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Weight Management
7 Side Effects Of Weight Loss Pills That You Should Be Aware Of To Avoid Serious Concerns!
Weight loss pills, while tempting for a quick solution, can come with downsides. These drugs can be a part of the treatment for treating obesity who are actually suffering from it, but they are not exactly a solution to weight loss for just anybody. From everyday annoyances like nausea and mild digestive problems to headaches and dry mouth, understanding the side effects of weight loss pills is essential. But beyond these temporary inconveniences lie potentially serious severe heart complications depending on the type of pill you take.
To understand these dangers and make informed choices about your health, let's explore the side effects of weight loss pills you can experience before considering these pills for your weight loss journey.
Table Of Contents
1. 7 Side Effects Of Weight Loss Drugs
2. Are Weight Loss Medications Linked To Blindness? 5 Concerns
3. Popular Weight Loss Pills Side Effects
4. Dietitian’s Recommendation
5. The Final Say
6. FAQs
7. References
7 Side Effects Of Weight Loss Drugs
Weight loss drugs are medications that help people to lose weight. They work by making you feel full faster, reducing the absorption of fats, or boosting your metabolism to burn more calories. These drugs are usually prescribed when diet and exercise alone have not been enough to manage weight, especially for people with obesity or weight-related health issues.
Weight loss drugs usually seem like an easy way to lose excess calories quickly, but they can have adverse side effects that impact your health. Let’s discuss and understand these most common side effects of weight loss pills and how they affect your body:
1. Leads To Digestive Problems
Many weight loss drugs mess with how your body processes food, causing nausea, diarrhoea, and constipation. These issues arise because the drugs can slow down your stomach, speed up your bowel movements, or make it harder to pass stools, leading to discomfort and digestive imbalance.
2. Increases Heart-Related Issues
Some weight loss pills contain stimulants that increase your heart rate plus blood pressure, putting extra stress on your heart. This can lead to palpitations, irregular heartbeats, and, in severe cases, heart attacks or strokes, especially if you have existing heart problems.
3. Negatively Affects Mental Health
These drugs can affect your brain chemistry, causing mood swings, anxiety, and depression. They may alter levels of essential brain chemicals, leading to emotional instability and severe psychiatric symptoms like paranoia or suicidal thoughts, which can drastically affect your quality of life.
Also Read: Are Digestive Enzyme Supplements Safer Option? Check Out These 5 Benefits!
4. Causes Sleep Disturbances
Many weight loss pills contain ingredients that keep you awake, disrupting your sleep patterns. This can make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep, causing chronic sleep deprivation, which causes fatigue, irritability, and a weakened immune system.
5. Leads To Nutrient Deficiencies
Some weight loss drugs reduce your appetite or change how your body absorbs nutrients, leading to deficiencies in essential vitamins and required minerals like iron, calcium, and vitamin B12. These deficiencies can cause fatigue, weakness, brittle bones, and a weakened immune system.
6. Liver Damage Possibility
Your liver processes everything you ingest, including medications. Some weight loss drugs can be toxic to your liver, causing inflammation, damage, or even liver failure. Symptoms include instant yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine, fatigue, and abdominal pain, and severe damage can be life-threatening.
7. Increases Dose Dependency And Abuse
Some weight loss drugs can be addictive. Over time, you might need higher doses to get the same effect, leading to potential abuse. This can result in adverse health issues, including overdose, heart problems, and severe withdrawal symptoms if you try to stop.
Also Read: 5 Incredible Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar To Lose Belly Fat
Are Weight Loss Medications Linked To Blindness? 5 Concerns
Science reports have raised concerns about certain weight loss medications potentially causing serious eye conditions, including blindness. The significant relationship between semaglutide drugs and Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is highly cautioned for use, leading to eye stroke, which suddenly causes vision loss in one eye.
There are many such possibilities, so caution is recommended. Let’s explore the way these side effects of weight loss pills impact your eyes:
1. Increases Eye Pressure
Some weight loss drugs can increase the pressure inside your eyes, a condition called intraocular pressure. This can lead to glaucoma, a serious disease that damages the optic nerve. If untreated, glaucoma can cause permanent vision loss and even blindness.
2. Affects Your Eye Vision
Some weight loss medications can interfere with your body's ability to absorb essential required nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E, as well as essential omega-3 fatty acids, which are effective for eye health. A lack of these nutrients causes problems such as dry eye syndrome, night blindness, and macular degeneration, resulting in partial or complete vision loss.
3. Causes Retinal Damage
Certain weight loss drugs are known to cause retinal toxicity, where the medication directly damages the retina area, the light-sensitive layer at the eye back. This damage can cause blurry vision, dark spots, and, in severe cases, blindness.
Also Read: 7 Recommended Multivitamins For Men To Fulfill Their Nutritional Needs!
4. Increases Eye Complications
Weight loss medications can sometimes interact with other drugs you might be taking, leading to adverse effects on your eyes. For instance, combining certain weight loss drugs with diabetes or high blood pressure medications can increase the risk of eye complications.
5. Reduces Tear Production
Many weight loss pills act as diuretics, increasing urination and potentially leading to dehydration. Dehydration can cause dry eyes and insufficient tear production, impairing vision and increasing the risk of eye infections and other complications that can ultimately affect your vision.
Also Read: These 8 Benefits Of Spirulina For Weight Loss Will Give You Guaranteed Results In Weeks!
Popular Weight Loss Pills Side Effects
Note these side effects of weight loss pills, which are highly recommended but must be used with caution:
Medicine Name | Possible Side Effects |
Adipex-P (phentermine) | Increased blood pressure and heart rate, insomnia, excessive nervousness, restlessness, dependence, abuse or instant withdrawal may occur with long-term usage; avoid use at bedtime. |
Alli (orlistat) | Oily spotting, consistent gas (flatulence), faecal urgency, soft stools, or faecal incontinence: Take Alli with a daily multivitamin once a day at bedtime. |
Bontril PDM (phendimetrazine) | Increased blood pressure and heart rate, nervousness, restlessness, abuse or withdrawal may occur with decreased appetite; avoid use at bedtime. |
Contrave (bupropion and naltrexone) | Nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, constipation, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, dry mouth, diarrhoea, increased blood pressure, fast heart rate, anxiety, tremor, hot flush, unusual taste. |
Desoxyn (methamphetamine) | High abuse potential: increased blood pressure and insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, dependence, or withdrawal may occur with long-term usage. |
Benzphetamine | Increased blood pressure and heart rate, insomnia, restlessness, abuse or withdrawal may occur, especially after bedtime use. |
Diethylpropion | Constipation, restlessness, dry mouth, increased blood pressure and nervousness, restlessness, dependence, insomnia or instant withdrawal from long-term use. |
Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate extended-release capsules) | Tingling or numbing sensation (paresthesias), dizziness, altered taste, insomnia, constipation, dry mouth; avoid an evening dose as it may keep you awake; do not use if pregnant or planning pregnancy due to possible birth defects; avoid use at bedtime. |
Saxenda (liraglutide) | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, headache, dizziness, injection site reactions, heartburn, fatigue, stomach-area pain, fever, and stomach infection (gastroenteritis). |
Xenical (orlistat) | For oily spotting, gas (flatulence), faecal urgency, soft stools, and faecal incontinence, take Xenical with a daily multivitamin containing fat-soluble vitamins. |
Wegovy (semaglutide) | Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness, flu, diarrhoea, headache, bloating, heartburn, fatigue, belching, constipation, upset stomach, gas. |
Zepbound (tirzepatide) | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, stomach-area pain, heartburn, injection-site reactions, sleepiness (fatigue), allergic reactions, burping, hair loss, and acid reflux disease. |
Dietitian’s Recommendation
I advise caution when it comes to weight loss pills due to their potential side effects. These pills should not be taken just for the sake of weight loss, as these drugs might be prescribed for specific medical issues by doctors. These medications cause serious health problems and may interfere with nutrient absorption.
Instead, I recommend ToneOp Care ACV Effervescent Tablets for those seeking sustainable, healthy weight loss. They are an easy-to-sip solution for natural weight loss and improved metabolism. Just one tablet in 250 ml water, fizz till the tablet dissolves, and drink it.
Dt. Aditi Upadhyay
The Final Say
Ultimately, while weight loss pills might seem like an easy way to shed pounds, they come with serious health risks, especially for your eyes. These medications can increase intraocular pressure, leading to glaucoma and potential vision loss. They also interfere with nutrient absorption, causing dry eyes or vision impairment, and some can directly damage the retina. So, you must know these risks and consult your dietitian before taking any weight loss pills.