Fenfluramine
Pronunciation:fen-FLOO-ra-meen
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:458-24-2. (Hydrochloride form
404-82-0)
Formal Names:Miniphage, Ponderal, Ponderax, Pondimin, Ponflural, Redux
Type:Stimulant (anorectic class).Seepage 15
Federal Schedule Listing:Schedule IV (DEA no. 1670). In 2002 federal authorities
were planning to make the substance unscheduled.
USA Availability:Prescription
Pregnancy Category:C
Uses.For convenience this drug is here classified as a stimulant simply
because other anorectics controlled by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Adminis-
tration are stimulants. Chemistry operates independently of classification
schemes, however, and fenfluramine does not act like typical stimulants even
though it is related to amphetamine. Fenfluramine can sedate users and has
only modest influence on body temperature and blood pressure. Yet it also
has characteristics of powerful stimulants: euphoria, hallucinations, paranoia.
High doses can pep up a person rather than sedate. Fenfluramine can alter
time perceptions and snap moods from one extreme to another. Some scien-
tists classify it as a hallucinogen. Occasionally it can act as an aphrodisiac in
females. Fenfluramine also lowers cholesterol levels.
In humans fenfluramine has been found effective for diminishing panic at-
tacks but has had mixed success when used to treat obsessive behavior. Ex-
perimental use against schizophrenia has been unsuccessful, with patients
worsening under the drug regimen. Indeed, reports asked whether the drug
might be inducing psychotic reactions. A four-week study found fenfluramine
useful in improving the conduct of mentally retarded children suffering from
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A longer study (11 months)
found the drug provided only limited help to autistic children, and a still
longer study (27 months) found such long-term administration impractical
due to unwanted effects and due to changes in the autistic children’s lives. A
scientific review of such studies concluded that the drug’s potential nonethe-
less merited further trials.
Fenfluramine is a drug of many effects, but medically its primary use has
been for weight loss. Studies consistently indicate the drug’s effectiveness for