Sinusitis FAQ

Phentramine & Prozac Combined

Question:

There are several overweight women in an office at work, and they brag that they are losing weight and feeling fine taking Phentramine (not sure of spelling) & Prozac. Others tell me that this is a dangerous combination. Can anyone shed some light on this subject. Is this truly dangerous. Apparently they happened to be on Prozac for depression caused by their overweight condition, and have added the Phentramine for its weight loss characteristic’s. Would doctors describe this if it was dangerous? Jazzmnn  

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – There are several overweight women in an office at work, and they brag that they are losing weight and feeling fine taking Phentramine (not sure of spelling) & Prozac. Others tell me that this is a dangerous combination. Can anyone shed some light on this subject. Is this truly dangerous. Apparently they happened to be on Prozac for depression caused by their overweight condition, and have added the Phentramine for its weight loss characteristic’s. Would doctors describe this if it was dangerous? Jazzmnn  

Any ideas on this one group????

Response:

There are several overweight women in an office at work, and they brag that they are losing weight and feeling fine taking Phentramine (not sure of spelling) & Prozac. Others tell me that this is a dangerous combination. Can anyone shed some light on this subject. Is this truly dangerous. Apparently they happened to be on Prozac for depression caused by their overweight condition, and have added the Phentramine for its weight loss characteristic’s. Would doctors describe this if it was dangerous? Jazzmnn  

I see potential for this one being a bad combo for a lot of people, if prescribed indiscriminately.  Prozac, alone, has side effects which can include psychosis.  Add a strong stimulant to the mix and someone with latent emotional problems can probably be adversely affected.  There are doctors who may prescribe the combination, believing it may be helpful, and for some, it may work. Phentermine, alone, is a good appetite suppressant.  I don’t think prescribing Prozac, in combination with it, for someone who is not clinically depressed, is advisable.  Like Phen/Fen, which the Phen/Pro has replaced, the combined actions have yet to be fully documented and studied, so anyone consuming the combo is a guina pig and should understand this and not be amazed if they get sick, like some of the victims of Phen/Fen who are now disabled. Buyer beware.  That’s my opinion, anyway, on this popular diet fad.   Ariel

Response:

Like Phen/Fen, which the Phen/Pro has replaced, Phen/Pro did not ‘replace" phen/fen.  Nothing did.

Yes, that’s probably an unfortunate choice of words I used, although for the first six months following the banishment of fenfluramine, as you mentioned, a bunch of ads and diet clinics advertised Phen/Pro. THe combination of Phen/Pro was touted as a ‘replacement’ by a large national weight-loss chain, the same chain that refused to share data with the FDA.

Maybe that’s where it got it’s momentum as "replacement" for Phen/Fen, I just remember feeling frustrated when people all around me started gobbling Prozac and other stimulants in combination for weight loss. It became very popular last year, so that "chain" did a good job promoting it. Fen/Pro is not endorsed by any organization.  It has not been tested in the combination for weight loss.

I wouldn’t think so.  It definately has not been studied in bariatric cases. That’s what I found alarming.  so anyone consuming the combo is a guina pig and should understand this and not be amazed if they get sick, True like some of the victims of Phen/Fen who are now disabled. How many?  I think if you look thru the literature you will find the ‘findings" or ‘complications’ of phen/fen (namely heart valve vegitations) has not really been as common or as devistating as the media would make us think.  Certainly there are some individual cases that are tragic, but overall there is a modicum of hype involved.

Oh you are absolutely right, although, as you’ve said, there were some compelling case studies on the pathophysiology of the patients with the acute pulmonary hypertension  scenarios.  I never saw any clinically affected or harmed people who came to our facility, but we did 80% more echos and PFTs in the months following the scare.  What was alarming was that it demonstrated how huge the consumer base was for Fen/Phen in the first place.  I remember feeling that there was more than a modicum of hype at the time and started to become irritated at the mentality surrounding the sensational tabloid coverage of fenfluramine’s harmful consequences vs. any other bariatric condition. It does not preclude the possibility that they would have not gotten the same conditions without taking any drugs.  Especially with the so-called mitral valve controversy.  1/3 of women have mild to moderate prolapse and have had mild non-threatening murmers.  Add obesity and lifestyle to the mix, and who’s to say what caused what? We actually had to laugh at our increase in Echocardiographs requested by patients, themselves, without physician approval, and when they were prescribed and the women came in, they were frantic and concerned that this drug caused "heart damage" when they had been carrying around twice their pump’s burden in weight alone, many of them smoked cigarettes, and were frequently on more chemicals in combination in the form of drugs for every complaint imaginable.  I hate to sound mean-spirited, and I have also been in need of a few shed pounds once or twice in my life, but, it was ludicrous when you consider the lawsuits that emerged from people suing the drug company for harming them, when they treated their own bodies like trash bags anyway. Buyer beware.  That’s my opinion, anyway, on this popular diet fad. So true.

You and I see eye to eye on this, probably.  There’s no easy fix, especially for obesity, one of the most prevalent problems in the US today.  You have to take care of your body and drugs can only assist, but always carry risks of side-effects.  People need to assume personal responsibility for their own health and wellness and if they jump on these bandwagons with fad drugs, then they need to be alert to the possibilities of getting sick from these "cures." Ariel

Response:

Like Phen/Fen, which the Phen/Pro has replaced,

Phen/Pro did not ‘replace" phen/fen.  Nothing did. THe combination of Phen/Pro was touted as a ‘replacement’ by a large national weight-loss chain, the same chain that refused to share data with the FDA. Fen/Pro is not endorsed by any organization.  It has not been tested in the combination for weight loss.  so anyone consuming the combo is a guina pig and should understand this and not be amazed if they get sick,

True. like some of the victims of Phen/Fen who are now disabled.

How many?  I think if you look thru the literature you will find the ‘findings" or ‘complications’ of phen/fen (namely heart valve vegitations) has not really been as common or as devistating as the media would make us think.  Certainly there are some individual cases that are tragic, but overall there is a modicum of hype involved. Buyer beware.  That’s my opinion, anyway, on this popular diet fad.

So true. — Edward J. Mathes, RPA-C Physician Assistant Internal Medicine Opinions above are mine and mine alone. Opinions above are NOT medical advice. If you don’t like these opinions, make up some of your own. My spelling, syntax, denotation and grammar are perfect.  It is my typing that is bad. Get Paid to Surf the Web:  http://alladvantage.com/go.asp?refid=ARG-758

Response:

Filed under: Pathophysiology

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