It May Be Banned, But PPH and Fen-Phen Still an Issue

Washington, DCThe so-called Fen-phen diet combo was banned in 1997, but its presence is still being felt in herbal products still sold online. A cause of primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), Fen-Phen side effects often emerge a decade after the diet aid is first consumed. The relationship between PPH and Fen-Phen prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the combined fenluramine and phentermine.

However Ephedra, which was banned by the FDA in 2004 (a ban that was upheld two years later) is still available despite the FDA stance. Some health food stores still carry diet products that carry Ephedra. And the US regulator holds little sway with on-line pharmacies, which are based in other countries not bound by FDA regulatory authority.

Such availability is illustrated in several ways. For example, according to a June 12, 2008 accounting in the New York Daily News, the FDA found Fen-Phen in two products imported from China. This was in 2002, five years after the ban on Fen-Phen took effect.

Ephedra, which is derived from the herb Ephedra Sinica, scores an assist in the war against flab by increasing an individual's metabolism. However Ephedra has also been known to increase blood pressure and the heart rate, which can lead to arrhythmia and sudden death.

And just because the label refers to 'herbal' does not suggest it is void of any prescription drugs or mixtures of drugs, according to a CNN story back in February.

In a report from February 23rd, CNN.com reveals a potpourri of herbal remedies that were found by the FDA to contain laxatives, diuretics and anti-seizure meds.

Ephedra, often referred to as herbal Fen-Phen, is one of those substances that has been banned in the US but is still available online.

According to the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), which represents supplement manufacturers, more than 150 million people in the US take vitamins and other dietary supplements. Most consumers don't to really dig into the listing of ingredients—and some ingredients are not declared at all.

It should be noted that the FDA has no authority to approve or regulate dietary supplements before they come to market—although the agency can react after the fact if a health risk is identified.

Thus, consumers who knowingly ingest herbal Fen-Phen risk Fen-Phen side effects including primary pulmonary hypertension. That should be enough to prompt anyone to avoid any potential for PPH and Fen-Phen.