Some, but not all diet or weight-loss pills work by suppressing appetite. Although many diet pills have been on the market, they have generally not been successful over the long term. Many have adverse effects, some of them serious. Weight and weight loss are complicated matters that are mediated by many mechanisms that are not completely understood. As more Americans become overweight and obese, researchers continue trying to develop medications that can safely help with weight loss.
How It Works
Diet pills that suppress your appetite typically work by affecting your nervous system. For example, drugs like phentermine, buproprion and fluoxetine increase your levels of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that has systemic effects. An increase in this substance increases metabolic rate and lowers appetite.
Suitable Use
Because of the very real risk of side effects, you should not use diet pills if you have only a few pounds to lose. On the other hand, if you are seriously overweight or obese and your health is at risk, your doctor may recommend that you take a diet medication as part of a weight-loss program, especially if you have tried other methods without being successful. Some diet pills that suppress the appetite have effects similar to amphetamines: they can raise blood pressure and cause nervousness, sleep problems, and irregular heartbeat.
Side Effects
Although diet pills are less potent than amphetamines and are not considered technically addictive, it's possible for you to develop a dependency on these drugs. The dependency more closely resembles a caffeine dependency. Common side effects include irregular heart rate, high blood pressure, nervousness and trouble sleeping. Severe side effects include seizures and even death. Diet pills should not be taken indefinitely. They are designed for short-term use.
Additional Information
Phentermine is one of the safer appetite suppressants, when taken alone. Like other diet pills, its efficacy as a treatment for weight loss levels off after about six months of use. The reason this happens is not fully understood. Your doctor should monitor you regularly every three months or so, as long as you're taking the medication. You can obtain some of these pills without a prescription. If you don't lose a pound or more each week in your first month on the pills, they probably won't work for you.
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