Fen-Phen History

When you consider the Fen-phen history of articles and how it began so successfully but ended in a shockingly abrupt manner, it goes to prove that appetite suppressants aren’t always what they are supposed to be. It was not that long ago when fen-phen was introduced as the new wonder drug that could do miracles for the obese and doctors all over America were feverishly writing prescriptions for more than 18 million Americans who wanted nothing more than to lose weight and look like those reed thin models strutting the catwalk.

Fen-phen in fact was a combination of two drugs; fenfluramine and phentermine that had a stunning rate of success when treating obese patients who managed to lose an average of 30 pounds. Although fenfluramine was the earlier discovered appetite suppressant, it had to be taken off the shelves due to its nasty side effects that caused heart attacks and other adverse reactions in those who took it. After many clinical studies were carried out, it was thought that a cocktail of the two drugs; fenfluramine and phentermine although not safe on their own, appeared to have little of very few side effects when taken combined. It was this combination called fen-phen that was introduced to the public in 1992 and went on having success after success until further research carried out by the Mayo clinic released a report stating that users of fen-phen could damage their heart valves and also cause pulmonary hypertension in their lungs.

These revelations sent shock waves throughout the country resulting in all stock of fen-phen being withdrawn immediately. Patients who had been on the drug were advised to consult their physicians immediately to ensure no long term damage had been caused due to the intake of the drug. Unfortunately for some, the warning came too late and they had to suffer due to the adverse side effects of this one time wonder drug, details of which can be read in the fen-phen history of articles.

When fen-phen was first introduced to the market, it had not been approved by the FDA, but it was they who removed it from the market in 1997, linking it to heart valve damage. Although taken off, many lawsuits were filed against its manufacturers and sellers, including the class action lawsuit filed by those whose health was fatally affected by the use of the drug. A settlement was arrived at in 1999 where it was agreed by the manufacturers and sellers to pay 3.7 billion to consumers who filed the class action lawsuit.

Research carried out later in the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy is reported to have stated that fen-phen would have turned toxic because the two drugs; fenfluramine and phentermine when taken together was capable of destroying the body’s ability to control serotonin in blood plasma. This means that the excess serotonin can damage blood vessels, especially in the lungs which could have been the cause for pulmonary hypertension as well as heart valve damage in a relatively very small number of people out of millions of Americans who were prescribed fen-phen for obesity problems. According to the fen-phen history of articles however, those few causalities were more than enough to withdraw the drug as being a potentially dangerous appetite suppressant.