WEIGHT-LOSS PRODUCTS: PHEN-FEN
This “hot” weight-loss gimmick is ballyhooed in newspaper advertisements everywhere and is spread far and wide across the Internet. Phen-Fen is short for phentermine and fenfluramine, 2 drugs that influence the neurotransmitters (messengers) in the brain.
Phentermine alters blood flow, heartbeat, and other body functions by making more dopamine and norepinephrine available to brain cells, which reduces appetite. Fenfluramine increases the amount of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which plays a role in regulating appetite and mood, so appetite is further reduced. The 2 drugs, which showed limited promise in treating obesity when used separately, did much better when combined.
Like all drugs, these 2 can have side effects, including dry mouth, jitteriness, drowsiness, diarrhea, nausea, headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia, and sexual dysfunction. There’s also the risk of pulmonary hypertension and heart failure, as well as the potential for subtle brain damage. If you use these two drugs, you must be monitored carefully by a knowledgeable, nutritionally minded physician, and you should not take them for longer than 3 months.
Redux (dexfenfluramine) is the newest weight-loss drug. Its use must be monitored by a knowledgeable physician, for it has appreciable side effects similar to those seen with Phen-Fen. It must not be used for more than 3 months, and should be accompanied by nutritional and behavioral training.
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