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Ephedrine - Possible
side affects include heart palpitations, strokes and even death
Ephedrine (Ephedra) is derived from herbal extracts of Ma huang or
Chinese Ephedrine and has been link to dizziness, heart palpations,
strokes and even death. Since 1993, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has received more than 800 reports
of illnesses and injuries ranging from anxiety to strokes associated with the
use of this herb.
The dangers of diet pills with ephedrine include rapid
and irregular heart rhythms, increased blood pressure, chest pain, anxiety,
nervousness, hyperactivity, and insomnia. There are more than 100 diet pills and supplements
and that contain this substance.
Be sure to read the label for
ingredients before purchasing any type of diet pills or herbs. The best advice we can give is to
completely avoid diet pills and supplements.
The FDA is
proposing a new law for products containing 8 mg or more of ephedrine. The
proposed law will require the product to place a warning on it's label such
as:
"WARNING: "Do not use this product for more
than 7 days"
or
"Taking more than the recommended dosage may result in
heart attack, stroke, seizure or death."
Diet PIlls -
Xenical
FDA has approved several prescription drugs
or diet pills for obesity. The newest is Xenical (orlistat), which FDA approved in April 1999.
Xenical diet pills are the first in a new class of anti-obesity drugs known as lipase
inhibitors. Lipase is the enzyme that breaks down fat for use by the body. Xenical interferes with lipase function, decreasing fat absorption by 30
percent. Since undigested fats are not absorbed, there is less calorie intake,
which may have a positive effect on weight control.
Other approved diet pills prescription drugs available on the market
include:
-
Dexedrine and other amphetamines
-
Ionamin and Adipex-P (phentermine), Sanorex
(mazindol), Tenuate (diethylpropion),
Prelu-2 (phendimetrazine) and other amphetamine derivatives
-
Meridia (sibutramine)
In mostly short-term studies of obese adults following a calorie-restricted
diet, those who took the appetite suppressants lost more weight on average than
those who took a placebo. The amount of weight lost varied from study to study.
FDA approved the drugs only for use with calorie-restricted diets.
They don't work unless
you make dietary and exercise changes. They
should be used for a few weeks, partly because, aside from Xenical, the drugs are addictive and have the potential for abuse. They
shouldn't be used in combination with each other or with other diet pills for
appetite control because such combinations have not been evaluated for safety.
And the drugs should be used only in people who are obese--not people looking to
lose a few pounds.
Until September 1997, two other drugs
or diet pills, fenfluramine
(Pondimin and others) and
dexfenfluramine (Redux), were available for treating obesity. But at FDA's
request, manufacturers of these diet pills voluntarily withdrew them from the
market after newer findings suggested that they were the likely cause of heart
valve problems in a large proportion of people using them. FDA recommended that
anyone taking these diet pills stop and contact their doctor to discuss treatment.
CHITOSAN - Diet
Pills
Chitosan (KITE-oh-san) is a dietary fiber-like substance made from chitin, which forms
the hard shells of lobsters, crabs, and other shell-fish. It binds to fat and other
substances that are soluble in fat.
The concept sounds good but studies are inconsistent about it's ability to
effectively bind significant amounts of fat and therefore calories. Even worse, Chitosan
can block the absorption of certain vitamins (including vitamin A, D, E and
K) and disease fighting chemicals found in plant
foods. Some nutrients are fat soluble and Chitosan not only binds
small amounts of fat but binds essential nutrients from being absorbed in the body.
Some of the vitamins that Chitosan can in
Drugs such as estrogen and contraceptives are fat soluble and therefore subject to
interference from Chitosan. Never take Chitosan with fat soluble drugs or vitamin supplements.
Long term use should be avoided.
PHENTERMINE - Diet
Pills
Phentermine is the Phen in Fen/Phen. Phentermine is used in conjunction
with another diet pill called Fenfluramine hydrochloride (Fen), which has been taken
off the market at the request of the FDA for possibly causing heart valve
damage. Phentermine is an amphetamine-like substance that may help suppress
appetite and slightly increase the metabolism. Phentermine is prescribed by a
doctor and can be taken alone but usually is taken along with Fenfluamine
(Fen).
In studies where patients were given Phentermine and others given a
placebo, Phentermine caused only a fraction of a pound more weight loss than
patients given the placebo. Thus the overall effectiveness of Phentermine as
diet pills are still
very questionable.
Any weight loss from these diet
pills happens within the first few weeks.
Tolerance to this pills builds quickly, so the diet pills must be discontinued after
the first few weeks.
The prescription comes under different names but contains the
amphetamine-like drug Phentermine Fen / Phen is taken under medical supervision
but used only in extreme cases. People who are overweight or have high blood
pressure, hardening of the arteries or glycoma are not good candidates for this
treatment because the side effects will worsen the condition.
Doctors reserve Fen / Phen treatment for more extreme cases such as
obesity (not the same as overweight) in conjunction with a healthy eating plan
and exercise. Side effects such as increase blood pressure and heart rate,
restlessness, dizziness, insomnia, tremors, headaches, nervousness,
constipation, diarrhea can be expected.
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