Information for Consumers (Drugs) Buying & Using Medicine Safely Public Notification: Japan Hokkaido Slimming Weight Loss Pills Contain Hidden Drug Ingredients The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to purchase or use Japan Hokkaido Slimming Weight Loss Pills, a product promoted and sold for weight loss on various websites and in some retail stores. FDA laboratory analysis confirmed that Japan Hokkaido Slimming Weight Loss Pills contain sibutramine, benzocaine, phenolphthalein and diclofenac. Sibutramine is a controlled substance that was removed from the market in October 2010 for safety reasons.  The product poses a threat to consumers because sibutramine is known to substantially increase blood pressure and/or pulse rate in some patients and may present a significant risk for patients with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, or stroke.  These products may also interact, in life-threatening ways, with other medications a consumer may be taking.

Benzocaine is a local anesthetic.  Bathroom Jacuzzi Prices IndiaIt is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter (OTC) products used to relieve pain in the mouth and gums from a variety of conditions. Silk Drapery Panels Ready MadeBenzocaine use may cause methemoglobinemia, a rare, but serious and possibly fatal condition where the amount of oxygen that can be carried through the blood stream is greatly reduced.Bathroom Vanity Units Drawers Phenolphthalein is a chemical that is not an active ingredient in any approved drug in the United States.  Studies have indicated that it presents a cancer-causing risk. Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug that can cause increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke.

Diclofenac, like other NSAID drugs, can also lead to serious gastrointestinal (GI) adverse events, including bleeding, ulceration, and fatal perforation of the stomach and intestines. Consumers should stop using this product immediately and throw it away.  Consumers who have experienced any negative side effects should consult a health care professional as soon as possible. Health care professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program: Complete and submit the report online: MedWatch Online Voluntary Reporting Form Download form or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178 Note: This notification is to inform the public of a growing trend of dietary supplements or conventional foods with hidden drugs and chemicals. 

These products are typically promoted for sexual enhancement, weight loss, and body building and are often represented as being “all natural.” FDA is unable to test and identify all products marketed as dietary supplements that have potentially harmful hidden ingredients. Consumers should exercise caution before purchasing any product in the above categories. Please refer to the links below for more information: Tainted Weight Loss Product Subscribe to the RSS feed Beware of Fraudulent Dietary SupplementsNew ACE G2 Saba Diet Pills Fat Burner 60ct PLUS colon cleanse detox Weight LossFDA approves a third new weight-loss pillFor the third time in about two years, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a new weight-loss pill.Contrave got FDA approval Wednesday. The medication is made by Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, and will be marketed by Takeda Pharmaceutical of Japan. It joins some older drugs and two newer pills, Qsymia and Belviq, as options to help adults battle their bulges.

All of the new drugs work by decreasing appetite and all have some side effects and drawbacks, though they differ. None promise massive weight loss."Obesity continues to be a major public health concern," the FDA's Jean-Marc Guettier said in a press release. "When used as directed in combination with a healthy lifestyle that includes a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, Contrave provides another treatment option."Like its competitors, Contrave is approved for people who are obese or who are overweight and also have weight-related health problems, such as diabetes.Contrave is a combination of two drugs: naltrexone, which is also is used to treat alcohol and drug dependence, and bupropion an antidepressant also used as a smoking cessation treatment.It will come with a warning that it might increase suicidal thoughts. Other possible side effects include increases in blood pressure and heart rate, FDA says.In trials, patients taking Contrave lost 2% to 4.1% more weight than those taking placebo.

Between 36% and 42% lost at least 5% of their body weight.In Belviq's studies for the FDA, average losses were 3% to 3.7% over placebo; for Qsymia, average losses were 6.7% to 8.9% over placebo.Such weight losses can be meaningful, but they won't happen if consumers rely on pills alone, says Adam Tsai, a Denver internist who chairs the public affair committee of the Obesity Society, a group representing weight loss experts."The ideal candidate for a drug to treat obesity is someone who uses the drug as a tool, along with diet and exercise," says Tsai, who has no ties with drug makers.So far, the other new pills have not been big sellers – considering that more than a third of U.S. adults, 78.6 million, are obese, according the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.One reason: Insurers have been slow to cover the treatments, which have been priced at upwards of $200 a month. Manufacturers have offered discounts to encourage consumers to try them.Patients filled about 138,000 prescriptions for Qsymia in the second quarter of 2014, according to drug maker Vivus Inc.Prescription numbers for Belviq were about 110,000 in the same period, according to Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc., which makes the drug.