Have you ever heard of Periactin®? On social networks, and in particular TikTok, women praise the merits of having shapes like certain influencers and models, that is to say buttocks and breasts, while remaining thin. This medicine, whose active ingredient is cyproheptadine, nevertheless belongs to the family of antihistamines: it is used to soothe allergic manifestations (rhinitis, conjunctivitis, urticaria, etc.) in adults and children from the age of 6 years old.
Today and since it was put on the market in 1974, Périactine® is available over the counter in pharmacies: no medical prescription is necessary to obtain it. And this is a real problem since this medicine, originally anti-allergic, is currently being used as a solution for gaining weight… Indeed: increased appetite and weight gain are relatively frequent side effects. cyproheptadine.
In a notice published on March 28, 2023, the French Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (SFPT) indicated that the risk-benefit ratio of cyproheptadine should be reassessed “with a view to withdrawing its marketing authorization or at least its inclusion on a mandatory prescription list“.
An over-the-counter drug, hijacked via social networks
The misuse of this drug is not new: if the use to stimulate the appetite was first authorized when it was marketed in the 1970s, it was finally withdrawn in 1994. Since then, the misuse has continued, particularly in certain countries on the African continent, before returning to France. According to a study conducted on the population of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the misuse rate as a drug for weight gain reaches 70%mostly young women.
The ANSM had already given the alert in a communicated in January 2022.”There have been reports of improper and potentially dangerous use of cyproheptadine as an orexigenic to induce weight gain for cosmetic purposes. It is particularly highlighted on social networks“, then summed up the Agency.
Yes but here it is, “cThis use may promote the onset of adverse effects such as drowsiness, decreased alertness, urinary retention, constipation, heart palpitations or mydriasis“, warned the ANSM. Taken in the absence of medical supervision, Periactin® can also be the cause of abnormalities in the blood count, dizziness or even… hallucinations. Despite this warning , cases of misuse persist and were reported to the regional pharmacovigilance centers in 2023.
To gain weight safely, the best thing is to contact your doctor or a dietitian-nutritionist… and avoid risky self-medication!
Sources:
- Vidal Encyclopedia
- MISUSE OF AN H1 ANTI-HISTAMINE, CYPROHEPTADINE (PERIACTINE®) FOR WEIGHT GAIN, French Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, March 28, 2023
