THE FAT BLOCKER DIET: PHEN-FEN & REDUX
One of the several popular new prescription drugs that inhibit appetite. The two most popular are Redux and its predecessor, Phen-Fen (named for the combination of the drugs phentermine and fenfluramine). Both Redux and Phen-Fen work by speeding up the mechanisms by which our brains normally tell us we are full and should stop eating. Specifically, they signal the neurons in the brain. The “Phen” part increases norepinephrine and dopamine, and the “Fen” increases serotonin in extra large quantities. The serotonin works on the receptors of adjacent neurons to inform the brain that our stomach is full before it really is. In this way, the feeling of hunger and the desire for food is cut off and people quit eating much sooner than they would naturally. In principle, there is nothing wrong with this approach.
Pulmonary hypertension, a dangerous disease of the blood vessels in the lungs and heart, rises from 2 to 46 cases per million after 3 months of Phen-Fen usage. While this is still a minor risk, it is illustrative of the potency of these drugs, and certainly suggests that they are not harmless. Even Redux, which seems to be milder than Phen-Fen, is known to cause fatigue, diarrhea, unpleasant dreams, and daytime mood swings.
In net, while these drugs are probably better than morbid obesity, they are not the ideal solution for those of us who are 10 to 50 pounds overweight. We would certainly feel and look better, have more energy, live longer and healthier, and enjoy our lives more if we lost those unneeded pounds. But it’s hardly worth risking brain damage, unlikely though it may be. And it’s even doubtful whether we are prepared to put up with headaches, diarrhea and permanently dry mouths (all occasional side effects of Redux) for the sake of a few lost pounds.
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