Periactin, drug diverted for aesthetic purposes, now sold only by prescription

This medication can cause a series of side effects, sometimes serious, if taken uncontrolled.

You had already heard of Ozempic, a antidiabetic used for weight loss, discover Periactin. This medication, an anti-allergic, is used in a roundabout way by some people to gain weight. He will be now sold only by prescriptionannounced Thursday, June 27, the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM), although it was until then on sale over the counter in pharmacies.

Periactin actually promotes an increase in appetite, an effect touted on certain social networks with the stated aim of reproducing the silhouette of callipyge personalities such as reality TV star Kim Kardashian. However, cyproheptadine, the Periactin molecule, can cause a series of side effects, sometimes serious, if it is taken uncontrolled. In this context, the ANSM, which has already been calling for vigilance from health professionals since 2022, has therefore put an end to the over-the-counter sale of this treatment.

The ANSM decision has been taken “based on what we see on social networks where there is always significant promotion of cosmetic use” of this treatment, adds Isabelle Yoldjian, medical director at the agency. Prescriptions for cyproheptadine should, in fact, be very rare since other antiallergics have since proven themselves with better effectiveness and fewer side effects. If the measure taken by the ANSM will therefore have an effect in pharmacies, it is more difficult to assess to what extent it will have an impact on online sales.

This treatment is, in fact, widely sold online and in a manner that is difficult to control. “We are not the internet police”recognizes Isabelle Yoldjian, who nevertheless judges that the actions undertaken by the ANSM still contribute to raising awareness of the risks associated with misuse of this treatment.