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The non-amphetamine obesity drugs fenfluramine (of the popular "phen-fen" combination) and dexfenfluramine (Redux®) were recently taken off the U.S. market because of their association with valvular heart disease. However, as this review notes, some people continue to take their remaining pills or black market supplies.
Although fenfluramine is sedating, it structurally resembles amphetamine and may produce false-positive urine drug tests for amphetamine. At lower doses, it has antidopaminergic effects like haloperidol; at higher doses, serotonergic activity is seen. Fenfluramine enhances serotonergic transmission in the appetite center of the hypothalamus; dexfenfluramine is thought to derive its anorectic effect from enhanced release and d…