Is Your Weight Loss Product Tainted? FDA Issues New Warning!

The FDA is expanding its nationwide alert to now include 72 tainted weight loss products containing undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients.  Per Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research:

“These tainted weight loss productspose a great risk to public health because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed maximum recommended dosages…Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain dangerous drugs that could cause serious consequences to their health.”

Some of these undeclared (weight loss) ingredients include:

• fenproporex – a controlled substance not approved for marketing in the US, it’s converted in the body to amphetamine, and as a result has been found to show up in urinalysis as a positive test for amphetamines.
• fluoxetine – an antidepressant, commonly known as prozac, available by prescription only, and may also interact with other prescription medications.
• bumetanide – a potent diuretic available by prescription only, also called bumex, typically given to treat swelling associated with congestive heart failure, liver, and kidney disease
• furosemide – a potent diuretic available by prescription only, also called lasix, adverse effects include dehydration, potassium deficiency, rapid or irregular heartbeat, among other things
• rimonabant – a drug not approved for marketing in the US, can affect the nervous system- side effects may include depressed mood and anxiety
• cetilistat – an experimental obesity drug not approved for marketing in the US
• phenytoin – also called dilantin, an anti-seizure medication available by prescription only, may affect the metabolism of other medications, other side effects include dizziness, drowsiness, unsteady gait, abnormal involuntary movements, swelling of lymph nodes, among other things
• phenolphthalein – a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent that is not approved for marketing in the US

Many of the recalled weight loss products are not just sold online, but also in some retail stores and beauty salons.  A lot claim to be “natural” or are labeled as containing only “herbal” ingredients, but as mentioned above, they may actually contain prescription medications or harmful additives.

Is your favorite weight loss product on the list?

For the updated list of recalled products, click the link below:

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2009/NEW01977.html

Technorati Tags: tainted weight loss products

Related posts:

1. Another (Fat Burning – Muscle Gain) Supplement Recall:
2. Side effects include weight loss and lower risk of heart disease and diabetes
3. Turmeric: A Natural Part of Healthy Weight Loss?
4. Hoodia Gordonii: Finding The Right Product For You…
5. Update on Hydroxycut Recall: Weight loss Supplement Linked To Liver Damage