Many diet pills contain stimulants, which are added for their appetite-suppressant properties as well as the metabolic boost they provide. While you may find certain stimulants beneficial when used in moderation, some are associated with considerable dangers. Misuse of stimulants can affect your heart rate or impair your ability to sleep, and the long term use of appetite suppressants denies your body the nutrients it needs from food. Consult your doctor before taking any diet pills.
History
An article in "The New York Times" traces the use of diet pills and their side effects back to the 1930s, when the drug dinitrophenol was used to prevent the body's ability to produce fat from food. This drug was highly toxic, however, and patients taking it suffered side effects as serious as blindness and death. Amphetamines were introduced as a weight loss drug in the 1950s, but they were prone to abuse. Paranoia and depression were two potential side effects. In the 1960s, the United States Congress held hearings which determined amphetamines unsafe for use in weight loss. In the 1990s, a popular weight loss drug made with phentermine was removed from the market due to its potential to damage heart valves.
Phentermine
Phentermine is an amphetamine-like stimulant that works by decreasing your hunger and extending the time you feel full after meals. It has been approved by the FDA since 1959, but is only recommended for short term use under specific conditions. Your doctor may prescribe phentermine if you are obese, but only as a means of temporarily boosting your metabolism. Phentermine has some potential for psychological dependence and abuse. Its misuse could result in a host of unpleasant side effects, from sleeplessness and dizziness to high blood pressure and tachycardia.
Ephedrine
Ephedrine extracts are another common stimulant found in diet pills. In small amounts, ephedrine may reduce your appetite and boost your metabolism. It acts as both a cardiac stimulant and bronchial dilator. Even small amounts of ephedrine can raise your heart rate and interfere with your ability to sleep. Ephedrine may also have psychological side effects which include depression and nervousness, and there is a danger that your central nervous system can become overstimulated. This danger increases when you combine ephedrine with another common stimulant in diet pills: caffeine.
Caffeine
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and increases your heart rate. Alone, caffeine is a common stimulant enjoyed in moderation by consumers of coffee, soda pop, chocolate and other common foods throughout the world. In diet pills, caffeine is often combined with ephedrine and concentrated into a higher dose than you may be accustomed to taking. The combination of these two stimulants may increase the negative effects of ephedrine, and the high dose can lead to nervousness, insomnia, irritability and high blood pressure.
References
- "Natural Standard"; Effects of Tyrosine on Sleep Deprivation in Healthy Males; November 2003
- "The New York Times"; History Counsels Caution on Diet Pills; Denise Grady; May 1999
- Chasefreedom.com: Ephedrine Review
- "Mayo Clinic Weight Loss"; Phentermine: Can Prescription Medication Help Weight Loss?; Donald Hensrud, M.D.
- Vanderbilt University: Ephedrine and Caffeine Combination
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