Question:
I have been notified several times from lawyers about the use of Phen/fen
in the past. I am sure a lot of us tried these drugs. As most of us know, they were found to cause heart problems. My question is: When you are in the preop stage of WLS surgery, do they check for this problem? Also have any of you pursued this with the lawyers and is it worth the trouble? Thanks! — [Anonymous] (posted on March 3, 2002)
March 3, 2002
I haven't been approached by lawyers so I can't answer that question. I
have, however, seen profiles on quite a few people who did take phen/fen or
Redux and had to take additional cardiac tests prior to surgery.
— garw
March 3, 2002
Hi there, I am 20 and took phen/fen when I was 9, 12, and 15. From my
understanding, they linked the combination of phen/fen to a backward
leakage of heart valve(s). This leaves you more succeptible to certain
infections in your heart. People who have Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP, a
hereditary disorder) also have to worry about these infections and are
supposed to take antibiotics for dental and any other type of surgery just
as a safeguard (consequently, I hear the risks of infection are pretty slim
no matter if you have a leakage or MVP or not). Because of my phen/fen
use, I had to get an echocardiogram as a part of my pre-op screening (I am
still pre-op until the summer). In the echo, they look at all of your
valves individually to see if they are working right, so they will catch a
problem if it is there. I have "trace regurgitation" (slight
leakage) of my tricupsid valve which may or may not have been caused by the
phen/fen. When you have a echo they will check all of this out for you.
As for the lawyers, the Dr. who prescribed phen/fen to me all 3 times ran a
weight loss clinic (still does, but now he uses Adipex) and I believe he
was personally being sued and there were all sorts of local commercials
about it. I really don't think it's worth the trouble. I mean, if I'm not
damaged, I don't really need the money, and if I am damaged, the money
isn't going to fix it. Besides, I think my mom would feel pretty guilty if
I raised hell about it since she was the one who took me to this Dr. in the
first place. We were both his patients and she certainly didn't know any
better. Good luck to you!
— [Anonymous]
March 3, 2002
I just received the paperwork for the class action suit for phen-fen. I
don't remember if I aswered a questionaire or how they got my name, but I'm
2 1/2 yrs.post-op, and my surgeon had required an echocardiogram as part of
my pre-op testing because I had been on redux and/or pondimin for a few
months, and one of my co-morbs prior to surgery was edema of the ankles (a
possible sign of heart problems). Thank G*d, everthing turned out fine,
but if you have the opportunity to have a free echocardiogram due to the
phen-fen thing, go for it. It was just one less thing to worry about.
— Leslie F.
March 3, 2002
I've been plagued by these attorneys for the past year. In fact I just got
a letter again yesterday stating that I have one year from this past
January to have an echocardiogram and file a suit. I don't think there is
anything to lose. The attorney deduct any fees to them from the proceeds of
the lawsuit and what you end up with. Funny, though, after ALL the
testing I had for my WLS, I never was required to have an echocardiogram.
Otherwise I would have submitted that to the attorneys. I'm almost afraid
to have one now since I'm doing to well after WLS. I'm 15 weeks out and
down 83 pounds.
— Dianne K.
March 3, 2002
I'm part of the class action suit that started a few years back, and had my
free echocardiogram last summer. Thankfully, everything came back normal.
I understand your fear of not wanting to have the test done, but the sooner
you know the results the sooner you can get on with your life. Good luck!
— Christine L.
March 3, 2002
I actually had an Echo after taking Phen-fen and nothing showed. After
another Echo in November 2001 (pre test for surgery), they discovered a
trace of regurgitation in the mitral and tricuspid valves. Never pursued
any action.
— hessie28
March 3, 2002
My mom took Phen-fen. She was only on them about a month or two. She had
previously had congestive heart failure but the doctor kept advising her
how safe the drug was, even for patients with previous heart
conditions..."it's approved by the FDA". My mother just recently
lost her life, one of the main factors was the drug Phen-fen. In the little
time my mom was taking the drug it caused a damaged heart valve. She too
was in a class action lawsuit, she did recieve a settlement. But for what?
The drug still took her life at the young age of 56. I am praying everyday
that my road for the WLS is not a struggle. I do not want to go through
what I watched my mother struggle with her entire life. Just wanted to
share this.
— Lori S.
March 3, 2002
I only took Phen/Fen for about 2 months but I am also part of the class
action lawsuit. If there is enough money left after critical care is given
to others, I believe I can expect a refund of what I paid for the drugs.
I'm not worried about the money at all. I had an EKG following usage and it
turned out fine. Others haven't been so lucky but I believe they took the
drug a lot longer. FYI - for information on the Phen/Fen settlement go to
www.settlementdietdrugs.com You DO NOT need a lawyer to file any type of
claim. - Anna
— Anna L.
May 19, 2002
-I TOOK PHEN/FEN FROM AUG OF 95 TILL IT WAS PULLED FROM THE MARKET. ABOUT A
YEAR AND A HALF! MY DOCTOR HAD HIS LICENSE TAKEN AWAY AND IT WAS A BIG DEAL
HERE IN MY TOWN, IN THE NEWS AND PAPERS. BUT WHEN I WAS HIT WITH ALL THE
QUESTIONS ABOUT LAWSUITS, I WAS TOLD TO GET MY RECORDS FROM THE DOC WELL
HOW DO YOU GET SOMETHING FROM SOMEONE WHEN YOU CANT FIND THEM? I USED THOSE
PILLS TWICE A DAY FOR LIKE A YEAR AND A 1/2! MY MEMORY IS GONE, I CANT
RECALL MUCH OF ANYTHING NOW A DAYS, EVEN EVERYDAY STUFF. I'M ONLY 34 YEARS
YOUNG! ANYONE ELSE HAVE THIS MEMORY LOSS? I HAVE HAD MANY ,MANY CHECK UPS
SINCE 1997, NOTING FOUND YET! I HAVE HAD 2 ROUNDS WITH KILLER KIDNEYSTONES,
AND RECENTLY HAD A HORRIBLE SPELL OF VERTIGO. BUT You know what... I HAVE
LAP RNY SURGERY IN 16 HOURS SO IF I CAN MAKE IT THROUGH ALL THAT JUNK I
WILL MAKE IT AND SUCCEED VERY WELL WITH THIS SURGERY! I CAN'T WAIT TO BE A
BIG LOSER!
— CHEREE M.
May 24, 2002
I just found out today that I have heart valve damage and I took Phen-Fen.
It's really unnerving to think about what this will do to my future. How
much shorter is it now because of this drug? This isn't the only drug out
on the market for obesity that's been found dangerous after the fact. It's
really depressing.
— Carmen K.
May 31, 2002
I haven't had surgery as of yet(still in the pre-approval stage)but I have
used Fen-Phen for months and I am in the class action suit. It's not about
the money it's about the fact that I trusted this company and my doctor at
the time literally with my life and the FDA approved it and I just assumed
it was safe but I now know different. No more diet pills for me! I require
something a little more stable and lasting than that. Good luck on your
journey and again, it's not about the money-but a matter of trust.
— Kimberly J.
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