Harmful Effects Of Diet Pill Usage

Both prescription and over-the-counter diet pills, including herbal supplements, put you at risk for harmful side effects. According to Deborah R. Mitchell and Dr. David Dodson's "The Diet Pill Guide," doctors generally reserve the use of prescription diet pills for severely overweight and obese patients, and the pills are considered too risky for the average consumer. However, diet pills available at your local drugstore also carry similar risks of health complications, particularly if they're used over an extended time period.

Dependency

Dependency is a serious risk associated with both over-the-counter and prescription diet pills. Most pills contain appetite suppressants that are highly addictive, according to the book "Diet Myths that Keep Us Fat." Many people who take diet pills for a period of at least several months experience a "crash" if they skip a dose or try to quit. Withdrawal symptoms can range from headaches, dry mouth, extreme fatigue and nausea, to panicky feelings, depression and rapid weight gain. These symptoms can be unpleasant at best and highly dangerous at worst.

Heart Damage

Most diet pills, including so-called "natural" options, speed up your heart rate and blood pressure to help your body burn more calories. If you take the pills more frequently than directed or over the course of several years, this can result in serious heart conditions and damage. Wellness coach Lucy Beale, the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Weight Loss" advises against taking diet pills unless prescribed by a doctor for this very reason. Over the years, diet pills have been known to cause strokes, heart attacks and pulmonary hypertension that leads to heart and lung damage. These conditions are generally irreversible and can lead to other health issues throughout your life. Though heart palpitations are fairly common when taking the medications, most diet pills users do not know that the pills are damaging their hearts until they have a major episode.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a major side effect of diet pill usage, and feeling jittery and restless is incredibly common. Because most diet pills increase your heart rate and blood pressure, they also decrease your body's ability to relax. "The Diet Pill Guide" notes this restlessness can severely affect your ability to function, and it can even lead to more serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke. Diet pills users who are suffering from insomnia are advised to refrain from operating motor vehicles and wean themselves off the pills under a doctor's supervision.