Fen-phen: What was it?
Friday, November 9th, 2007Fen-phen was a drug “cocktail” prescribed to thousands of patients in the early 1990s to treat obesity. It consisted of two drugs, fenfluramine (”fen”) and phentermine (”phen”).
Fenfluramine releases the hormone serotonin into the body, while phentermine is a stimulant that counteracts the drowsiness and altered moods associated with higher serotonin levels. The drugs had been used separately to aid in weight loss for years. Researchers found that when taken together, the drugs suppressed appetite and were effective in treating obesity.
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