Able Weight Loss Center

WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT DIET PILLS
By: Dr. Robert B. Bell, D.O., owner of,
Weight Control and Longevity Center

DO DIET PILLS WORK?
YES, The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have only two criterion for any drug approved. 1) Are they safe? 2) Do they work? Most of the medications we use have been approved since the late 50's or early 60's. All have been approved by the FDA for both safety and efficacy.

HOW DO THEY WORK?
The main action of drugs used in weight reduction is to reduce your appetite. Therefore you eat less food.

ARE THEY SAFE?
YES, most of the drugs we use have been in use for 40 years or more without problems when taken as prescribed.

ARE THEY ADDICTIVE?
NO, I have never seen any evidence that they are, either in my experience or in the literature.

CAN I TAKE THESE DRUGS IF I HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
If the blood pressure is adequately controlled we have had no problems with Phentermine, Diethylpropion, Phendimetrazine or Xenical.

CAN I TAKE THESE DRUGS IF I HAVE DIABETES?
YES, a nice side effect is that they may even lower your insulin or oral medication requirement for Type II diabetics. However, they are not recommended for Type I diabetes.

DOES PHENTERMINE CAUSE HEART VALVE DAMAGE?
NO, there are no cases of heart valve disease in patients taking Phentermine. All cases have involved only the fenfluramines (Pondimin or Redux).

Also, it was not the combination of Phentermine with the Fenfluramines as originally thought. The Fenfluramines are the only diet pills which are known to cause Heart Valve Disease and have been taken off the market.

DOES PHENTERMINE CAUSE PRIMARY PULMONARY HYPERTENSION (PPH)?
NO, Phentermine does not cause PPH. This disease, as Heart Valve Disease, is associated with only the Fenfluramines.

IS PHENTERMINE ALONE AS EFFECTIVE AS PHEN/FEN?
YES, but let the originator of Phen/Fen answer that. Dr. Michael Weintraub published his original work in 1992. Weintraub's premises was not that Phen/Fen was more effective, but that by using two drugs he could reduce the dose of both drugs and thus the side effects.His conclusion was: "The combination of Phentermine and Fenfluramine was as effective as the full doses of either (Phentermine of Fenfluramine) alone and resulted in fewer side effects." [Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, May 1992, page 581]

WHO SHOULD NOT TAKE CHEMICAL APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS?
Anyone who has an irregular heart beat, uncontrolled hypertension, angina, hyperthyroid (overactive), glaucoma or are pregnant.

CAN I TAKE THESE DRUGS IF I TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANTS?
No, none of the SSRI varieties: Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, etc., The older Tryicyclics such as Elavil are OK. You can not take these drugs if you are on a MAO inhibitor such as Eldepryl, Parnate, Marplan and Nardil.