Diet Safety: FDA Warns Of Dangerous Drug Supplements

This past week, the FDA issued a warning that there is a group of diet pills being sold nationwide, as well as over the internet, that are now considered unsafe. The products are unsafe because they contain active ingredients that include a controlled substance named sibutramine which is a chemical in the obesity drug Meridia. Sibutramine can cause conditions such as seizures, high blood pressure, palpitations, heart attack or stroke. Also dangerous are an anti-seizure medication called phenytoin, rimonabant a drug that is currently only approved for use in Europe but has been associated with 5 deaths and 720 negative reactions just in the last two years, and phenolphytalein once a chemical laxative, it was recently recalled for it’s potential cancer risks.

The drugs that are included in the warning are:

• 2 Day Diet
• 3x Slimming Power
• 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming
• 3 Day Diet
• 7 Day Herbal Slim
• 8 Factor Diet
• 7 Diet Day/Night Formula
• 999 Fitness Essence
• Extrim Plus
• Fatloss Slimming
• GMP
• Imelda Perfect Slim
• Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet
• Lida DaiDaihua
• Miaozi Slim Capsules
• Perfect Slim
• Perfect Slim 5x
• Phyto Shape
• ProSlim Plus
• Royal Slimming Formula
• Slim 3 in 1
• Slim Express 360
• Slimtech
• Somotrim
• Superslim
• TripleSlim
• Venom Hyperdrive 3.0
• Zhen de Shou

Health care professionals and consumers should report serious adverse events (side effects) or product quality problems to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, fax or phone.

• Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
• Regular Mail: use postage-paid FDA form 3500 available at: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm and mail to MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787
• Fax: (800) FDA-0178
• Phone: (800) FDA-1088

Information for consumers can be found at:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/weight_loss_products.htm