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Contact a Miami Fen Phen Lawyer
Defective Drug Side Effects Topics
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Fen-phen is the common name for the combination of the drugs pondimin (fenfluramine), redux (dexfenfluramine) and phentermine. Several years ago, the diet industry widely marketed the drug as a "miracle cure" for weight loss. In July of 1997, the FDA requested that the drug, and dangerous derivations of fen-phen, be recalled from the market. Although fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine are no longer marketed in the U.S., individuals that took fen-phen may just now be experiencing medical conditions associated with the drug, including a serious and potentially fatal condition call primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH).
Since the Fen Phen in Miami recall numerous individual and class action lawsuits began to be filed throughout the entire country due to the deaths and serious cardiovascular conditions that were the direct result of Fen Phen in Miami use. Evidence that Fen Phen in Miami manufacturer, American Home Products, was aware of the potential Fen Phen in Miami risks well before the recall began to surface. By the time Fen Phen in Miami was pulled off the shelves an estimated 6 million to 7 million people in the U.S. had taken the diet drug.
American Home Products (AHP) withdrew Fen Phen in Miami from the U.S. market on September 15, 1997. Fen phen experienced immediate success after its introduction with 18,000,000 prescriptions written in 1996 alone. It has been estimated that between 6 million and 7 million people took Fen Phen in Miami in the U.S. prior to the FDA withdrawal.
Fen phen was associated to a serious and fatal condition called primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), but the numerous Fen Phen in Miami supporters did not want to hear about the possible risks that involved Fen Phen in Miami with the successful weight loss that people were experiencing.
Heart Valve Defects
Some of the many problems caused by the dangers of Fen Phen in Miami occur with the aortic and mitral valves. When these valves are impaired, they can cause blood to be regurgitated into the ventricle and left atrium. The symptoms of heart valve disease may be subtle---existent in the presence of shortness of breath and chest pain. Treatment can include medication, a valvoplasty, or a repair of the damaged heart valves and/or heart valve replacement surgery. This condition often requires long term heart monitoring and medication.
Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is a rare disease that has no known cause that results in the progressive narrowing of the blood vessels of the lungs. This, in turn, leads to high blood pressure in these blood vessels and can eventually lead to heart failure. Secondary pulmonary hypertension (SPH) is the result of other types of lung disease, abnormal breathing processes or heart disease.
The use of fenfluramine (and derivatives) and dexfenfluramine has been found to increase the risk of developing PPH, especially when the usage lasts for more than three months. Studies estimate that treatment with certain appetite suppressant drugs increases the risk of developing PPH from 1 to 28 cases (per million persons treated in one year).
Initial symptoms of PPH may be very minor, and diagnosis can be delayed for several years until symptoms worsen. Typical symptoms may include:
* Shortness of breath
* Chest pain
* Dizziness, fainting, and weakness
* Excessive fatigue
* Bluish lips and skin
* Ankle swelling
It is often difficult to detect PPH in a routine medical examination. Even when the disease has progressed, the signs and symptoms may be confused with other conditions that affect the heart and the lungs. PPH is diagnosed only after several possible causes of pulmonary hypertension are excluded. Typically, additional tests are needed to positively diagnose PPH.
Fen-phen is the common name for the combination of the drugs pondimin (fenfluramine), redux (dexfenfluramine) and phentermine
The prognosis for patients with PPH can cover a wide spectrum. Many patients report that lifestyle changes allow them to perform many of their day-to-day affairs. The median period of survival is three years after diagnosis, although the survival rate is generally longer for those patients without heart failure and for those patients diagnosed after 40.
The condition is treated with a number of drugs that work to cure or halt the progression of this disease, although they may only help to relieve certain symptoms. Some patients take vasodilators, which help to dilate the blood vessels in the lungs and help reduce the blood pressure in them. In addition, anticoagulants may be used to decrease the tendency of the blood to clot in the lungs. Although medication helps certain patients, patients with severe PPH may require and be candidates for a lung or heart-lung transplant.
If you have taken either fen-phen or redux for more than three months and have any shortness of breath, chest pain or unusual fatigue, the Federal Drug Administration and the American Board of Cardiology recommend that individuals undergo an echocardiogram to detect for the possibility of medical problems.
Neuropsychological Damage
Neuropsychological damage is difficult to determine because physicians are unable to sample and analyze human brain cells. If there is serious concern over neuropsychological damage for symptoms such as cognitive disturbance, memory loss, mood swings, behavioral changes, psychotic breakdowns, or depression, patients should consult a neuro-specialist
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