What are the risks associated with taking a diet pill

Diet pills come in many varieties, and contain many different ingredients. Because of this, the risks associated with consuming a diet pill are largely dependent on which type of pill you’re taking. Many of us, when we first begin taking an over the counter, prescription, or herbal dietary supplement do not realize the risks associated with the drug. We may just think that the drug is just going to make us lose weight, or we may think that the benefits will outweigh the risks. While in many cases this is true, because of the nature of the metabolic system and the different ways in which the pills change our bodies, the various effects can range from minor to extreme. Hopefully by reading this article you’ll have a better understanding of what risks are associated with diet pills, and whether or not you’re willing to take those risks.

Fat blockers such as orlistat in Xenical remove excess fats through the intestines. Because they work in the intestines, the user may feel uncomfortable cramping, gas and diarrhea. They also reduce the body’s absorption of essential vitamins and nutrients.

Sibutramine (found in the Meridia diet pill) is an appetite suppressant that stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which raises blood pressure and heart rate. This increases the risk of heart attack, especially among people who already suffer from high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, or heart disease. Other minor side effects include constipation, headache, dry mouth, and insomnia.

Even though the herbal diet pill is touted as ‘all natural,’ they have potentially dangerous side effects depending on their ingredients. Because they’re considered part of the food industry and not the drug industry, herbal diet pills aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administrations’ (or FDA’s) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research – they’re regulated as a food product. Herbal diet pills cannot guarantee their manufacturers claims because they aren’t regulated as a drug – so be careful when buying and using these supplements.

READ ALL ABOUT Critiques of depression medication

Even prescription and over the counter drugs aren’t always safe. In the early and mid 1990s, the diet pill industry was booming, and more than 18 million diet pill users were taking a mix of the appetite suppressants fenfluramine (or dexfenfluramine) and phentermine – nicknamed fen-phen – with great success. But, many of these users were quickly developing a potentially fatal heart disease. While fenfluramine (or dexfenfluramine) was taken off the market rather quickly, phentermine is still available on its own.

An over the counter diet pill ingredient had the same problem in the 1990s. The ingredient, called ephedra, is an amphetamine-like stimulant. Combined with caffeine, it triggered measurable weight loss quickly. However, because the drug sped up the heart rate, ephedra also dramatically increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. In late 2003, the FDA announced that it would ban the sale of all diet pills containing ephedra, and you can no longer find them on the market.

Diet pills, when used properly with a doctors supervision has a great chance of helping you lose weight. However, even with the close guidance of a doctor, diet pills still have a chance to harm you. If at all possible, avoid them completely and lose weight via diet control and exercise; but if you must use diet pills pay attention to what your body is telling you and let your doctor know of any changes to your health and how your body is ‘feeling’.