The Most Controversial Fitness Site On The Net!

From the desk of
George Spellwin
gspellwin@elitefitness.com
888-613-9136

July 2, 2001

Dear friend and fellow athlete,

With all the talk on the Elite Fitness Discussion Boards about the use of DNP, clenbuterol, and Cytomel for burning fat, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at the other diet drugs that are available legally, with a doctor's prescription or through online medical web sites. Although highly effective, DNP is a very dangerous substance and its use is questionable except for the most elite bodybuilders who have no choice. For most, a more conventional diet pill is a safe and effective alternative, although one that is rarely explored. Fortunately, in the age of the Internet, drugs like Tenuate, Phentermine, and even Didrex can all be easily and discretely bought online from reputable medical web sites. Xenical and Meridia are also readily available. Click here to check out the site I personally recommend and use myself.

The currently available diet drugs attack the bodyfat dilemma in three different ways. They either stimulate the metabolism and suppress appetite, or they affect serotonin, or they impede digestion of lipids (fat). Each method has its merits. The stimulants are essentially derivatives of amphetamine. Amphetamine is still an FDA approved drug and is sold under the brand name Adderall. Interestingly, the only indication for amphetamine is for use in treating Attention Deficit Disorder - primarily in children. Meridia is the brand name of the diet drug that exerts its influence on serotonin. And Xenical is the name of the drug that blocks fat absorption.

All of these drugs with the exception of Adderall are easily obtained online. Click here to purchase any of these drugs or to check current prices. I like ordering them online because there is no appointment, no embarrassment, no waiting room, it is completely confidential, and the ordering is secure.

Before I discuss each of the currently available diet drugs there is a fourth drug that merits mentioning. Fenfluramine, which used to be sold in the United States under the brand name of Pondimin, was available in the US in 20 and 75mg tablets and is still available in Europe in tablet form and as a transdermal patch. What was good about fenfluramine was that it was not a stimulant like the amphetamine family of diet drugs. In fact, it was a central nervous system depressant. During the day, there are many choices for appetite suppression and increased metabolism, but at night, there are not many choices and fewer now that fenfluramine has been pulled from the market.

As you may remember, in 1997, fenfluramine was linked to heart problems. They became apparent when fenfluramine was used in the so-called "fen-phen" combination -- a mixture of the drugs Phentermine and fenfluramine. These heart-valve defects can make the heart work less efficiently by allowing blood to backwash into one of the heart's chambers.

However, according to the latest report in the June 11th issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, there appears to be no evidence that people, who took the diet drug fenfluramine for a short period of time before it was removed from the US market, are at higher risk for heart valve abnormalities. The findings confirm other studies that suggest that patients who took the drug for less than 3 months are not at risk for the heart valve problems seen in those who took the drug for a prolonged period of time.

A new study, from Boston University Medical Center, looked at women who took the drug as part of a 1993 smoking cessation study. The women had been randomly assigned to take 60 milligrams of fenfluramine or an inactive placebo every day for 3 months.

The researchers were able to locate more than 500 of the original 720 enrolled in the trial and found that up to 5 years later, those women who took the drug had heart function essentially the same as those who did not take the diet drug.

"It is now generally agreed that treatment with fenfluramine-based diet drugs for 3 months or less does not increase the prevalence of valvular abnormalities," the researchers note. "However, concerns regarding long-term followup have not previously been addressed. This study provides additional information regarding cardiovascular status almost 5 years after drug discontinuation."

This study underlines what bodybuilders have known for years. Diet drugs must be cycled just like one would use anabolic steroids. And as any educated athlete who has taken Cytomel, Clenbuterol, or ECA knows, three months is the outside limit for use of diet drugs during a cutting cycle. Beyond a three-month period, the benefits diminish rapidly and the side effects greatly increase.

For the bodybuilder, the most appealing of the current crop of diet drugs are the amphetamine derivatives. They can be successfully used for a short period of time to burn significant amounts of bodyfat, particularly the stubborn bodyfat that is highly resistant to dieting and will not seem to disappear even towards the end of a cutting cycle. The stimulating properties of these drugs can dramatically enhance the fat burning effects of a ketogenic diet.

Here are the stimulating diet drugs listed from weakest to strongest. Their differences in pharmacology are small, but the effects they produce on the individual can vary widely.

Tenuate: (diethylpropion hydrochloride USP) - the mildest.
Phentermines: (brands: Adipex; Fastin, Ionamine)
Bontril: (Phendimetrazine tartrate)
Didrex: the brand name for Benzphetamine - the strongest.

All the amphetamine based diet drugs have both the good and bad side effects of amphetamine - but to a lesser degree. What dieters like about these drugs is that when on them, you feel very well stimulated. You feel euphoric, have boundless energy, and are without fatigue. But the downside is that unless kept in check, they can be habit forming, and when you stop using them - as you must from time to time - you crash and feel highly fatigued.

Tenuate, the mildest of the stimulants, is basically one notch higher than caffeine in terms of stimulation. The best thing about Tenuate is that the lower dose tabs can be used during problem hours of the day to curb the appetite. Most athletes have specific times throughout the day when they are particularly susceptible to breaking their diets. At these times of craving, Tenuate can be of aid. The main downside is that Tenuate begins to lose its simulative effect at around week three. Click here to safely purchase Tenuate and to check pricing and dosage information.

In terms of effectiveness and stimulative properties, the next step up from Tenuate are the Phentermines. The Phentermines come in two flavors: Phentermine hydrochloride and Phentermine resin. Phentermine hydrochloride goes by the brand names Adipex, Fastin, and just plain Phentermine. Phentermine resin goes by the name Ionamine. Adipex and Fastin are 30mg tablets that exert their effect for 10 to 12 hours. Ionamine is believed to have a longer duration, but a milder effect. Ionamine is usually more expensive than Phentermine, and in the real world, the differences between the two are largely subjective. The Phentermines can promote pronounced fat loss and are highly effective. Click here to safely purchase Phentermine, Adipex, and Ionamine, and to check pricing and dosage information.

Bontril-SR is the brand name for Phendimetrazine tartrate. It is a stimulant that is supposedly stronger than Phentermine. Based on discussions I have had with consultation clients, many cannot differentiate between the two in terms of effects and effectiveness. They instead choose one or the other based on price and availability. Unfortunately, because there is a high cross-tolerance between Phentermine and Bontril, one cannot simply step up from Phentermine to Bontril when Phentermine loses its effectiveness. Click here to safely purchase Bontril and to check pricing and dosage information.

Didrex, is the brand name for Benzphetamine and it is the closest of all the diet drugs currently available to amphetamine. Benzphetamine is metabolized into methamphetamine and amphetamine, which may explain its reputation for having a greater abuse potential than Phentermine. Additionally, it has the drawback of making you test positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine in urine drug screens. On the plus side, it is definitely a step up in effectiveness from the Phentermine style diet drugs and affords the dieter who has gotten all of the possible benefits from the milder diet drugs a place to go for further weight loss. Click here to safely purchase Didrex and to check pricing and dosage information.

Orlistat (Xenical)

On May 24, 1999, a new diet drug that reduces fat absorption finally won approval from the Federal Drug Administration. It was only the second diet drug (after sibutramine) to receive FDA approval since 1997, when the administration banned the popular fen-phen combination after it was linked to several heart-related deaths. Orlistat, sold under the brand name Xenical, is the first of a new class of drugs called lipase inhibitors. Xenical decreases absorption of dietary fat in the gastrointestinal tract. This would indicate that unlike the stimulants, it would not be an optimal choice for a ketogenic diet.

Xenical targets the absorption of fat in your body rather than suppressing your appetite. It is useful for long term use and has been shown to be effective for 1-2 years. Dietary fats are inhibited from being absorbed and this allows about 30% of the fat eaten in the meal to pass through the gut undigested. This helps you to reduce and maintain your weight, as well as to minimize any weight regain. I personally use Xenical on occasions where I have overindulged and want to minimize the "damage." One good thing about Xenical, is that it can be taken one hour before or up to two hours after a meal and is still effective.

The drug, trade-named Xenical, was tested over seven years on more than 4,000 patients and on average, 57 percent of patients treated with Xenical and 31 percent of placebo-treated patients lost at least 5 percent of their body weight. All patients in the studies received nutritional counseling as well. In January, the results of a two-year study on the effectiveness of Xenical were released in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study, funded by the drug's manufacturer, found Xenical helped patients lose weight, but only about seven pounds more after two years than the patients who took a dummy pill.

The JAMA study also showed Xenical was associated with a slight reduction in cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose - all beneficial side effects. For those taking the drug, health authorities recommend a nutritionally balanced diet with no more than 30 percent of calories from fat. Xenical reduces absorption of some fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, K and beta-carotene, so users of the drug are advised to take dietary supplements. Click here to safely purchase Xenical and to check pricing and dosage information.

Sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate, brand name Meridia, is an FDA approved oral prescription medication used for the management of obesity and maintenance of weight loss and is known to work best when used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Meridia works by affecting natural chemicals in the brain involved in regulating the appetite and allows them to act longer.

The appetite control center in the brain is what is believed to regulate the amount of food eaten through feelings of hunger and fullness. Unlike many other appetite suppressant drugs, Meridia is not a releasing agent. It does not get inside the cells to boost the release of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin. Instead, as an uptake inhibitor, Meridia works outside the cells to stop these neurotransmitters from being reabsorbed and thereby allowing appetite control to last longer.

In clinical trials of 6,000 individuals, Meridia produced clinically and statistically significant weight loss results. Meridia was studied among men and women, ages 18 to 65, and on average, patients achieved 5-10% reduction of baseline weight. If appetite control is necessary while on a ketogenic diet this drug might be a good addition. Most side effects associated with Meridia are mild and temporary. Click here to safely purchase Meridia and to check pricing and dosage information.

For much more information on these and many other diet drugs and supplements, please click here to check out my newly updated guide Chemical Wizardry -- on sale for a very limited time!

Yours in sport,

George Spellwin

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gspellwin@elitefitness.com
888-613-9136
212-823-1000