Diet pills can help you lose weight faster, but the Food and Drug Administration has only approved a handful of diet aids for weight loss, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Some doctors may prescribe other drugs "off label" to help you lose weight. No matter what medication you take, you must use it as directed and avoid diet pills entirely if you are pregnant, nursing or have a serious health problem.
Over-the-Counter Alli
Most over-the-counter diet aids are ineffective or downright dangerous, warns the Mayo Clinic. But over-the-counter Alli is one of the best weight loss pills on the market. Alli consists of 60 mg of the fat-blocking drug orlistat. When you eat foods containing fat and take Alli, the pill blocks the fat from being digested; you pass the undigested fat out through your bowel movements. But as of 2011, representatives of the Food and Drug Administration were investigating claims that in rare cases orlistat caused severe liver injury in some patients.
Prescription Xenical
You can ask your doctor for a stronger form of orlistat, usually marketed as Xenical. Xenical consists of 120 mg of orlistat and can potentially help you lose an extra 5 to 7 lbs each year. But Xenical does not give you a license to eat whatever you want and lose weight. If you eat meals with more than 15 g of fat, you risk suffering from uncontrollable bowel movements, gas that causes oily spotting onto your underwear, frequent bowel movements and rectal pain.
Prescription Phentermine
If you are relatively healthy and have more than a few pounds to lose, you can ask your doctor for a prescription for the popular appetite suppressant phentermine. Phentermine decreases your appetite and has helped people lose weight since 1959, according to the Mayo Clinic. But you can only use phentermine, or Adipex-P, for up to 12 weeks at a time. The medication can be addictive and you risk regaining lost weight once you stop taking the drug.
Prescription Diethylpropion
Diethylpropion is another popular appetite suppressant that can help you lose weight, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. But you cannot use this diet aid for more than 12 weeks at a time and should not use any appetite suppressant if you already have high blood pressure. You may experience side effects such as sleeplessness, anxiety and vomiting when taking diethylpropion.
References
- Weight-control Information Network; Prescription Medications for the Treatment of Obesity; December 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Alli Weight-Loss Pill: Does it Work?; June 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Phentermine - Can Prescription Medication Help Weight Loss?; Donald Hensrud; October 2009
- PubMed Health: Orlistat
- PubMed Health: Diethylpropion
- MayoClinic.com; Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Pills: Do They Work?; February 2010
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