The quickest way to shed fat, get away from the plague of obesity, and become slim and smart in just a few months without much effort sounds appealing to the masses and convinces them to purchase Over the Counter (OTC) diet pills. OTC diet pills are easily available and don’t require a prescription in most cases since they are labeled as nutraceutical in nature by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The promises made in the advertisements can make anyone say “Take my money,” but the product image presented to the public is not a clear picture of reality.
A report published by the Institute of Medicine mentions around 1.5 million people in the U.S. are affected in some way or the other by medication errors every year, creating a potentially risky situation for people taking diet pills without properly considering them as an option and researching if they’re really going to work. Although the FDA has recently banned a couple of dangerous OTC diet pills containing ingredients such as phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, and ephedra, that doesn’t completely solve the issue.
There are several other potentially harmful ingredients used in many of the pills that medical experts consider dangerous OTC diet pills. For your own safety, the next time you intend to buy any OTC diet pill, please check the ingredients and only then make the decision to use them.
Besides the three banned ingredients as mentioned above, the other harmful constituents of dangerous OTC diet pills include:
Sibutramine – Considered an effective and safe substitute to ephedra but nothing less than that, it causes a wide array of unfavorable side-effects, ranging from digestive, respiratory, and skin diseases to corrupting of the neurological system in the body. Just this one ingredient in any diet pill can prove fatal. It causes problems in the whole body, affecting more than five major systems of the human body. Common pills containing sibutramine include Instant Slim, Fat Zero, Slimbionic, and Sanovera Starter Capsules.
Fenproporex – It is a strong stimulant that converts fenproporex into amphetamine, which causes headaches, loss of sleep, and intense chest pain. It also affects the brain, causing drowsiness and fatigue.
Bumetanide – It is another harmful ingredient, as it increases the heart rate and as a result increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Rimonabant – Although not available in the U.S. without prescription, this ingredient attacks the brain. Quick effects include suicidal thoughts and depression. Consuming excessive amounts can prove fatal.
So, these are some of the most dangerous OTC diet pills available today. Make sure you don’t buy them. In fact, consult your doctor before using any supplement or pill for weight loss.
