These diet pills, which are actually brain stimulants, are so popular that variations of them are sold in supermarkets under brand names such as Dexatrim. One common amphetamine-like drug, a central nervous stimulant called benzedrine, was first used as a nasal inhalant to ease breathing. It was discontinued, however, when it was found that people were taking it out of the inhalant and using it for the wrong reasons.
Benzedrine, dexedrine, and other amphetamines, commonly known as speed, work by cutting the appetite. But when you stop taking them your appetite returns, often with a vengeance, resulting in a greater weight gain than the original loss. Amphetamines also have potentially serious side effects, including heart palpitations, elevated blood pressure, sleep disturbances, trembling, nervousness, anxiety, agitation, and panic attacks. They may even precipitate heart attacks.
And the risks are not confined to prescription-only drugs. Many over-the-counter weight-loss pills at your pharmacy contain a substance called phenylpropanolamine as their main ingredient. Over the years, I have seen numerous patients develop high blood pressure and heart arrhythmias after exposure to this
substance.
Taking these drugs (prescription or over-the-counter) is of no value for long-term, healthful weight loss, and may also lead to dependency. Kitty Dukakis, wife of 1988 presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, created quite a stir when she admitted to having been hooked on amphetamines for over 20 years. I have even seen children stoned and ill from weight-loss pills (which they take for the high). Do yourself a favor and don’t get started on any of them.
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