Miracle Pills

Benefits, risks, and the diet pills that can kill you

If you want to lose weight, the answer is always simple: eat right and move more. It’s what doctors and medical and scientific studies have always endorsed. Unfortunately, not everyone has the time or energy t go through a rigorous exercise program, and the results (10 pounds a month) can sometimes be frustrating. All that work, and you didn’t even drop a dress size? That’s what makes slimming products like diet pills so enticing: no stress, no fuss, instant results, too.

Words of warning:

Many diet pills are very effective, clinically proven and manufactured by respected pharmaceuticals. But there’s something to keep in mind: No matter how good a diet pill is, they were designed to be taken with the guidance of a doctor, trained to weigh the possible side effects against your medical history. When you take it on your own, just talking to friends who swore that “it worked for me!” you immediately put yourself at risk. Some dangers include pulmonary problems, liver failure, and heart damage.

Many believe that if a product can be bought without a prescription at a reputable drug store, then you don’t need to see a doctor. That’s not true. Even if they’re readily available getting medical supervision is your responsibility. and smaller drugstores can even sell products that haven’t received proper screening.

People think that if you can buy a prouct without a prescription then it’s safe for anyone to use. Side effects can vary, depending on your medical history and interactions with other medicine you’re taking. In fact, they’ve bought from a friend of a friend at some point.

If you plan to take a diet pill or you’re on to your next slimming product, here’s our advice: proceed with caution and get medical and nutritional counsel.

Xenical (over-the-counter)

Maker: GlaxoSmithKline
Active ingredient: Orlistat. Its maker calls its unique among al other weight-loss medications because it is non-systematic — it does not affect the central nervous sytem and has no effect on the heart and the brain.
Dosage: 60 milligrams with 1-2 tablets taken before meals
Claims: Works in the digestive system to prevent about one-third of the fat of what you eat from being absorbed by the body. Xenical supporters cite studies that a prescription of Xenical (120 mg), when combined with a weight-loss program, led to an average of 12.4 pounds of weight loss in six months.
Keep in mind: Over-the-counter Xenical is indicated for use by overweight adults along with a reduced calorie, low-fat diet. While it is approved for sale here, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still has not approved it in the United States for over-the-counter sale.
Possible side effects: Known to case excess gas, oily discharge and loose stools. The consumer watchdog group in the US, Public citizen, which made public its concerns about the over-the-counter Xenical cited several studies that show Xenical can cause “abnormal cell growth in the lining of the colon,” which can be an early indication of cancer.

Xando

Maker: Reborne
Active ingredient: So-called starch blockers phaseolamin and hydroxy citric acid (HCA).
Dosage: One to two tablets right before a meal (maximum of 6 tablets a day).
Claims: All-natural ingredietns. It has no caffeine or laxative effects. Instead, it “blocks and burns” carbohydrates, starch, sugar, and fat. The maker’s website cited a clinical study that taking the drug and limiting one’s diet to 1,200Kcal “gives a significantly larger (3 times more) weight reduction that the diet alone. Eighty five percent of the weight lost is body fat.”
Keep in mind: Because it is classified itself as a supplement rather than a drug, Xando does not need US FDA approval. It is the policy of the FDA that the manufacturer of supplements assumes the responsibility of making sure it is safe. They will only take action against supplements or health food if there is a voluntary report or evidence of adverse reactions.
Possible side effects: Gas and bloating.

Reductil

Maker: Abbott
Active ingredient: Sibutramine hydrochloride, which is said to work in the area of the brain that signals the sense of fullness. Hence, you eat less.
Dosage: Recommended initial starting dose is one 10mg capsule per day.
Claims: When used as part of a weight-loss program, a Reductil (known as Meridia in North America) uer may lose four or more pounds of body weight in the first month.
Keep in mind: Reductil is an obesity drug and should be taken only with a doctor’s prescription, and always in conjunction with a low-calorie diet. Those who have problems with blood pressure, take anticoagulants, have epilepsy or decreased liver and kidney functions are advised to use it with extreme caution and only with the doctor’s approval. Adverse reactions have been reported in Italy, France, and the UK.
Possible side efects: Insomnia, constipation, a dry mouth and small increase in blood pressure.

Avoid at all costs:

Slim 10 - Singapore’s leading newspaper Strait Times had reported that one of Singapore’s actresses, Andrea De Cruz, almost died of liver failure after taking this pill.

Lightsome - Nancy, a copywriter for an advertising agency who took it up for 10 days, didn’t sleep for two days but felt no exhaustion.

Ephedra-based supplements - Its famous names: Ma Huang and Bangkok pills. Side effects include high blood pressure, anxiety, tremors, headaches, and at its worst, stroke and heart attacks.

Fenfluramine and phentermine - Diet pills containing a variant of these appetite suppressants have been banned in the US since 1997. They have been known to damage the heart and cause pulmonary hypertension.