Dexfenfluramine is an anorectic medication that suppresses appetite by releasing serotonin. It was withdrawn from the market in 1997 due to serious cardiovascular side effects. It was marketed under the name Redux and was part of the fen-fen combination drug that generated a massive class action lawsuit. Other medications can interact negatively with dexfenfluramine.
Dexfenfluramine is an anorectic medication used to aid weight loss. It is an appetite suppressant that works by triggering the release of the neurochemical serotonin. This is done by disrupting serotonin storage sites in the brain. The released serotonin causes a loss of appetite and, in many people, also causes a feeling of satiety.
This is one of several similar weight loss supplements that was produced and marketed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. All of these supplements are anorexic, which is derived from the Greek and translates as without appetite. Dexfenfluramine was also used to create a similar compound, fenfluramine, which is a combination of dexfenfluramine and levofenfluramine.
These two constituent parts of fenfluramine are stereoisomers. This means that they have the same chemical components and molecular formula, but are structured differently in three-dimensional space. These two compounds are also in a particular class of stereoisomers known as enantiomers. Compounds that are enantiomers are mirror images of each other, analogous to a right and left hand. They cannot overlap each other, and are often described as the same, but opposite.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew dexfenfluramine from the market in 1997, after reports emerged that it caused serious cardiovascular side effects. These included heart valve disease and cardiac fibrosis. Dexfenfluramine was marketed in the United States under the name Redux, by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories.
Fenfluramine was withdrawn from stores at the same time as dexfenfluramine. Before its removal, it saw the most use as the drug Adifax & trade. This drug was also combined with another drug, phentermine, and together the combinations known as fen-fen. By 2004, phen-fen had all but disappeared from the market, but it generated a massive tort, or class action lawsuit, involving more than 50,000 alleged victims, all of whom had experienced adverse side effects from the drug. Total liability for the tort was estimated at $14 billion United States dollars (USD).
Dexfenfluramine doses are taken orally, usually in capsule form. The recommended daily intake is two 15-milligram (mg) capsules, always taken with food. The capsules are generally white and opaque, and have the Redux name stamped on them, along with three vertical black bands.
Other medications that have potential negative interactions with dexfenfluramine include blood pressure medications and those used to treat diabetes. Also, monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, which are used to treat depression, may have unwanted side effects if taken with this weight loss medication. In some cases, symptoms such as anxiety and abdominal pain may occur if this weight loss medication is stopped.
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