May 22, 1999
For the first time since the ban on FenPhen, Utah doctors are again using
a diet combination cocktail to pull weight off patients.
So far, it appears to be far
less--if at all-- dangerous than the original recipe.
Science Specialist Ed Yeates has more.
Phen Fen is no more, but Xen Phen is!
Some doctors are trying a new cocktail combining the half of the original
phen fen recipe which wasn't banned - with the new Orlistat fat blocking drug
called Xenical.
Doctors have continued using phentermine to suppress the appetite trigger
in the brain. But they wanted to find out if combining it with the new fat
blocking drug Xenical might produce more rapid weight loss.
Bariatric specialist, Dr. David Jack, says, "I do not expect this to be as big
as phen fen. I would like to see it as big as phen fen because I think it's
much safer. And I think it's much more in keeping with normal physiology to
just trim down the fat."
Xenical blocks the absorption of fat in the bowels but has NO effect on
the brain - while Phentermine suppresses appetite by directly affecting
dopamine and other chemicals in the brain.
Kathy Sneider was angry when the phen fen cocktail was banned 2 years
ago. She's 45 pounds heavier now and weight loss for her is critical for good
health.
So what about Xen Phen?
She says, "Absolutely, I'll try it tomorrow. I mean..yes, I would try it."
Doctors believe Xen Phen may be as effective as Phen fen - and may even be
more noticebale because patients can literally see fat expelled from the body.
But diarrhea is a side effect with Xenical if the patient's daily diet
includes more than 30 percent fat.
Even though Xen Phen appears harmless at this point, pharmacologists
worry about any combination of drugs which have not been through clinical
trials.
Kathy says, "I think the weight probably creates more problems for me than the
medications would."
The phentermine portion of the xen phen cocktail may affect blood pressure
in some people.
And the cost of Xenical alone is more than the original fen phen diet.
