A variety of prescription and over-the-counter diet pills are available to potentially help you lose excess weight. Some diet pills include stimulants, which can be dangerous and habit-forming if use improperly. Avoid stimulants if you have heart problems, high blood pressure or a history of drug or alcohol abuse.
Amphetamines
In the past, many doctors prescribed amphetamines, such as Dexedrine, as diet pills. But these medications are usually reserved only for patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or narcolepsy, a disorder in which patients cannot control when they fall asleep. The risk of abuse and illegal drug sales of amphetamine drugs is high, so most doctors will not prescribe such medications as diet aids.
Phentermine
Phentermine, commonly marketed under the brand name Adipex, is an amphetamine-like diet drug available only by prescription. Available to overweight people since 1959, phentermine is the most commonly prescribed diet aid in the United States, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. But phentermine is only approved for short-term use of less than 12 weeks.
Diethylpropion
Diethylpropion is another diet drug that helps decrease appetite. The medication is usually marketed under brand names including Durad, Tenuate and Tepanil. Like most diet medications, diethylpropion should only be used for less than 12 weeks. This diet pill potentially affects blood sugar, so diabetic and hypoglycemic patients need to exercise extra caution when taking the drug.
Potential Side Effects
All diet pills comprised of stimulants work on the brain's chemistry to reduce hunger and increase a sense of fullness, notes MayoClinic.com. But even the healthiest patients risk suffering mild or even life-threatening side effects. Commonly reported side effects include nervousness, sleeplessness, increased blood pressure and heart rate, dizziness and headache. Some people may experience allergic reactions that require immediate emergency medical help; such symptoms include difficulty breathing and itching.
Considerations
You must use any stimulant diet pill used in conjunction with proper diet and exercise, warns MayoClinic.com. While taking drugs such as phentermine or diethylpropion can help you lose up to 10 lbs. more than diet and exercise alone, chances are you will regain that lost weight once you stop taking the medication. Also, some diet drugs once believed to be safe were eventually taken off the market; one example is the removal of combined fenfluramine and phentermine or fen/phen.
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