What is fenfluramine?

The demand for weight loss drugs is not waning. This is one of the reasons why many pharmaceutical companies keeps introducing new products in the market even with little clinical trials on its effectiveness and overall safety of the users. Although these drugs may be effective in losing weight but the extended use will surely give serious side effects. The FDA, which regulates drugs and supplements, is continuously monitoring the different weight loss pills to safeguard the public from possible complications and side effects. They have issued several warning letters and even requested some pharmaceutical companies to withdraw their products from the market due to safety issues. This is what happened to Fenfluramine.

What is fenfluramine? It is an anorectic drug formerly used in the treatment of obesity. As an anti-suppressant drug it is chemically related to amphetamine but without its addictive properties. It is a promising weight loss drug and was combined with Phentermine to attain faster results in losing weight. It became a sensation in the 1990's because a lot of users were satisfied with the effects of fenfluramine and phentermine. Thus the combination of Fen-Phen as an anti-obesity medication became so popular.

Some of of its side effects can be controlled but adverse reactions may include depression and irregular heart beats. In another study, it was revealed that the use of fenfluramine by pregnant women can affect the fetus. It may have a teratogenic effect on the fetus meaning it can cause birth defects on the fetus or newborn. Although the severity of the defects depends on the level of exposure and the stage of pregnancy where the exposure happened. It could lead to cardiomyopathy, ventricular septal defect, clubfoot, limb abnormalities, and inguinal hernia. The use of fenfluramine can also lead to miscarriage.

Fenfluramine was later withdrawn in 1995 because of reports of heart valve damage to adult patients. Other complications were pulmonary hypertension and a condition known as cardiac fibrosis. The results of a study were alarming which caused its pull out worldwide. In the study of 5743 former users, the damage to the heart valve continued long after stopping the medication. The most affected were women with 20 percent while 12 percent for men. It was also found out that fenfluramine users have 7 times more chances of undergoing surgery for faulty heart valves.

Fenfluramine was also known as Pondimin, Ponderax and Adifax. This weight loss pill became available in the US in 1973. It is the racemic mixture of two enantiomers, dextrofenfluramine and levofenfluramine. What is fenfluramine's function? If you are using fenfluramine, it increases the level of the neurotransmitter serotonin. It is a chemical that regulates mood, appetite and other bodily functions. Fenfluramine disrupts the vesicular storage of the neurotransmitter which causes the release of serotonin and at the same time reversing serotonin transporter function. The feeling of fullness and loss of appetite are the results of taking fenfluramine.