Dexfenfluramine
Dexfenfluramine Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Food Interaction and all others data.
Dexfenfluramine, also marketed under the name Redux, is a serotoninergic anorectic drug. For a fairly limited time during the middle of the nineties, the US FDA had approved it for use in managing weight loss. However, following multiple concerns about the cardiovascular side-effects of the drug, such approval was withdrawn.
Used to treat diabetes and obesity, Dexfenfluramine decreases caloric intake by increasing serotonin levels in the brain’s synapses. Dexfenfluramine acts as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. It also causes release of serotonin from the synaptosomes.
| Trade Name | Dexfenfluramine |
| Availability | Discontinued |
| Generic | Dexfenfluramine |
| Dexfenfluramine Other Names | (S)-fenfluramine, Dexfenfluramina, Dexfenfluramine, Dexfenfluraminum, Dextrofenfluramine |
| Related Drugs | phentermine, Victoza, semaglutide, Wegovy, Saxenda, liraglutide, Contrave, Qsymia, Alli |
| Type | |
| Formula | C12H16F3N |
| Weight | Average: 231.2573 Monoisotopic: 231.123484132 |
| Protein binding | 36% |
| Groups | Approved, Illicit, Investigational, Withdrawn |
| Therapeutic Class | |
| Manufacturer | |
| Available Country | |
| Last Updated: | September 19, 2023 at 7:00 am |
Uses
For the management of obesity including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss in patients on a reduced calorie diet
How Dexfenfluramine works
Dexfenfluramine binds to the serotonin reuptake pump. This causes inhbition of serotonin reuptake. The increased levels of serotonin lead to greater serotonin receptor activation which in turn lead to enhancement of serotoninergic transmission in the centres of feeding behavior located in the hypothalamus. This suppresses the appetite for carbohydrates.
Toxicity
Symptoms of overdose include respiratory failure and cardiac arrest leading to death.
Food Interaction
- Take with food.
[Moderate] GENERALLY AVOID: Alcohol may potentiate the central nervous system and cardiovascular effects of centrally-acting appetite suppressants.
In one study, concurrent administration of methamphetamine (30 mg intravenously) and ethanol (1 gm This increases cardiac work and myocardial oxygen consumption, which may lead to more adverse cardiovascular effects than either agent alone. Subjective effects of ethanol were diminished in the eight study subjects, but those of methamphetamine were not affected. The pharmacokinetics of methamphetamine were also unaffected except for a decrease in the apparent volume of distribution at steady state. Patients should be counselled to avoid hazardous activities requiring complete mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities.
MANAGEMENT: Concomitant use of centrally-acting appetite suppressants and alcohol should be avoided if possible, especially in patients with a history of cardiovascular disease.
Dexfenfluramine Drug Interaction
Major: 5-hydroxytryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptophanModerate: codeine / guaifenesin, codeine / guaifenesinUnknown: aminocaproic acid, aminocaproic acid, ciprofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, loratadine, loratadine, multivitamin, prenatal, multivitamin, prenatal, ubiquinone, ubiquinone, hydrocortisone, hydrocortisone, misoprostol, misoprostol, digoxin, digoxin
Elimination Route
Well-absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.
Half Life
17-20 hours
Innovators Monograph
You find simplified version here Dexfenfluramine
