A short trial of fenfluramine in alcoholism

15 long-standing, non-brain-damaged alcoholics were treated with Fenfluramine 20 mg T.D.S. over a period from 6 to 15 months. 1 patient has not been seen since and 2 discontinued their medication. Of the remaining 11, 8 were felt to have improved and of these, 6 were not readmitted at all. 3 showed significant improvement. The re-admission rate for the group was about 22 percent which is less than that usually observed on the alcoholic unit (AU)

The metabolic effects of fenfluramine (ponderax) on obese diabetics - abstract

A trial of Ponderax in the management of refractory obesity in diabetic patients was conducted at the University Hospital of the West Indies over a 14-month period. The duration of the exhibition of the drug was six to fourteen months. Sixty-one patients were selected for the trial. They consisted of patients more than 25 percent in excess of ideal body weight in whom all methods of weight reduction had failed. Of the 61 patients 48 completed the trial, 13 defaulted or did not attend regularly enough to make assessment meaningful. There were 42 women and 6 men with an age range of 17-71 years. At the onset of the trial the drug therapy of the 48 patients was as follows: Diet alone - 8 patients, Diet + Diabinese - 15 patients, Diet + Metformin - 5 patients, Diet + Diabinese + Metformin - 12 patients, Diet + Insulin - 6 patients, Diet + Insulin +Metformin - 2 patients. All the patients had difficulty in the control of their diabetes and had 2-hour post prandial blood sugar levels in excess of 251 mgm percent on no treatment, and 153 mgm percent on their standard therapy. The dose of Ponderax given to the patients was as follows: 60 mgm/day - 5 patients, 80 mgm/day 10 patients, 100 mgm/day - 2 patients, 120 mgm/day - 22 patients, 140 mgm/day - 2 patients, 160 mgm/day - 8 patients. Of the 48 patients who completed the trail, the mean blood sugar level fell to 92 mgm percent on Ponderax and their usual therapy. Interestingly, in ten patients the dose of Diabinese had to be either reduced or stopped. In two patients taking insulin, there was a fall in the insulin requirements. Six patients taking metformin alone or metformin and diabinese had to habe a reduction in their dosage. 5 patient lost no weight, although blood sugar control improved, 10 patients lost less than 5 pounds, 9 patients lost less than 10 pounds, 9 patients lost less than 15 pounds, 4 patients loss less than 20 pounds and 11 patients loss more than 25 pounds. 25 percent of patients lost more than 10 pounds in weight. Weight loss lagged behind blood sugar and diabetic control by a mean of six to eight weeks. Serum Insulin levels were measured in 16 patients. In 11 of these patients there was a mean rise in the 2-hr. p.p. Insulin levels of 35u Units/ml. In 4 patients serum insulin levels fell by 24 units and in 1 patient there was no change. There was a considerable fall in blood pressure in all patients. The fall was greatest in the hypertensive and least in the normotensive patients. Side effects seen postural hypotension (36 patients), diarrhea (24), drowsiness (42), skin rash (1), depression (3). The 3 patients who suffered depression had a previous history of psychiatric disturbances and had stopped taking the Ponderax abruptly (AU)