Advocates of Brazilian diet pills suggest that these dietary supplements can quickly and safely produce dramatic weight loss results, but the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a consumer warning in January 2006 outlining the dangers of these pills. According to the FDA, these Brazilian diet pills contain a number of controlled substances, some of which are used in prescription medications. The FDA warns that the use of these supplements exposes dieters to serious side effects and health risk.
Despite being labeled and sold as dietary supplements, Brazilian diet pills contain prescription ingredients. Brazilian diet pills contain chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride (HCl), the active ingredient in the anti-anxiety medication Librium®. The pills also contain fluoxetine HCl, the active ingredient of Prozac®, which is used to treat depression. These substances can be dangerous when used without supervision and should be used only under the direction of a medical professional. Even under a doctor’s orders, chlordiazepoxide HCl and fluoxetine HCl are not recommended as a method of weight control.
Brazilian diet pills also contain fenproporex, a controlled substance not approved for any medical use in the U.S. When ingested, fenproporex is converted in the body to an amphetamine, and it has caused dieters to test positive for amphetamine use. Employees who use Brazilian diet pills and who are required to submit to drug testing usually are not aware of the supplement’s effects, leaving them surprised, confused and unable to account for the test results. Some dieters have lost jobs because of drug tests that were failed while they were taking these supplements.
Chemicals found in these diet pills can have a profound effect on the body and trigger a number of side effects. The combination of amphetamines, anti-depressants and other active ingredients can cause drowsiness, blurred vision, dizziness, constipation, diarrhea, mood swings and suicidal thinking. This cocktail also has addictive properties, and dieters might suffer withdrawal symptoms when reducing dosage or stopping entirely. Dieters concerned about any of these symptoms should consult a doctor.
Other medications also might cross-react with any of these active ingredients. The number and variety of substances present in Brazilian diet pills make reactions with prescription and nonprescription medication even more likely. When these diet pills are taken with birth control pills, women might notice excessive or unusual bleeding or a disruption of the normal cycle. Antidepressants and other mood-leveling medication might react strongly to these pills as well. Dieters experiencing any unusual effects should seek medical advice as soon as possible.