I was on phen-fen years ago and lost 80 lbs, but then they pulled it off the market and I gained it all back plus the usual 20 more.....

Now since I was on it my surgeon wants me to have an echocardiogram. Any of y'all had to do this also?

Hi:

I did Redux, not phen-phen. They were very similar and were both taken off the market around the same time. I think it was around 1995 or so. I lost about 50 pounds taking that.

When they had the class action suit for these products I signed up and got a free echocardiogram, and I also got about $2,000 cash as part of the class action suit.

Good luck with the tests.

Sue

I was on phen-fen for only one month prior to it being ripped off the market. It was wonderful while it lasted and kept me awake during the day too! I had to have the echo also but it was just one more test to do out of a million so not that big of a deal and I was fine. Seemed funny though because I was on the drug for such a short time but they really wanted to check anyway. brandyII

I was on phen-fen years ago and lost 80 lbs, but then they pulled it off the market and I gained it all back plus the usual 20 more.....

Now since I was on it my surgeon wants me to have an echocardiogram. Any of y'all had to do this also?

i was doing phen fen when they pulled it off the market - but my doc only had me taking one of the phen pills and not more like alot of drs were. (he said that's what the problem was that dr's were giving their patients like 3 of the little orange pills with the diet pill)

But I was called in to participate in a study to see if it had damaged my heart and they did the echo - My heart was fine.

But I never lost much weight doing diet pills cuz as long as I was taking them I wasn't eating and then I wouldn't take them then eat enough to make up for the days that I didn't eat :w00t: But did love the energy level they provided..:tongue2:

I had to have an echo before surgery just as part of the pre-op test due to my age..

I sure as hell took phen phen - lost a load of weight and looked fantastic. Once off the market, I gained it all back. Loved it because it zapped hunger - have found lap band to be a savior for the exact same reason, but have developed a new lifestyle because of the cost and surgical intrusion to my body. Lap band is no quick fix - phen phen was.

I did Phen-Fen and had great result with it. Because I always hated taking med I would do it for 2 or 3 weeks and then go off of it for about 6 weeks. I didn't participate in the class action suit because I thought it was a bogus thing that some lawyer was trying to do in order to get money. Not until later did I realize it was real.

I remember back in the early 80s they were injecting people with the urine of a pregnant woman because it was supposed to speed up your metabolism, I was in my 20s and some of my friends found out about it and we actually went to some quack who did this to us! What we'd do to lose weight!

Sue,

Is it too late to get my $2,000? brandyII

I was on Phen-fen for about 3 months, and lost a lot of weight on it. I went off of it on my own about 1 month before they took it off the market. A few years later, I was at the doctor with a fever, and the student doctor thought she heard a murmur or something when she checked my heart. So, they had me do an echo since they saw that I had been on phen-fen. All was fine...no damage done, although I missed out on the class action $$$$$!! I gained my weight back, too...:w00t:

At my consultation for Lap Band, they asked if I had had an echo since I took the Phen-fen, and they want to see a copy of the results the next time I come.

I never took any phen-fen, but I still had to have the heart tests done. They said that was part of the requirements for the program my hospital had.

Hi:

When they had the class action suit for these products I signed up and got a free echocardiogram, and I also got about $2,000 cash as part of the class action suit.

I got a lot of letters from lawyers wanting me to sue them, and one of them had the free echo offer, which I took them up on. When everything was normal, I figured "no harm, no foul" and wouldn't sue them--especially since I figured by the time the lawyers took their cut there wouldn't be much left....if I had known it would have been worth 2 grand I might've taken them up on it!:w00t:

BrandyII:

I think that the deadline for filing a claim in the class action suit was about 4 or 5 years ago. Too bad.

Anytime you see anything about a class action suit and you used the product go for it.

I can remember back in the early 90's there was one about price fixing by the diaper companies. My Sister and I each got about $250 each. Sweet!

Sue

What about the smokers. I mean I never understood those lawsuits. My mother died in 1974 from lung cancer, could I sue for being an orphan now?

I took phen-fen back in 96 and lost 80 lbs as well-I also gained back 100. I had a routine echo because of the drug in 99 and they found a tiny bit of regurgitation in one of my valves, since then I have developed alot of regurgitation in all four valves. I have echos every six months but until they are bad enough to need replaced the only complication is taking antibiotics before dental work-its still scary tough

I took phen-fen back in 96 and lost 80 lbs as well-I also gained back 100. I had a routine echo because of the drug in 99 and they found a tiny bit of regurgitation in one of my valves, since then I have developed alot of regurgitation in all four valves. I have echos every six months but until they are bad enough to need replaced the only complication is taking antibiotics before dental work-its still scary tough

It sounds a lot like Mitral Valve Prolaspe, which is what I have. I was diagnosed with it 21 years ago but I can't remember if I had to have an Echocardiogram. I have to take antibiotics before dental procedures too.

I took phen-fen back in 96 and lost 80 lbs as well-I also gained back 100. I had a routine echo because of the drug in 99 and they found a tiny bit of regurgitation in one of my valves, since then I have developed alot of regurgitation in all four valves. I have echos every six months but until they are bad enough to need replaced the only complication is taking antibiotics before dental work-its still scary tough

Cristi, same here - took Phen-Fen, loved it BTW - no hunger at all - then that pesky heart thing!! I have regurg too now. I'm alittle nervous about that and surgery. I know I will take antibiotics, but wonder if there are any other risks associated with it during surgery. I have echos yearly, and so far no change. Losing weight and getting my BP down will help, but it does scare me sometimes.:w00t: