American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 9, 632-637, Copyright © 1961 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

A Controlled Clinical Comparison of Benzphetamine and D-Amphetamine in the Management of Obesity

¹ From the Division of Medicine, Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, and the Department of Medicine, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California

A double blind study was performed comparing the efficacy of benzphetamine (Didrex) and d-amphetamine in the management of obese outpatients. It was found that both drugs were equally effective in inducing weight loss, which averaged 1 pound per week over a fifteen- to sixteen-week period for patients treated by each drug. It was found that 40 to 80 mg. benzphetamine was equivalent in anorexigenic potency to 5 to 10 mg. of d-amphetamine. Side effects registered for patients in both drug groups were similar in nature and frequency. Comparison with side effects noted in patients receiving placebos in previous studies suggested that some of the side effects were in reality the symptoms of obese patients undergoing semi-starvation on low calorie diets, rather than true effects of the drugs in question. In this and other studies, benzphetamine has been demonstrated to possess significant anorexigenic activity, and therefore is a useful aid in the management of obesity.