Fen Phen Lawsuits

Responding to the diet craze in America, many supplements and drugs appeared in the 1970s, although it produced small results and got little attention.  Another ingredient, phentermine, was added in the 1990s and the product became much more effective and popular.  It also became far more dangerous.   While the FDA approved it, using some questionable means to do so, the adverse effects mounted.  Finally, the FDA removed the drug from the market in 1997, but the lawsuits resulting from Fen Phen use are still being addressed and settled.

Fen Phen Diet

The ingredient fenfluramine was joined with phentermine to form a popular diet drug popularly known as Fen Phen.  Its popularity grew, but it was discovered that there were serious side effects to the use of Fen Phen.  The symptoms of these side effects include:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Fainting spells
• Dizziness
• Hyperventilation (hard or fast breathing)
• Coughing up blood
• Increasing cyanosis (bluing of the feet, hands, and lips)       

These are all signs of heart valve damage or pulmonary hypertension.  Pulmonary hypertension is a potentially fatal lung disease for which there is no known cure at this time.  Pulmonary hypertension causes the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery to rise dangerously high, restricting the blood flow through the vessels and putting greater pressure on the heart. 

Statistics show that those who were on the Fen Phen diet for any length of time were ten times more likely to contract pulmonary hypertension within a year.  Those who took the Fen Phen drug for three months or more were 20 times more likely to develop the disease.

Fen Phen Lawsuits

Thousands of those who used the Fen Phen drug in the past have joined a class action lawsuit to obtain compensation from the Wyeth pharmaceutical company, formerly known as American Home Products, manufacturers of Fen Phen.  The Wyeth Company set aside over $21 billion for settlements, and many of those cases have already been closed.  Those who have suffered from their use of the Fen Phen drug but have not yet contacted an attorney may still have time to do so. 

In addition, many of those who suffer from the more serious pulmonary hypertension have filed tens of thousands of individual product liability lawsuits.  Some of those Fen Phen lawsuit settlements have ranged from $5,000 to $200,000. 

Getting Legal Help

It is important to note that without careful study and attention to the side effects of potential drugs, serious and even tragic consequences may result.  That has been the case with the seemingly simple Fen Phen diet drug.  While all the actions of the FDA have not been as clear, their decision to remove Fen Phen from the market in 1997 probably saved many lives.  For those who are still suffering the painful consequences of this Fen Phen drug, there are knowledgeable attorneys who can advise them of their options.  If there are grounds for a Fen Phen lawsuit, experienced lawyers can help victims obtain the compensation in a Fen Phen Settlement they deserve for their suffering.