2.4.6

2.4.6

Are Diet or Weight Loss Products Safe?

By now, we hope you know the answer. If you take any type of diet or weight loss pill as directed, and the product in question is appropriate for your situation, then the pills are probably OK to take. But remember, something in your particular physical makeup may cause adverse reactions, so be mindful of that, especially if you buy an over-the-counter product. With a prescription, you can ask questions of your doctor. With over-the-counter products, you should make an effort to have a brief consultation with the pharmacist so you are absolutely clear on what you will be taking. That way, you can avoid any health problems from either immediate adverse reactions to reactions that may not reveal themselves immediately even though they are causing you some degree of harm.

Diet and weight loss products have different functions depending on the individual product. Many of these pills just suppress your appetite so you don’t feel hungry. Others make you feel full more quickly. In both cases, this is accomplished when the drug affects parts of your brain or stomach to give you that “not hungry” or full feeling. And you should know that prescription diet pills are likely to be on one of the five drug schedules; consequently, they, or certain ingredients in them, could be addictive with repeated or over use. 

Here are some common side effects of prescription diet drugs that individuals might take over the long term (more than 12 weeks):

  • headache
  • indigestion
  • constipation
  • diarrhea
  • abdominal pain
  • nausea

And for diet drugs containing controlled substances taken on a short term basis:

  • irregular heart beet
  • dizziness
  • depression or anxiety
  • cognitive changes (agitated)
  • insomnia
  • headache
  • nausea/vomiting

Remember, not everyone will experience symptoms like this, but they’re on the list because some people have. And even the over-the-counter pills can cause problems. Many contain stimulants such as caffeine or ephedra. In isolated cases these products have caused heart attack, seizure, stroke, and even death. So, as always, just because you can walk up to a counter and buy these products does not make them safe. And as you consider the lists of side effects that you just read, how would those symptoms affect you if you were behind the wheel of a vehicle?

Even common, everyday products you think nothing about when taking them can cause problems, especially if you have allergies or take certain medications on a regular basis. In addition to side effects, you must always be aware of drug-to-drug interactions.

So what is all that about?

As you have learned, every drug is manufactured for a specific purpose and changes something that normally occurs (or should occur) in the body. Sometimes, if you must take more than one medication (this scenario is more likely to concern someone who must take a specific medication regularly for such things as controlling diabetes or high blood pressure), the drugs end up working against each other; they become less effective. In the most serious of cases, the wrong combination of medications can actually harm you.

Doctors are very careful when they prescribe medications for you to take. They will have examined your medical record and know what medicines you take regularly, so they will not prescribe something they know will react poorly with another drug you take. The problem here, though, is that if you are taking some over the counter drug or supplement, the doctor may very well not know about that. It’s up to you to inform the doctor so that you receive the medication that provides the most benefit and the least (preferably NO) harm. So never be afraid to speak up. Also, never ignore the pharmacist. If they question your prescription and tell you about possible interactions with something else you take, then check with your doctor before taking the new medication. Pharmacists are experts, and the doctor may have missed something or not been told about some other medication you are on. So, never dismiss a pharmacist’s advice or concern about something you are picking up. At the very least, check back with your doctor and explain what the pharmacist said or asked about. It’s a sure fire way to avoid a potential mistake and put your health (or someone else’s if you are picking up the medication for another person) at risk. Never ignore the pharmacist’s advice just because it does not pertain to you.

How do I know if I am allergic to a medication?

How do you know you’re allergic to dogs, or peanuts, or seafood? Unfortunately, you don’t find out until you are exposed to one of these things, and your body tells you something’s not right (you might also hear about an allergy from a parent because you had a bad reaction to something when you were very young. This information might even be on your medical record). So, the same is true for medications. Be careful here, though. Don’t confuse this with over dosing. Not all medications are good for all people. Your bodily makeup and internal systems may reject certain medications or substances contained within them. Should this occur, you’ll have what is known as an adverse reaction to the drug. This could be anything from itching and rash to a more severe abdominal pain or even worse, where you need to get to a hospital. Again, here is where reading the labels can help. You should see information about common reactions that occur in some people – SOME people, not EVERYBODY. Should this occur, let your doctor know. It is likely there is another product that can provide the same benefits as the one you have a reaction to. But even more important, you must remember any medication that causes an adverse reaction in your system. Going forward, you need to avoid that substance and inform anyone who treats you medically that you do have allergies or reactions to certain substances.

What do I do about my seasonal allergies?

At certain times of year – for some people, all year – seasonal allergies kick in due to tree pollen, other local plants, pets, or numerous other sources. You likely know someone (if it’s not you) who experiences a runny nose, itchy/watering eyes, and sneezing. Here are, according to the Cleveland Clinic, the most common sources of allergic reactions, seasonal or otherwise:

  • Food
  • Dust
  • Pollen
  • Pet Dander/Saliva/Urine
  • Mold
  • Bug Bites/Stings
  • Latex (from latex gloves used in medical facilities or for food preparation, for example)

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/21223-antihistamines

Luckily, for most individual allergy sufferers, it is safe to take what are called antihistamines, even every day, for allergy relief. But it’s important to know that some antihistamines are sedative – they make you drowsy. Here again is where you MUST read the label before you take an antihistamine. Yes, itchy, watery eyes and sneezing fits will make it dangerous for you to operate a motor vehicle or other heavy machinery. But so will driving when you are drowsy. Fortunately, newer antihistamines such as (these are brand names and not the actual drug names) Claritin, Allegra, and Zyrtec are not sedative, so drowsiness should not be an issue. Still, if you happen to experience any degree of drowsiness, it may be a reaction that you have to the medicine and not one experienced by everybody.

Even though these antihistamines are deemed safe to take daily, many doctors suggest creating an environment where you have little to no exposure to what triggers your allergies. Depending on the source, this may or may not be doable. But if it is possible, make every effort to eliminate the source of what causes you to have to take a daily medication, even a seemingly harmless over-the-counter drug.

Decongestants

Not all antihistamines are harmless! Watch for the letter “D” at the end of the name of a medication. This D stands for “decongestant.” Common, well know products such as Claritin and even Benadryl are dangerous to some people if their labels read “Claritin-D” or Benadryl-D.” Products with decongestants can be dangerous to individuals with high blood pressure, thyroid issues, or heart problems especially when used over the longer term. So, if you need allergy medicine, don’t just grab for any box. Make sure you get the product that will relieve your allergy symptoms but will not cause other, potentially dangerous problems for you.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/is-it-safe-to-take-allergy-medicine-every-day-7495576

We sincerely hope that you understand how even common over-the-counter items that you see or even use regularly can be dangerous when taken by the wrong person under the wrong conditions. As you have read many times already, use these products as directed, read the label, and don’t get behind the wheel of a vehicle when any package directions advise you not to. Just because a doctor prescribes a drug or you can buy it over the counter does NOT mean it is not dangerous.

Let’s end this particular section with one final, very important point: You may be asking yourself why much of the information you just read about is related to substance abuse; the simple truth is that, in actuality, it is. Everything you just read about prescription and over-the-counter drugs informed you about the proper way to acquire and take these products. Your deliberately doing anything that is contrary to what you read and learned amounts to abusing that product no matter how seemingly harmless it is.