HerbalUS.com Blog

The First Government Approved Over The Counter Diet Pill

The food and drug administration has recently approved a new diet pill that will be available soon at your local drugstore. It’s really not a new pill at all but has been reduced in potency and the name has been changed. Called Orlistat and sold as Xenical in it’s full potency form, the lower dose medication will be called” Alli”. This pill actually reduces the fat content the body absorbs. When taken with meals, Orlistat actually blocks one quarter of the fats consumed.

The new version will be made by GlaxoSmithKlien PLC as Xenical is manufactured by RocheHoldingAG. Experts say the drug is to be used along with proper eating habits and exercise. Without these two added components the new pill will have little effect. The new drug will have half the potency of Xenical and the price will be around $1 to $2 dollars a day.

The Food and Drug Administration says the the most common side effect is change in bowel habits with loose stools and oily spotting. Eating low fat foods will help reduce this side effect.

According to the FDA anyone who has had a transplant should not use this medication due to possible drug interactions. People on blood thinners or who have diabetes or thyroid disorders should consult with their doctors before use.

Dr.Sidney M. Wolf, director of Public Citizens Health Research Group, called the approval “the height of recklessness.”  Wolfe stated that studies on the prescription form have linked usage with precancerous lesions of the colon and and called for withdrawl of the prescription version.