Banned Herbal Fen-phen / Ephedra Still Lurking in Cyberspace

Washington, DCWhen the Fen-phen drug was banned back in 1997 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), fans of the then-popular diet cocktail were looking for alternatives. After all, Fen-phen worked. Yet it injected the term primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) into the public lexicon; a serious condition that can take years to emerge after Fen-phen is stopped and is often fatal.

But for many, weight loss is more important than overall health and potential death—thus, the search was on to find an alternative.

They didn't have to look far. Herbal Fen-phen was soon touted as a safe and effective alternative to the banned substance that combined fenfluramine and phentermine. It should be noted that of the two, the former was tagged as the villain and in combination with the relatively safe phentermine, proved dangerous. Phentermine was not banned and remains on the market.

The problem with herbal Fen-phen was the ingredient ephedra that was found not only in herbal dietary supplements but also in performance-enhancing products. After dissecting numerous adverse reports surrounding the use of ephedra, the FDA targeted the substance for a ban in 2004—a stance that was upheld in 2006.

However, reports suggest that herbal Fen-phen is still available, both over-the-counter at some health product outlets as well as online. Doing an Internet search will wield several web sites that scream 'buy Phen-fen' (note the spelling). If pressed they can say they don't sell Fen-phen.

And even though ephedra is banned, a product that includes ephedra's 'chemical cousin' is actively being promoted on the Internet with a name similar to ephedra: 'Nuphedragen.' The advertised 'high performance weight loss supplement' is a combination of different ingredients including 20mg Synephrine HCI, the latter described as "the chemical cousin of the now-banned substance ephedra." How close the chemical is, is not revealed.

Also not spelled out is whether or not the product is safe. "Don't let the medical CART terminology (Cocaine.Amphetamine.Regulatory.Transcript) lead you to believe that Nuphedragen is dangerous," says the web site. "No adverse effects have been reported when Nuphedragen is taken as directed." But is it safe?

Reputable retail outlets and web sites will sell approved products that are thought, or proven to be safe. However as with most products it's buyer beware. Most sites will not accept refunds of opened bottles of product, although unopened bottles can often be returned with the consumer covering the cost of shipping. Many web sites do not necessarily operate from their shipping address. If the consumer encounters a health difficulty from using a product purported as safe, it's sometimes hard to track down the supplier.

Either way you'll need a good lawyer.