Diet pills can come in the form of prescription drugs, over-the-counter supplements, as well as herbal remedies. Usually the pills should be taken with other weight loss options, such as diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes. The most important thing to consider when taking a diet pill, is to know what the effects on your body will be, as well as what they contain. There have been many discussions regarding whether or not diet pills cause cancer and there has been no substantial evidence to prove this, but there has been many complications that have been attributed to the use of some diet pills and supplements.

Below you will find descriptions of some of the diet pills that are available, as well as some of the health-related concerns you should be aware of:

1) Pills Containing Phenylpropanolamine

Diets pills that you often see advertised on television commercials, such as Acutrim and Dexatrim fit into this category. They contain dosages of 75 mg or higher of phenylpropanolamine and have been known to increase blood pressure to dangerous levels. They also can cause a stroke. 

2) Herbal Diet Pills

Products such as Phen-Fen, Phen-Cal or PhenTrim are considered herbal diet remedies. These options contain ephedrine, which is derived from the ephedra herb that has become a banned substance. Dangerously increased heart rates and blood pressure are some of the side effects of these diet pills. They also can lead to seizures, heart attack, stroke, as well as death.

3) Prescription Diet Pills

These pills can be obtained only by the consent of a physician. They work in many different ways, such as combating depression and suppress appetite and cravings. Dexfenfluramine (Redux), Fenfluramine (Pondimin), Phentrol, Fastin, Ionamin and Adipex are some of the examples of diet pills that fall under this category. There have been reports of heart and lung problems through the use of these products. A complete examination of the heart and lungs is required after three months of using these products.

4) Newer Prescription Drugs

Some of the newer prescription drugs have been seen advertised on television claiming to suppress the appetite and aid in weight loss. They include Sibutramine (Meridia) and Orlistat (Xenical). Meridia’s side effects include dry mouth, insomnia, high blood pressure, heart disease, as well as abnormal heart rhythms.  Orlistat (Xenical) has been proven to cause gastrointestinal problems, such as gas, oily loose stools and cramping. It also alters the absorption of important vitamins A, D and E.

Other pieces of information when it comes to diet pills include:

1) Ephedra was banned by the FDA in December 2003 due to elevated blood pressure, heart palpitations, insomnia, irritability, headaches, seizures, stroke, heart attack, as well as death. There are still products on the market which contain ephedra-like ingredients, such as ephedrine, norephedrine, pseudoephedrine and methylephedrine.  There are more than 200 products on the market that contain ephedra in some form. They should also be avoided.

2) If you feel you must use diet pills, there are a few less addictive and safer derivatives of these drugs. They include benzphetamine (Didrex), diethylpropion, and phendimetrazine (Adipost, Botril, Melfiat, Plegine, Prelu-2, Statobex),as well as mazindol (Mazanor, Sanorex).

3) After ephedra was banned, the market began pumping out products made from the fruit of the citrus aurantium plant. It has shown potentially fewer side effects including high blood pressure and increased heart rate. Clinical studies show that synephrine may help reduce appetite and slightly increase a person’s metabolic rate.