Diethylpropion: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Diethylpropion is a sympathomimetic amine anorectic sold in the U.S. under 5 brand and generic names, for obesity. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Sympathomimetic Amine Anorectic
- Treats (across its forms)
- Obesity
- Available as
- Tablet, extended release · Tablet
- Sold as
- 5 products — Tenuate Dospan, Diethylpropion Hydrochloride and Tenuate, and others
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $8 for a 30-count supply — not your price
How Diethylpropion Hydrochloride is dosed
From the FDA label for Diethylpropion Hydrochloride (application ANDA040828). Other diethylpropion products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Diethylpropion hydrochloride immediate-release: One immediate-release 25 mg tablet three times daily, one hour before meals, and in midevening if desired to overcome night hunger. Geriatric Use: This drug is known to be substantially excreted by the kidney, and the risk of toxic reactions to this drug may be greater in patients with impaired renal function. Because elderly patients are more likely to have decreased renal function, care should be taken in dose selection, and it may be useful to monitor renal function. (See PRECAUTIONS, Geriatric Use . )
Everything below is the FDA label for Diethylpropion Hydrochloride (tablet). Diethylpropion is also sold as tablet, extended release, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Diethylpropion Hydrochloride side effects
Cardiovascular: Precordial pain, arrhythmia (including ventricular), ECG changes, tachycardia, elevation of blood pressure, palpitation and rare reports of pulmonary hypertension. Valvular heart disease associated with the use of some anorectic agents such as fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine, both independently and especially when used in combination, have been reported. Valvulopathy has been very rarely reported with diethylpropion hydrochloride monotherapy, but the causal relationship remains uncertain. Central Nervous System: In a few epileptics an increase in convulsive episodes has been reported; rarely psychotic episodes at recommended doses; dyskinesia, blurred vision, overstimulation, nervousness, restlessness, dizziness, jitteriness, insomnia, anxiety, euphoria, depression, dysphoria, tremor, mydriasis, drowsiness, malaise, headache, and cerebrovascular accident Gastrointestinal: Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, dryness of the mouth, unpleasant taste, nausea, constipation, other gastrointestinal disturbances Allergic: Urticaria, rash, ecchymosis, erythema Endocrine: Impotence, changes in libido, gynecomastia, menstrual upset Hematopoietic System: Bone marrow depression, agranulocytosis, leukopenia Miscellaneous: A variety of miscellaneous adverse reactions has been reported by physicians. These include complaints such as dysuria, dyspnea, hair loss, muscle…
Who shouldn’t take Diethylpropion Hydrochloride
Pulmonary hypertension, advanced arteriosclerosis, hyperthyroidism, known hypersensitivity or idiosyncrasy to the sympathomimetic amines, glaucoma, severe hypertension. (See PRECAUTIONS .) Agitated states. Patients with a history of drug abuse. Use in combination with other anorectic agents is contraindicated. During or within 14 days following the administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitors, hypertensive crises may result.
Diethylpropion Hydrochloride drug interactions
Because diethylpropion hydrochloride is a monoamine, hypertension may result when this agent is used with monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (see CONTRAINDICATIONS ). Efficacy of diethylpropion with other anorectic agents has not been studied and the combined use may have the potential for serious cardiac problems; therefore, the concomitant use with other anorectic agents is contraindicated. Antidiabetic drug requirements (i.e., insulin) may be altered. Concurrent use with general anesthetics may result in arrhythmias. The pressor effects of diethylpropion and those of other drugs may be additive when the drugs are used concomitantly; conversely, diethylpropion may interfere with antihypertensive drugs (i.e., guanethidine, α-methyldopa). Concurrent use of phenothiazines may antagonize the anorectic effect of diethylpropion.
Every diethylpropion product we track (5)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 72/100 | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $8 | View → | |
| 2 | 70/100 | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $8 | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $8 | View → | |
| 4 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $8 | View → | |
| 5 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $8 | View → |
What diethylpropion pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Can you crush or split diethylpropion?
At least one diethylpropionproduct is labelled to be swallowed whole — crushing an extended-release tablet releases the whole day’s dose at once. Which applies depends on the form you were given.
What each diethylpropion label says about crushing, splitting and chewingHow long diethylpropion keeps
No diethylpropion label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
What people report to the FDA about diethylpropion
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 66 reports naming diethylpropion, and the FDA flagged 59% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- vomiting9 reports
- dizziness8 reports
- small for dates baby6 reports
- alopecia5 reports
- anxiety5 reports
- depression5 reports
- fall5 reports
- foetal exposure during pregnancy5 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean diethylpropion caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved September 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Diethylpropion Hydrochloride?
Diethylpropion hydrochloride is available for oral administration in immediate-release tablets containing 25 mg diethylpropion hydrochloride. The inactive ingredients in each immediate-release tablet are: crospovidone, lactose anhydrous, magnesium stearate, starch pregelatinized and tartaric acid. Diethylpropion hydrochloride is a sympathomimetic agent.
What kind of drug is diethylpropion?
The FDA classifies diethylpropion as a sympathomimetic amine anorectic. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take diethylpropion with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run diethylpropion against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is diethylpropion sold under?
We track 5 diethylpropion-containing products in the U.S.: Tenuate Dospan, Diethylpropion Hydrochloride, Tenuate, Tepanil and Tepanil Ten-Tab. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does diethylpropion come in?
Across the brands we track, diethylpropion is currently marketed as tablet, extended release and tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic diethylpropion?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic diethylpropion product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Diethylpropion: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/diethylpropion
- MLA
- “Diethylpropion: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/diethylpropion.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for diethylpropion on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.