You may have seen the commercials on TV with attractive young men and women praising the wonderful weight loss results they have achieved using Hydroxycut weight-loss diet pills. However, the popular weight-loss supplement also has several side effects, some of which are potentially life-threatening. Consult with your physician before taking Hydroxycut or any dietary supplement.
Hydroxycut Formula and Claims
Hydroxycut includes several primary ingredients, including South African hoodia, Brazilian acai and green coffee. In addition to standard Hydroxycut products, a caffeine-free formula, a fiber supplement and a digestive cleanse formula are also available. The Hydroxycut website claims that users who consumed the active ingredients in Hydroxycut lost more than 20 lbs. on average over a 12-week period, versus a control group that lost less than 2 lbs. during the same period. Hydroxycut is sold in pill form or as a powder that you can mix into a drink and is available over the counter at drug stores, health food shops and phamacies across the United States.
Liver Failure
Liver damage and acute liver failure are among the most serious side effects of Hydroxycut. The United States Food and Drug Administration reported 23 cases of liver problems that developed in people who used Hydroxycut. A teenage boy died in 2007 after using Hydroxycut. The patients were previously healthy, aside from their wish to lose weight. They took the medication as prescribed -- in the proper dosage -- but still suffered liver damage. Symptoms accompanying liver damage include jaundicing of the skin and the whites of the eyes along with brown-colored urine.
Other Side Effects
Besides liver damage, the FDA has linked using Hydroycut to other serious side effects and health problems, including nausea and vomiting, fatigue, weakness, itching and loss of appetite. The FDA also states that Hydroxycut can cause or aggravate seizures and cardiovascular damage, ranging from arrhythmia, or irregular heart beats up to and including heart attacks. Another serious potential side effect of using Hydroxycut is rhabdomyolysis, a disorder that causes muscle damage that can result in kidney failure.
Recall and Lawsuits
In 2009, the FDA issued a warning to consumers to stop using all versions of Hydroxycut products. After the FDA issued its warning, Iovate Health Sciences Inc., which manufactures Hydroxycut issued a voluntary recall of all its products. This was not the first time that Hydroxycut had been linked with health problems. Prior to 2004, Hydroxycut included ephedra as an active ingredient. After ephedra was banned from dietary supplements in the United States, the company stopped using ephedra in its products. As a result of the health problems users have suffered, several law firms have begun representing clients seeking monetary damages for health problems they claim resulted from their use of Hydroxycut.
References
- United States Food and Drug Administration: Questions and Answers -- Hydroxycut; September 2009
- United States Food and Drug Administration: Warning on Hydroxycut Products; May 2009
- "The New York Times"; Hydroxycut Diet Aids Recalled After Warning ; May 2009
- Weitz and Luxemberg, P.C.: FDA Warns Consumers Not to Use Certain Dietary Supplements Labeled Hydroxycut. Potential Risk of Side Effects, Including Severe Liver Injury; 2011
- MSNBC: FDA Warns Dieters, Stop Hydroxycut Use Now; April 2009
- CNN Health; Stop Using Hydroxycut Products;FDA Says; Saundra Young; May 2009
