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The Best Non-Laxative Diet Pills

Jul 22, 2011 | By Stephanie Mojica

Laxatives are designed to help relieve constipation, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you take laxatives for weight loss, you're playing a potentially life-threatening game. You should instead take an appetite suppressant or a fat-blocking drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration rather than use over-the-counter laxatives. If you are pregnant, nursing or have a health problem such as high blood pressure, you should avoid diet pills of any kind and rely on exercise and diet to lose weight.

Phentermine

If you need to lose more than a few pounds and are in reasonably good health, ask your doctor about the appetite suppressant phentermine. Phentermine is the most commonly prescribed diet drug in the United States, according to the Mayo Clinic. While the combination of phentermine and fenfluramine, known as fen-phen, is banned because of an unacceptable incidence of heart valve damage among patients, taking phentermine by itself is usually safe. If you experience chest pains or itching after taking the pill, seek immediate medical assistance.

Diethylpropion

Diethylpropion is another FDA-approved appetite suppressant that decreases your appetite while increasing your energy, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. You should not use diethylpropion for more than 12 weeks at a time because the drug is potentially habit-forming. You may experience side effects such as dizziness, nervousness, headaches and sleeping problems.

Phendimetrazine

Another appetite suppressant approved by FDA officials is the drug phendimetrazine, or Bontril. Like similar medications, you should not take this drug for more than three months at a time, and you may experience side effects such as depression, dizziness or sleep problems. If you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, you should avoid all appetite suppressants. If you do not consistently diet and exercise during and after drug therapy, you risk regaining any weight lost.

Orlistat

While orlistat is not a laxative, this FDA-approved diet drug may affect your bowel movements, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. You can take orlistat as its over-the-counter brand Alli, or ask your doctor for prescription-strength Xenical. Orlistat blocks fat from your food and passes it out of your body through bowel movements. In rare cases, the drug may cause serious liver injury. Also, if you eat high-fat meals, you risk losing control of your bowel movements.

References

Article reviewed by Teresa Mullins Last updated on: Jul 22, 2011

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