Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Brain Serotonin Neurotoxicity and Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine

Brain Serotonin Neurotoxicity and Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine To the Editor. —Dr McCannnd colleagues1 state "subsequently, several centers reported cases of PPH [primary pulmonary hypertension] in users of anorexigens, both amphet-aminelike drugs and serotonin uptake inhibitor agents." A similar statement implicating "amphetamine-type" agents in PPH also appeared in an earlier review by one of the authors.2 Unless rigorous data support such statements, it is incorrect to link entire classes of medication, whether grouped according to their approved indication or according to their mechanism of action, to a particular adverse effect. For example, there is no evidence linking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine or sertraline to PPH. Indeed, the authors are probably referring to fenfluramine, which, unlike the SSRIs, is a substrate of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) transporter and therefore releases 5-HT. Similarly, the term amphetaminelike is ill defined. Does this refer to the chemical structure, to a stimulant effect in animal behavioral assays, or to an http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png JAMA American Medical Association

Brain Serotonin Neurotoxicity and Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine

Rothman, Richard B.
JAMA , Volume 278 (24) – Dec 24, 1997
Download PDF
1 page

Brain Serotonin Neurotoxicity and Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine

Abstract



To the Editor.
—Dr McCannnd colleagues1 state "subsequently, several centers reported cases of PPH [primary pulmonary hypertension] in users of anorexigens, both amphet-aminelike drugs and serotonin uptake inhibitor agents." A similar statement implicating "amphetamine-type" agents in PPH also appeared in an earlier review by one of the authors.2 Unless rigorous data support such statements, it is incorrect to link entire classes of...
Loading next page...
 
/lp/american-medical-association/brain-serotonin-neurotoxicity-and-fenfluramine-and-dexfenfluramine-ynZiGQitVP

References (0)

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Applicable FARS/DFARS Restrictions Apply to Government Use.
ISSN
0098-7484
eISSN
1538-3598
DOI
10.1001/jama.1997.03550240032023
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

To the Editor. —Dr McCannnd colleagues1 state "subsequently, several centers reported cases of PPH [primary pulmonary hypertension] in users of anorexigens, both amphet-aminelike drugs and serotonin uptake inhibitor agents." A similar statement implicating "amphetamine-type" agents in PPH also appeared in an earlier review by one of the authors.2 Unless rigorous data support such statements, it is incorrect to link entire classes of medication, whether grouped according to their approved indication or according to their mechanism of action, to a particular adverse effect. For example, there is no evidence linking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine or sertraline to PPH. Indeed, the authors are probably referring to fenfluramine, which, unlike the SSRIs, is a substrate of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) transporter and therefore releases 5-HT. Similarly, the term amphetaminelike is ill defined. Does this refer to the chemical structure, to a stimulant effect in animal behavioral assays, or to an

Journal

JAMA – American Medical Association

Published: Dec 24, 1997

There are no references for this article.