Through the years, a variety of drugs and supplements have been promoted as a shortcut to weight loss. Many were later banned due to safety concerns and serious adverse effects. Learning about the history of banned weight-loss drugs helps increase awareness of potential health risks while highlighting the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
Ephedra
Ephedra sinica is a Chinese herb that contains the stimulants ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. It was widely promoted as a weight-loss aid and energy supplement in the 1990s and could be purchased over the counter in most states. Ephedra is an appetite suppressant that speeds metabolism by increasing heart rate and body temperature. According to the Mayo Clinic, ephedra has been linked to multiple cases of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems. After the ephedra-related death of baseball player Steve Bechler in 2004, the FDA banned the sale of the herb in the U.S.
Fenfluramine
Fenfluramine was one half of the combination drug Fen-Phen, which became widely used in the mid-1990s. Fenfluramine acts on serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and appetite. In combination with the stimulant phentermine, Fen-Phen was widely prescribed off-label as a weight-loss aid. As its use increased, reports surfaced of cardiac fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension in users. Fenfluramine was recalled in 1997, though phentermine is still approved for short-term treatment of obesity.
Aminorex
Aminorex was an appetite suppressant used in Austria, Switzerland and Germany in the 1960s. Chemically similar to amphetamine, aminorex induces weight loss by speeding metabolism and reducing appetite. It also caused pulmonary hypertension in several users, some of whom died from the condition before the drug was withdrawn from the market in 1972. The American Heart Association says Aminorex's effect on norephinephrine and catecholemines likely played a role in causing the deadly lung disease.
Sibutramine
Sibutramine, or Meridia, is a prescription appetite suppressant that aids weight loss by increasing levels of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin -- all of which play a role in metabolism and appetite regulation. After being linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, sibutramine was voluntarily withdrawn from the market by its manufacturers in 2010, according to the National Institutes of Health.
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