still prescribe natural or synthetic thyroid hormones for presumed tissue-level hypothryoidism without confirmatory blood tests. Finally various herbs, particularly Ma Huang (outlawed, but still available by seed) were used for centuries, in part for their weight loss effects. Despite being more “natural” than pharmaceutical drugs the underlying approach is based on the same mistaken paradigm of weight gain.

The following section may be consulted as a reference for those with an interest in any of the above and will hopefully serve to dissuade from their misguided use.

Other “Siege Tactics” in Weight Loss

Each of the following interventions takes a different “siege” approach to force weight loss. We will examine how they work, how they might deepen nutritional deficits or toxicity, and why they ultimately miss the underlying cause of obesity (a body and soul craving nourishment).

Phentermine: Running on Adrenaline, Not Nourishment

Mechanism of Action:

Phentermine is a stimulant (an amphetamine analogue) that tricks the brain into thinking it’s not hungry. It triggers the release of norepinephrine (and to a lesser extent dopamine and serotonin) in the hypothalamus, activating the body’s fight-or-flight response and suppressing appetite (23). Essentially, it floods the brain with adrenaline-like signals so you feel alert and full of energy, with a blunted urge to eat. In the short term, phentermine often leads to reduced food intake and weight loss.

Appetite Suppression and Nutrient Deficits:

The problem is that phentermine-induced appetite loss doesn’t discriminate between calories and nutrients. A phentermine user might simply skip meals or eat very little. If their diet was nutrient-poor to begin with, this drug-enforced semi-starvation can swiftly worsen any vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Research on low-calorie diets shows that reducing food quantity without careful supplementation leads to higher risk of micronutrient deficiencies. Phentermine’s effect is similar – it’s been described as an “anorectic” agent precisely because it can induce a state of inadequate intake. Common side effects like dry mouth and constipation are clues: the body is literally dehydrated and digestion slowed, signs of strain (24). Users often report insomnia, agitation, and a racing heart, which are symptomatic of a body pushed into overdrive with stress hormones (24). Under these conditions, the body may burn more B-vitamins and electrolytes, further depleting nutrient stores. It’s weight loss through pressure and deprivation, not true healing.

Toxicity and Overgrowth Risks:

By revving up the sympathetic nervous system, phentermine can mask the exhaustion of an overweight body but doesn’t actually resolve underlying toxic load or immune dysfunction. In fact, chronic stress from stimulants can weaken immunity over time, raising cortisol and potentially impairing white blood cell function. If the user’s diet quality remains poor, their liver and gut still aren’t receiving the antioxidants and fiber needed for detox. The drug may help burn a bit of fat (releasing toxins stored in adipose tissue), but a malnourished body may struggle to neutralize and excrete those toxins. The result? Even as pounds drop, the internal environment could become more toxic. Some people on stimulants get sick more easily or develop skin problems and fatigue – signs that their immune system and detox organs are overburdened. And because phentermine does nothing to address gut health, issues like dysbiosis or Candida overgrowth (fueled by years of high-sugar diets) may persist or worsen as overall nutrition falters.

Deeper Critique:

Phentermine is essentially adrenaline in a pill – it forces the body to run faster and eat less, akin to whipping a tired horse. The immediate weight loss can be convincing, but it’s achieved by intensifying the starvation at obesity’s core. The drug doesn’t supply any missing nutrients or mend any emotional void; it simply shouts over the hunger signals. As a result, the true hunger (for vitamins, minerals, purpose, comfort) gets louder in subtle ways. Patients often feel more irritable or depressed once the initial “high” wears off, because nothing substantial has improved in their biochemistry or life. In fact, any rebound weight gain when phentermine is stopped is often accompanied by an even heartier appetite – the body’s attempt to recover from the imposed drought. In short, phentermine treats the symptom (appetite) by amplifying the stress state of the body. It’s siege warfare through stimulation: effective for a quick victory on the scale, perhaps, but at the risk of longer-term defeat as the undernourished, overstressed body eventually collapses or rebounds. Studies note that without addressing diet quality, weight loss from phentermine is hard to maintain – the alarm bell of hunger returns, since the fire (malnutrition) was never put out.

Phentermine–Topiramate (Qsymia): Double-Edged Sword of Suppression