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Related Experiment Videos

Ischemic colitis after weight-loss medication.

Dan Comay1, Jennifer Ramsay, E Jan Irvine

  • 1Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology = Journal Canadien De Gastroenterologie
|December 18, 2003
PubMed
Summary
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This case study suggests a possible link between the weight-loss drug phentermine and ischemic colitis. Further research is needed to confirm if this adverse event is a latent consequence of appetite suppressant medications.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Pharmacology
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Weight-loss medications are increasingly recommended, but concerns persist regarding cardiovascular risks like pulmonary hypertension and valvular heart disease.
  • Newer weight-loss drugs are considered potentially safer and more effective than older agents.
  • This study investigates a potential gastrointestinal adverse effect of a commonly used weight-loss drug.

Observation:

  • A 59-year-old obese woman developed rectal bleeding and abdominal pain after taking phentermine 15 mg daily for 10 weeks, resulting in a 12 kg weight loss.
  • The patient had no prior risk factors for bowel ischemia.
  • Colonoscopy and biopsies revealed mild ischemia in the splenic flexure.

Findings:

  • Phentermine, an amphetamine-derived sympathomimetic, suppresses appetite centrally.

Related Experiment Videos

  • While phentermine alone has not been previously linked to ischemic colitis, it has been associated with ischemic neurological events.
  • Sympathomimetic drugs, including cocaine, are known causes of ischemic colitis.

    • Implications:

    • This case report highlights a potential temporal association between phentermine use and ischemic colitis.
    • Increased awareness and surveillance are necessary to determine if weight-loss drugs like phentermine can cause ischemic colitis.
    • Gastroenterologists and prescribing physicians should consider ischemic colitis in patients presenting with relevant symptoms while using appetite suppressants.