Peripheral neuropathy due to dinitrophenol used for weight loss: something old, something new
Citation Manager Formats
Make Comment
See Comments

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
The benzene-based compound 2,4-dinitrophenol was developed in the late 19th century, and was used during World War I for manufacture of explosives.1 A number of cases of dinitrophenol poisoning were noted in French munitions plant workers. Acute intoxication caused hyperpyrexia, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; symptoms of subacute exposure included weight loss. Several workers died.1 The weight-loss observation led to widespread clinical use in the United States in the 1930s as an anti-obesity drug, until reports of adverse effects prompted withdrawal from the consumer market in 1938 under pressure from the Food and Drug Administration. Dinitrophenol has continued to be available for industrial uses, including production of dyes, wood preservatives, and pesticides.
Footnotes
Study funding: Dr. Singer received support from the North and Central Texas Clinical and Translational Science Initiative (NIH KL2RR024983, Milton Packer, MD, principal investigator).
Author contributions: Dr. Singer, Dr. Phillips: study concept and design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. Dr. Singer: study supervision.
Disclosure: The authors report no disclosures relevant to the manuscript. Go to Neurology.org for full disclosures.
- Received May 29, 2012.
- Accepted in final form October 9, 2012.
- © 2013 American Academy of Neurology
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
For assistance, please contact:
AAN Members (800) 879-1960 or (612) 928-6000 (International)
Non-AAN Member subscribers (800) 638-3030 or (301) 223-2300 option 3, select 1 (international)
Sign Up
Information on how to subscribe to Neurology and Neurology: Clinical Practice can be found here
Purchase
Individual access to articles is available through the Add to Cart option on the article page. Access for 1 day (from the computer you are currently using) is US$ 39.00. Pay-per-view content is for the use of the payee only, and content may not be further distributed by print or electronic means. The payee may view, download, and/or print the article for his/her personal, scholarly, research, and educational use. Distributing copies (electronic or otherwise) of the article is not allowed.
Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence
NOTE: All authors' disclosures must be entered and current in our database before comments can be posted. Enter and update disclosures at http://submit.neurology.org. Exception: replies to comments concerning an article you originally authored do not require updated disclosures.
- Stay timely. Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- 200 words maximum.
- 5 references maximum. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- 5 authors maximum. Exception: replies can include all original authors of the article.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.
You May Also be Interested in
Related Articles
- No related articles found.