Diet Pills In The Past: DINITROPHENOL & AMPHETAMINE PILLS

DINITROPHENOL
Another drug that came in “under the radar”—that is, before FDA review or doctors’ prescriptions were required—was dinitrophenol. Dinitrophenol, which was later discovered to be a respiratory poison, was introduced for weight loss in 1933. This drug increased metabolism to induce weight loss. Used alone, or with thyroid hormones, dinitrophenol produced rapid weight loss accompanied by symptoms of
warmth, sweating, and fever. Approximately 100,000 people were treated with dinitrophenol before it was found to produce extremely dangerous side effects, including liver problems, vision impairment (from formation of cataracts), a weakening of the body’s ability to fight infection, lung problems, and even death. Dinitrophenol was removed from the market in 1934, but not before many people became ill or died from its effects.

Amphetamine

Amphetamines, which were introduced in 1938, rapidly became the most widely used agents for the treatment of obesity in the United States. Amphetamine is a stimulant that causes the release of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine in the brain, which leads to increased metabolism and increased energy expenditure, or burning of calories.

Amphetamine is also an appetite suppressant. From the 1940s through the 1960s, individuals took “rainbow pills” for weight loss. These pills were called “rainbow pills” because of the number of drugs they contained: amphetamine, thyroid hormone, laxatives (to cause diarrhea and decrease food
absorption in the gut), and diuretics (to increase urination and cause loss of water weight). Amphetamine, alone or in combination with other drugs, was very effective in causing weight loss but led to devastating side effects.

The side effects of amphetamine are related to its stimulant effects, especially at high doses and with long-term use. Side effects include irritability, insomnia, confusion, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, seizures, and aggressiveness. Amphetamines cause irreversible destruction of blood vessels in the brain, which can cause stroke—even in young people. These drugs also cause the potentially lethal side effects of increased heart rate, irregular heartbeat, and increased blood pressure.

Another problem with amphetamines is that they have a high potential for abuse. Amphetamine is very similar to the compound methamphetamine, which is known on the street today as “speed,” “meth,” or “crank.” Both amphetamine and methamphetamine are “uppers,” and are highly addictive. Besides causing weight loss, these drugs elevate a person’s mood and cause euphoria, excitement, and ecstasy. People who experience these feelings tend to use the drugs more frequently, and at higher doses, to continue to experience this effect.

Amphetamines are very effective for weight loss but their use is limited by serious side effects and the potential for abuse. Therefore, amphetamine is still FDA approved for other diseases but is no longer permitted for weight loss. Many drugs that are similar to amphetamine have been formulated in an
attempt to promote weight loss without causing addiction and dangerous side effects.