According to the Mayo Clinic, in the vast array of available diet pills for women, some are safe and effective and some are outright dangerous. Dietary supplements, pills and weight loss aids are widely available over the counter at retail stores and online. Before starting any supplement, you should check with your doctor to make sure the pills do not interfere with any other conditions you may have or treatments you might be undergoing, even if you believe the pills are safe.
Safety
The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate diet supplements, but they do keep a website with consumer warnings about unsafe diet pills that may be on the market. For example, the FDA issued a warning in 2009 about how diet pills made with silver can cause permanent discoloration of your skin. The FDA banned Ephedra in the United States when a slew of users turned up sick. In addition to talking with your doctor, you should read the labels of diet pills to make sure certain ingredients are safe for you to take. Many pills contain multiple ingredients ranging from herbs to botanicals and caffeine that can interact with other supplements you may be using for premenstrual pain or menopause.
Criteria
Most doctors have a set of criteria they consider when female patients request prescription diet pills. According to the Mayo Clinic, you usually need to be obese and tried other means of losing weight unsuccessfully before a doctor will prescribe stronger diet pills. Your doctor may require patients to be at risk of more serious medical complications such as diabetes or heart failure before being willing to take the health risks associated with diet pills.
Efficacy
Even when you take herbs or vitamins you and your doctor believe are safe, you still have to practice healthier eating habits to lose weight. According to the Cleveland Clinic, too many women use pills to lose weight but do not change their eating habits, leading to weight gain as soon as they stop taking the pills. While pills may help you lose weight initially, long-term healthy weight loss relies on calorie reduction and increased exercise.
Warnings
Even pills that have been deemed safe can have side effects for some women. For example, Alli, a weight-loss drug approved by the government for use as an over-the-counter pill can lead to diarrhea and malabsorption disorders. It may be safe for most women, but could have serious complications if taken in tandem with diabetes medication, warfarin for blood clots or cyclosporine used by many women to treat psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis. Some natural herbs can interfere with your metabolism, cause jitters and nervousness or a host of other complications.
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