The move was seen as a humiliation for the FDA, which is widely regarded as the most effective drug regulator in the world. Michael Weintraub, a University of Rochester professor of clinical pharmacology who'd done the only study of fen-phen, professed dismay at the way his work had been interpreted. Every time I hear that word I sort of cringe. As with so many current social problems, the Internet played its role. Fen-phen mills used the Web to reach the gullible and desperate.
Ephedrine can cause high blood pressure, insomnia, seizures, heart attacks and stroke.
On Nov. 6, the FDA told a Pennsylvania maker of herbal phen-fen that its products might be seized as illegal drugs. Heart valve defects can not only lead to a devastating infection of the valve or heart lining, but also can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and even heart failure. But understanding the full impact of fen-phen is complicated, since valve defects are present in a small percentage of the population from unknown causes. On Nov. 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new statistics on fen-phen. According to the Centers for Disease Control, up to 30 percent of these people may have heart valve defects associated with using the drug and should get a medical examination for heart or lung disease.