The Effects Of Long-term Use Of Diet Pills

Diet pills are viewed by some health-care experts as useful tools in the battle against obesity; by others, as a quick fix that may or may not work to help lose weight. Either way, all health-care professionals agree that diet pills are intended for short-term use only. It's good to know about some of the effects of taking diet pills in the longer term.

Types of Diet Pills

Diet pills may come on prescription or over the counter, and they work in a variety of ways. Some act as stimulants, giving you more energy and others work solely as appetite suppressants. Orlistat/Alli/Xenical works by allowing some fats to pass through the body unprocessed. Diuretics work by encouraging the body to shed water. The long-term effects of each of these types of diet pills differ.

Stimulants

Stimulants contain amphetamine or amphetamine-like chemicals, and raise energy levels and energy expenditure temporarily. They can also reduce appetite. Caffeine is another stimulant often used in diet pills. Stimulants raise heart rate and blood pressure, which in the long term can lead to elevated risk of heart attack and stroke. According to the American Heart Association, taking diet pills in the long term can be especially harmful for people with pre-existing heart disease, and adds the reason that diet pills can interfere with high blood pressure and other heart medications.

Diuretics

Diuretics are drugs that increase the amount of urine excreted, and so reduce the amount of water in the body. While they are often taken to reduce the amount of water retained in the body for hormonal reasons, the body readjusts and tends to then retain more water. Dehydration is a more serious long- and short-term side effect which the experts at WebMD.com say can lead to: kidney damage; irregular heartbeat; palpitations; osteoporosis, low blood pressure and finally electrolyte imbalance, which can cause heart attack.

Appetite Suppressants

Some non-stimulant types of appetite suppressants affect appetite without changing energy levels. The majority of these work on pleasure receptors in the brain, reducing appetite by making eating less enjoyable. They are available on prescription only. Taking these in the medium to long term is extremely dangerous, and the risks of depression, anxiety and suicide found in a study reported in "Obesity Research" in 2003 mean that the majority of these drugs are under review or have been taken off the market. More "natural" bulking appetite suppressants such as Appesat work by swelling to partially fill the stomach, and are not known to have long term side effects. Nevertheless, it should be noted that dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA, and so there is no obligation on supplement producing companies to ensure that their products work or even contain what they are described to contain.

Orlistat

Orlistat is sold on prescription under the trade name Xenical and over the counter as Alli. It works by preventing the digestion of fats, which then move through the digestive system unaltered. As it is a relatively new drug, its long term effects are not clear; however, theoretically, not allowing fats to be absorbed can lead to reduced gallbladder function, increased rates of colon cancer, osteoporosis
and kidney stones. In 2009 the FDA released a warning about the increased risk of serious liver damage and jaundice when taking Orlistat in the long term. It also prevents the absorption of Vitamins A, D, E and K, and supplementation is crucial in order to reduce the risk of the associated deficiency diseases in long term Orlistat users.