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The
“diet drugs" called Fenfluramine [fen] and Phentermine [phen]
have been on the market since the 1970s. Until recently, they were not
prescribed together. They are prescription diet drugs that were
distributed through doctors and weight loss clinics. However, when taken
together, they are referred to as Fen-Phen. Nearly six million people
used the diet drug combination known as Fen-Phen.
Since a lot of people used Fen-Phen Diet Drugs, this became a large-scale
problem when the dangers became known. The problem resultedin a class action settlement for Fen Phen diet drug claims. Many people chose to "opt-out" of the Fen Phen diet drug settlement.
In fact, the problem was so big that the Wall Street Journal
reported that 18 million Fen-Phen prescriptions were made per month in
1996. Which means that millions of people were placed at risk by these
drugs. It is estimated that there are still 78,000 active "opt-out" claims.
The widespread usage all came to an abrupt end in 1997, when it
was discovered that Fen-Phen was making people very sick, and even
resulting in deaths. This was brought to light in 1997 when the Mayo
Clinic reported finding heart valve problems in 30% of Fen-Phen users
tested in a study.
The serious health problems associated
with Fen-Phen
led to numerous individual and class action lawsuits through the United
States.
The Fen-Phen drug combination used as a way to help people lose
weight. The non-obese person maintains normal weight without drugs. In a
nutshell, the normal person experiences a sense of fullness, which
provides physical and emotional well being after eating. Simply stated,
the body knows when to say "I have had enough". Scientific study has
established that these feelings of satisfaction occur when certain neuro-transmitters
in the brain, molecules of serotonin, are released. Fen-Phen stimulates
the brain to release an EXTRA amount of serotonin. Science reasons that
if serotonin brings satisfaction to the normal eater, then an extra
amount of serotonin will quicken the ending of the obese person's desire
to eat. With appetite reduced, over time, significant and lasting weight
loss should occur, or so goes the argument.
Concerned about your Fen Phen Opt-Out case? Use our online form to submit your inquiry.
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