Headaches From Fat Burner Pills

Health food stores market them as "natural diet supplements." Drugstores and supermarkets sell them over the counter. They're called fat burner pills, and manufacturers would like you to believe that they are the silver bullet for fast weight loss. Their easy accessibility pleases consumers but troubles doctors and nutritionists, who warn that these supposedly benign pills cause adverse side effects, such as headaches, dizziness and in some cases death. Always consult with your physician before taking any new medical or nutritional supplement.

Caffeine Connection

An extra powerful form of caffeine, called guarana, and an herbal stimulant called ma huang or ephedra are the two main ingredients in most fat burner pills. Guarana, explains specialists at the Hospital for Special Surgery, is two to four times stronger than regular coffee. When combined, these central nervous system stimulants increase your heart rate and energy level while controlling your appetite, but the effects are short-lived. Once you come down from the "fat burner high," you might experience the same types of withdrawal headaches to which many people fall victim when deprived of their afternoon coffee break.

Ephedra

After more than 81 ephedra-related deaths, the Food and Drug Administration banned ephedra-based diet pills in 2004. While some underground sources continue to manufacture ephedra products, ignoring the FDA ban could result in serious health risks, which include nervousness, anxiety attacks, elevated blood pressure, nausea, insomnia and headaches. The headaches associated with ephedra-related fat burner pills pose a chicken or egg type of question. Elevated blood pressure, insomnia and appetite loss may cause headaches, or the pain may be an independent side effect of the pills.

Ephedra-Free Fat Burners

After the ephedra ban, some manufacturers added a substance called citrus aurantium, or bitter orange, to their fat burner pills. Bitter orange, while possibly less dangerous than ephedra, still has some adverse side effects, warns specialists at New York University Medical Center. These include restlessness, insomnia, agitation, heart problems and headaches. Since no conclusive, peer reviewed studies have proved its absolute efficiency as a fat burner, use caution when taking these products.

Dangerous Headaches

The headaches resulting from fat burner pills may be symptoms of a potentially fatal illness. Ephedra-based fat burners may cause a condition called pulmonary hypertension, which is a form of high blood pressure in the lungs. Ephedra was also a major ingredient in the diet now-banned drug called phen-fen. One patient told Pulmonary Hypertension Association that her headaches continued long after she stopped taking the drug. Pulmonologist Dr. David Badesch, of the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver, warns that other ingredients in fat burner pills may also make you susceptible to pulmonary hypertension.