Can You End Up Being Addicted to Diet Plan Pills?
Diet pills incorporate a course of medicines with a similar objective (usually weight reduction) but employ different approaches in attaining that result. Diet regimen pill medications may function by suppressing cravings (Belviq ®, Contrave ® ), boosting energy( phentermine, Didrex ®) or blocking fat (Xenical ®, Alli ® ). Since some diet tablets contain Amphetamines, persistent use can cause a dependency. Moreover, some people might suffer co-occurring problems (such as anxiety or an eating disorder) as well as come to be based on the results of diet plan pills.
Diet regimen tablets can essentially be sorted right into 3 categories, defined by their chemical make-up and also exactly how they impact the body. The three sorts of diet pills consist of:
- Stimulant: Influences the central nerve system to increase energy and also a feeling of well-being. Energizers can additionally suppress cravings.
- Cravings suppressant: Effects especially target serotonin and also norepinephrine neurotransmitters in the mind to boost feelings of fullness as well as lower hunger.
- Fat Prevention: Turns on in the gastrointestinal system (i.e. tummy and also intestinal tracts) to minimize fat absorption by a 3rd.
The FDA has approved certain formulas in each kind of diet pill, though not for everyone. Prescription weight loss aids are usually reserved for patients with a body mass index (BMI) over 30, or who have a BMI of at least 27 and a disorder that may be negatively affected by weight (such as Type 2 Diabetes). However, these medications can be fatal if misused or abused.
Effects of Diet Pill Abuse
As a category of diet pill, stimulants carry a high risk of causing a dependence. Amphetamine-derived stimulants affect systems in our brain responsible for feeling happy or content (similar to other stimulants like Cocaine). Furthermore, many people become tolerant to the energy they get from their pills and eventually increase the amount they’re taking. Such behavior is among the common characteristics of addiction.
The short-term effects of stimulant-type diet pills include a rush of energy, increased blood pressure and heart rate, flushed skin, dizziness, and dry mouth. Continued use of these pills can lead to insomnia, constipation, pulmonary hypertension, heart valve diseases, and withdrawal symptoms if the person stops taking them. Persistent use of appetite suppressants commonly causes headaches, dizziness, and a range of bowel troubles. Likewise, fat inhibitors are known to cause unpleasant oily spotting, gas, and similar gastrointestinal issues.
Are Diet Pills Legal?
Diet pills have been on the market for over a hundred years, promising easy weight loss while hiding their high potential for dangerous side effects. The FDA continues to approve certain formulations for the purpose of losing weight but have also removed prescriptions from the market when they’ve proven deadly to public health. Additionally, some medications marketed as weight loss have not been approved by the FDA but are still available to the public.
Most appetite suppressants (such as Contrave ® )are considered at low risk for addiction, are FDA-approved, and are not mentioned in the Controlled Substances Act by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Other weight loss medications are Schedule IV substances (including Belviq ® and Qsymia ®), meaning they have a low potential for abuse in relation to Schedule III drugs. (Other Schedule IV substances include Benzodiazepines Xanax ® and
Valium ®.). Some diet pills have been banned by the FDA after causing unchecked addictions and overdose deaths. Fenfluramine (part of a combination with phentermine commonly known as fen-phen) was banned by the FDA in 1997. In 2010, the FDA did the same to Meridia ® after it was proven to be the source of heart attacks and strokes.
Are Herbal Diet Pills Dangerous?
While social media has made certain weight loss programs popular, these unverified and unstudied medications can be dangerous. “Herbal” weight loss pills, like other over-the-counter drugs, are not approved by the FDA as safe methods for weight loss. Any claims of significant weight loss in short periods of time should be a red flag– these pills can cause serious side effects or may simply be ineffective.
Weight loss supplements are removed from the market “almost every week” by the FDA. Many of these pills contain chemicals already banned by the government (such as Sibutramine, formerly sold under the brand name Merida) or dangerously high levels of NSAIDS (which can lead to stomach bleeding and strokes).