Phendimetrazine tartrate is a newer
drug that acts as a
central stimulant and indirectly acting
sympathomimetic with a host of uses similar to the class
amphetamines. Its main use is as an
anorectic in the short-term treatment of
obesity, although stimulants are no longer indicated for this purpose. This
drug appeals to the younger American population for immediate
weight loss through decreased appetite and early satiety. The European Union markets have already withdrawn this medication as well as other countries, but
phendimetrazine is still used within the United States.
Rhabdomyolysis is a potentially life-threatening complication reported with higher doses of
amphetamines. We present a case of
rhabdomyolysis and
myoglobinuria developing in a 23-year-old patient after
oral administration of
phendimetrazine tartrate for 3 days in suggested therapeutic doses. The medication was taken for short-term treatment of
obesity, and patient did not have any predisposing factors to precipitate
rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis resolved within 5 days. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of
rhabdomyolysis from administration of therapeutic amounts of
phendimetrazine tartrate. The purpose of this case report is to create an awareness among physicians about the potentially life-threatening complications associated with
phendimetrazine use as an
anorectic even in suggested therapeutic doses as was the case in our patient. Additional awareness is needed to educate their patients about the side effects associated with these drugs and to strongly discourage their unsupervised use.