Are Any Diet Pills Safe?

I think a lot of people are buyng this Ephedrine-free products assuming that this way they'll get all the "metabolism boosting" effects without the risk of cardiovascular problems... Unfortunately, this research seems to indicate that's simply not true.
I guess you can always go back to the basics: Exercise and good nutrition.

Miguel

I'm with you, Miguel. The FDA doesn't regulate herbal remedies at all, so it's possible to put just about anything in them. I suppose you could say cocaine is an all-natural stimulant as well, but I wouldn't recommend it as a weight-loss supplement. People need to realize that herbal/plant-based doesn't always =safe/effective.

I remember talking about sympathomimetics such as Citrus aurantium and ephedra in an old diet-blog post. These substances stimulate the sympathetic nervous system in the same way that epinephrine (adrenaline) does; this initiates the "fight-or-flight" response that occurs in emergencies such as being chased by a wild animal.

The thing about the fight-or-flight response, it is only supposed to last a few seconds, or a few minutes at most. The body can't sustain a state of elevated sympathetic activity for long periods of time. So the part in your post that "participants showed elevated heart rates 6 hours after taking the supplement" is really distressing. I'm sure taking these pills regularly over any period wreaks havoc on one's cardiovascular system.

I also recently read research showing that "thermogenic" fat-burning supplements like these are only shown to reduce brown fat, and are ineffective on regular fat (brown fat is found mostly on newborn babies and is pretty much non-existant in adults).

The only thing that comes in these bottles is 'hope' and the potential for side effects, both short and the lesser known long term ones.

Start living a healthy lifestyle through smart and consistent nutrtional and exercise habits and the results will come.

Joey Atlas, MS- Exercise Physiology

The problem with OTC (over-the-counter) diet pills, is there are very few regulations in place to test them. Unlike prescription weight loss drugs, neither the Food and Drug Administration nor any other governing body oversees the manufacturing of these products. Supplement manufacturers are not required to have their products tested for safety, quality, or effectiveness!

Another issue, is manufacturers can make claims about these products, even if research has never been done to substantiate the claims. There is no law protecting consumers from these kind of tactics! Many times, ingredients the manufacturer claims are in the product are not actually present, or quantities differ from those advertised on the label.

My experience with Ephedra was awesome. I always took prescribed dose. Also purchased the caffeine free version.

Lynne, did you loose weight? Because I want to know if Ephedra pills work. Please help me! lol

I having been excercising about 90 minutes on the treadmill every other day, keeping my heart within the fat burn zone and I have not lost any weight. I have been doing this routine for 2 months. I want to try a diet pill in conjunction with the excercis to try and boost some weight loss. Any ideas what I should use?

Alot of these diet pills say caffeine-free but, it has ginsing and I know ginsing acts like caffeine. How do I know what is best for me? I can't find a diet pill that's really caffeine-free and safe for me, that won't cause "gitters" nor side effects. please, if you know a product like that, let me know. Thanks!

Alot of these diet pills say caffeine-free but, it has ginsing and I know ginsing acts like caffeine. How do I know what is best for me? I can't find a diet pill that's really caffeine-free and safe for me, that won't cause "gitters" nor side effects. please, if you know a product like that, let me know. Thanks!

I am a Med. student and did a research paper on diet pills last semester and have concluded that they can ALL harm your LIVER eventually by "boosting your metabolism".
This can catch up with you and kill you. I really wanted to take diet pills but I wised up.
And remember, just b/c it is natural does not mean it is safe: cocaine caffeine and mercury occur naturally
and are unsafe.
just something to chew on. good luck!

I am only young, but I am so unhappy. I am told that I do not need to loose weight.
I am normal for my BMI... but i dont look good in a bikini.
So I brought MAX FATBLASTER, the other day.
At first i was shakey and nervous and the caffine made me shakey, but to be honest its taken away all cravings for food.
I have a problem with food, I cant stop, i never feel full. I can snack and snack and i wouldnt even feel a thing.
This is the first time i have ever felt like i am full and i dont need to eat anything.
I am combining these pills with exercise, taking these pills has made me want to exercise more, i do weights 3 times a day, and go for 30min run on the tredmill every day.
Today i have had a small bowl of cereal, and had one tablet and i dont feel hungry, I feel great.
I dont know what harm this might be doing to me, but I feel better and I will feel a whole lot better once i start noticing the results.

Stephanie- be careful hun. Appetite suppressants are harmful in short and long term ways. Im researching them for a paper im doing and the results dont look very good. Everyone loves the idea of an appetite suppressant because tech if you stop eating you will lose weight- however what you need to keep in mind is that the less you eat, the slower your metabolism gets. Many studies conducted prove that "yo-yo" dieting (randomly switching diets or only staying on a diet for a week or two) is terribly damaging to the proper functioning of your metabolism. If anything can screw up your metabolism, it's going on one diet to the next. That's why results never seem to last...

I think that any kind of Diet-pills are very bad for you.
Because it incresses your blood pressure!!!!!

if you are going to take any diet-pills make sure you ask your parents and most inportant your doctor!!!!

I am still 30lbs overweight from having a baby 10 months ago so I know how all the unhappy people feel. I want to take diet pills so bad, but I am so worried about the side effects because I already suffer from migraines and a lot of these supplements cause headaches and nosebleeds. I dont want to take the chances. I just want everyone to remember that there is NO "magic" pill that can just make your weight melt away without side-effects so beware. Also another helpfull hint is to NOT take a supplement that hasnt been on the market for under 10 years. Long term side effects will show up within the 10 year time period. Good luck to all the people who truly want to lose weight. Thanks for reading this post.

To rebut my comment I meant to only take pills that have been on the market for 10 years. Sorry LOL!

try whey protein and exercize 5-6 times a week with weight training. This will begin to increase some muscle mass but, most importantly, make you more tone, lose weight, look skinnier, and live a health life. Pills are not the way to go and long term negative effects most likely can result mainly including heart and liver problems. Also, for the teenagers out there, don't be suprised if your height goes to a hault considering the high amount of caffeine in those pills.

well this is interesting as I trained to the max all my life, never smoked or drank, super healthy eating I was always lean and cut. I have had more accidents than u can imagine, from major head and face injury and 4 back ops but to name a few 45 general anasethics, I still walk but after being run down by what I name OXYGEN THEIVES who were robbing a chemist on a Saturday morning, I run to help the chemist, run down spine ops later.

just 5 years of no training and a stupid DR continually telling me I had asthma I ended up having a tripple heart bypass and Lima inmplant. Ain't got Keiths genes man. Now I am A perscribed drug addict and slimers do affect your heart so they say. but i'm putting on weight and eat vertualy nothing fact! so what ever?

If I had done no training etc it would have happened late twenties- therties, just got the bad denims in the family

CRAIGO
THE EAGLE

The first day I took xenadrine I exercised roughly five hours after I took the pill, and I felt like I could run forever. I ran faster than I ever have and longer than I thought I would. It felt great, but when I ate food later on it made my stomach feel queasy. I had to lay down and eat saltines to make it feel better. Then I took the xenadrine night pills with tryptophan, which made me sleep very soundly.
Today's my second day and I feel a little bit loopy from it. Sort of like my head is lighter, and my stomach feels a little queasy. But it hasn't been too bad yet. I don't plan on taking these pills very long at all, because I know they can have serious long-term affects. I'm just trying to lose a few pounds a couple weeks before my wedding.

I am 37 and 45 pounds over my optimal weight. I have been to a couple of nutritionist who have created meal plan cards, which I have stuck with. I work out everyday for an hour, and I do stretching and yoga every evening.

I take vitamins, get plenty of sleep and hydrate myself religiously. The weight just won't come off. I have had blood work done and know that my thyroid is not to blame. Their is literally no physiological reason for the weight. I have been dealing with this stupid weight for the past 5 years and am at my wits end. My physician will not prescribe diet medication, she is firmly against it. I trust her judgment but feel trapped in this flab. Any ideas out there?? I'm considering plastic surgery to rid my body of this lard. Thanks

Kathy, did your physician recommend plastic surgery? I think it could be much worse than diet pills.

I was taking xenadrine for about two months, and recently I stopped due to the fact that my blood pressure increased dramatically. And would make me have chest pains at times.

I was considering taking diet pills, but I was worried about it too. My friend's trainer recommended that I try thisherbal supplement called SoCal Cleanse. It is more of a detoxification and cleansing process, rather than a meal replacement pill. I had so much more energy and lost 15 pounds after I started taking it!!! I also feel much younger, which is always a positive!!!

i just started taking xenadrine and this morning i almost tossed my cookies. ugh my stomach was so upset. then i ate a lil piece of celery and i was fine. i dont plan on taking them for long, just until i see some results and then ween myself off. but stick to eating right and exercise. heres hoping!!

No one answered Kathy's concern. What to do when you are doing everything "right" and the weight still does not come off. Cardio 5x/week, weight training, calorie intack in line with your height/weight/activity, proper hydration, adequate fruits and vegs. No loss over several (for me 12) weeks. NO loss. What then?

No diet pill is safe i now from where my mother has took so many different ones

I've tried everything on the market, and nothing works as effectively as ephedrine, but it gave me the jitters and you can't use that stuff for long anyways. I hate the feeling you get after taking ephedrine, so it was just an experiment for me. I've also tried hydroxycut and xenadrine efx (ephedrine free) and have found xenadrine efx to be the best one for me. Everyone is different, different eating habits, different training, but for anyone that wants to lose weight safely (as long as you eat right and exercise) I've found xenadrine efx to be the most effective and safe product out there. Give it a shot, test your blood pressure once a week if you're worried, and I bet you you'll love it like I do. It's as close to a miracle pill as there is right now. But remember nothing substitutes for healthy eating and exercise anyways. This is just a "supplement" after all. It won't do anything on its own.

I have 3 children which I love very much after the first 2 the weight was pretty much gone once I left the hospital, how Im not sure but I didn't complain now here it is 6 months after my 3 child and I havent lost no weight just gained 20 since I had her. I want to lose weight really bad cause Im not use to being over weight you know kinda depressed cause of it all and I worry my husband doesnt like it either but he says Im beautiful either way. Now Im going on vacation in 3 months to a place were they are lots of women in small bathing suits and Im positive it wont be me in one which now Im bumed cause I use to be the girl that always looked good in whaterver. I dont believe in diet pills cause Im young with high blood pressure and anexity problems and afraid that pills might trigger a attack on me and really dont know what kind of work outs to do and no money to afford a gym so If someone can lead me in a path that will help me shed some of this weight before I go on vacation that would be awesome for me and because you were so kind to help me out.

Hi.. Back when Ephedra was legal. I took it and had no problems with it. The trick was and with any diet pill is to NOT follow directions on the bottle as far as when you first start. If the directions say, "Take 2 capsules/tablets 2x/day (which means breakfast/lunch); then take 1 or if it's a tablet break it in half and take 1/2 tab or 1 capsule ALL WEEK and gradually increase.) It isn't good to "jump-start" your system. You still have to eat, otherwise that's where the jitters come in. I lost weight w/ephedra. I lost a lot of weight with the product. (but like with everything - it wasn't for everyone)..(You can't combine it with RX drugs or steroids) My asthma cleared up and I found no problems with high blood pressure, sleeplessness, etc.

I haven't tried Hydroxycut or EFX.. or anything else.. I'm certaintly never going to try the FDA-Approved Alli. I don't like doctors and very few of them will actually prescribe a diet pill for you without side effects.

Do your own research.. now granted what I say works for me and what someone else says works for them; doesn't mean it's going to work for you. EVERYONE is unique...

If you already have high=blood pressure or taking MAO Inhibitors, I don't recommend you taking any diet pills. But if you are healthy, have no serious problems with your health, then if you take it slow and still eat and you have to exercise. You can go for a walk...

If you don't want to take a "diet pill" persay, go to your local health food store and check out; CLA - you can take that as directed and you will start to lose fat without any dieting and CLA has vitually NO SIDE EFFECTS (maybe some upset stomach/diarrhea - but I experienced no side effects except my pants were looser).... Take a multi-vitamin. Green Tea Extract, HTP-5, Citrimax... DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.. I'M NOT TELLING YOU TAKE THESE PRODUCTS. I'M TELLING YOU TO CHECK THEM OUT. Of course these are not approved by the FDA. So, if you believe everything your doctor tells you; then go ahead and believe him/her; but if you want to find out about alternative options; then do yourself a favor and check it out.

Look at these websites:

http://www.real-customer-comments.com/

This one is a good website: http://www.weknowdiets.com/ (i've used it alot to try to find a new "pill"

http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/weight-loss-etc/CLA-side-effects.htm (talks about CLA)

This is always a good read and will open up some eyes!
http://www.naturalnews.com/

GOOD LUCK... Hope ya find something that works for you.. I hope that you don't believe that their is a miracle pill out there.. There isn't. If you are still going to eat like a cow then you are going to be overweight. Healthy food includes fruits/vegetables, stay away from bread and potatoes. Try to limit the amount of fat and sugar that you eat. REMEMBER sugar is in almost anything we eat - read your labels. Again, I'm not telling you or advising you to take anything that I mentioned. What I am advising you to do, is do your own research. If you decide to take anything; it is on your own decision. Not mine.

I'm a student nurse,i've thinking of to loss my weight.my body mass index also is not good.i didn't take any rice(carbohidrate) or sometime just take half of plate in 2 months.i'm just taking vitamin n protein.
for my breakfast i'm just take a bowl of oat.and after 2 months my weight was loss around 4kg.