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BREAKING NEWS: Stop Using Hydroxycut, says FDA

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By: Stepfanie Romine : 5/1/2009 4:22:22 PM : 137 comments

Makers of the diet supplement Hydroxycut has agreed to pull 14 of its products from shelves after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration linked the product to severe liver damage and one death.

The product is touted as being "natural," but dietary supplements are not regulated. For the full story, click here.

Most experts (including SparkPeople.com) advise against using diet pills and other quick fixes to lose weight. America's top sports nutrition expert Dave Ellis recently spoke out against dietary supplements during an interview with the dailySpark.

"The supplement industry: There's no defending them," said Ellis. "The bad news is they've been selling a lot of hype for a number of years. They always overpromise. Sadly, because it's an unregulated industry, most of the companies are more marketing entities than scientific good manufacturing driven companies. It's an awkward deal to teach an athlete the difference between a marketing concept and a (real supplement)."

Hydroxycut, which sold more than 9 million units of its products last year, was linked to liver damage that resulted in a transplant in 2002, liver failure, jaundice, seizures and cardiovascular problems.

Have you ever tried Hydroxycut? What do you think about diet pills and supplements?

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Comments (Scroll to end to leave a comment)

EVACLAIRE 1/10/2010 8:13:33 PM	I have used hydroxi-cut before mostly because I thought I could jump start my weight loss. Not so much but I know that these suppliments are bad for you.	137
SESHAEXY 1/9/2010 11:07:07 AM	This does not surprise me at all.	136
SPARKENISTA 1/8/2010 4:47:01 PM	I did take it for a while many years ago. My doctor told me that none of the ingredients were indicated in appetite suppression so I stopped. I also took phen-fen, a prescription drug geared to enhance seritonin production and induce decreased appetite. I saw a segment on 20/20 where a woman taking it had to have a heart/lung transplant. I spoke to my doctor about it and he pooh-poohed it. He told me that I'm fine but if I want to be tested by a cardiologist, he'll refer me. Two months later, on a whim, (there are no symptoms until your heart and lungs give out) I went to the cardiologist. He shook as he told me I had borderline pulmonary hypertension, which is what develops into that fatal condition. He told me to stop taking it immediately. Of course, I did stop. Six months later I returned for a check-up and it had remitted (thank G-d). Since then I swore off any pill, potion, surgery or any other unnatural form of weight loss enhancer. I'm lucky to be here.	135
SAASHA17 12/22/2009 12:01:34 PM	I used it for 2 days and I felt jittery, i couldnt function. I would try to type on the keyboard at work and my fingers would be all over the place and i realised it was really increasing my blood pressure..I just stopped and i am glad i did. I heard people had died from it.	134
CLAUDIA1333 11/7/2009 4:34:43 PM	I will admit that in the early days of my desperation to the 75 pounds I gained in college I did try some of these pills, including Hydroxycut. Of course now I know that these things don't help, and had quite an eye opening moment when 2 of the servers I worked with when I first started at the Rainforest Cafe would pop a couple of these before their shift started to get the speed-like effect.	133
SEMUSPARK 9/20/2009 10:54:32 AM	Is this surprising at all? There's always that brief temptation to try diet pills when you see the commercials but any benefit gained form them can be gained SAFELY from diet and exercise.	132
NORCALTOPAZ 9/3/2009 8:41:16 PM	I am sooooo glad I never began using this supplement. An acquaintance had a very dramatic result from using Hydroxycut which almost inspired me to begin.	131
ZACASH 8/16/2009 10:19:15 PM	I tried it eight years ago before effedrine was removed. I quickly lost my pregnancy weight. However, I quit using it when my doctor told me not to lose anymore weight. Now that I know how dangerous it can be, I will never use it again.	130
IRONDAUGHTER 8/15/2009 3:03:40 AM	I work at a Gym in Aus, and we still sell some of the recalled products.... I don't even know if the boss realises they've been taken off the market, or if he cares... Glad I don't use them myself. I'm definately not going to be recommending them to clients anymore.	129
VALERIE5978 8/14/2009 7:43:11 PM	I tired Hydroxycut for awhile. I have trouble sleeping and this product did not help!	128
JUDY802 8/8/2009 7:59:14 AM	I tried it once. I struggle with getting very hungry between meals and if I have a snack have a hard time stopping myself from over doing it. I thought hydroxycut might help control that. I had one in the morning like the instructions said and a second one that afternoon. I got such a headache it put me on the couch for the rest of the afternoon! I wondered if it was just a result of my being so tired-guess not! It's going in the garbage! What a waste of money!!	127
MAXIET 8/6/2009 2:09:03 PM	I need to lose a little weight & would never consider taking a diet pill. It's good they're taking it off the market!	126
MSJAZZ9 7/29/2009 6:21:36 PM	I have taken Hydroxycut, Redline RDH, and Xenadrine. Although I don't think one should become dependent on diet supplements most will give you an energy boost. The new about Hydroxycut isn't surprising. Any diet supplement will do damage to your liver...it isn't a natural supplement. This has been known for years but it always seems that Hydroxycut gets dinged first....remember Ephedra?!	125
RHXCDENAY 5/19/2009 4:10:36 PM	wow, thats kinda scary especially since i do take hydroxcut on a regular basis..i guess i wont be taking that anymore	124
NAKJOHNS 5/13/2009 12:57:46 PM	I have never tried hydroxycut. I think some supplements such as vitamins taken properly with a full glass of water maybe ok, but I do not think that supplements should be used over natural weight loss solutions.	123
PAMCARR1 5/6/2009 10:37:58 PM	Nope, never even heard of it. Only supplements I use are Juice Plus and GNC Pro Performance Protein Complex. I just can seem to get enough meat in my diet.	122
TIFFANYLEE16 5/6/2009 12:01:20 PM	My mom uses this stuff. She also drinks alcohol on a regular basis. Both of which are harmful to the liver. She will probably continue using it despite the negative effect it could have on her.	121
MEL_UNRAU 5/5/2009 2:28:23 PM	THANK GOD it is being pulled! I have never tried it, but this "junk" scares the bejeezes out of me.	120
PENNYANNE2 5/5/2009 12:46:57 PM	Never used Hydroxycut and don't plan to. I have used a diet pill years ago Dexatrim? but stopped when I found myself on a stool cleaning off the top of the fridge at 12:30 at nite. Never again.	119
RAFASBABE 5/4/2009 8:55:54 PM	No I have never tried any weight loss pill and I dont intend too, there are so many inspiring stories of people on SP and other places who have lost weight the healthy way and if they did I acan too! I am not in this for a quick fix	118
GLORYLIGHT57 5/4/2009 8:29:41 PM	I hate swallowing pills so, I hardly take any supplements...I have not tried any of the diet supplements other than Slim Fast and that didn't last long, either. I just feel more comfortable eating a variety of foods.	117
FREETOBEMYSELF 5/4/2009 8:27:09 PM	I lost over 100 pounds without using any diet pills. I'm gonna lose the last 25 pounds without using any diet pills. Exercise and Healthy Eating. Build healthy habbits for LIFE!	116
JENNIFER8998 5/4/2009 7:33:45 PM	I take the Hydroxycut Hoodia (which thankfully hasn't been recalled)....I love it because it makes me feel less hungry. My husband takes the regular stuff, though....I'll have to tell him to stop.	115
MDTWEETY 5/4/2009 6:18:49 PM	No way! I've always been wary of diet pills. There is no magic pill, people!	114
ANDYTHEDORK 5/4/2009 4:43:13 PM	I tried it when I was in my late teens. Just like everyone who had used Hydroxycut said, I had fast heart beats and felt shaky. I didn't like it and I didn't lose weight. The good thing about my experience with weight loss pills is that I will never use them again.	113
MOMANDMORE 5/4/2009 3:58:36 PM	I too have tried Hydroxie Cut against my better judgment. Never again! I felt awful and very cranky almost the whole time. Once was enough.	112
HIPPICHICK 5/4/2009 2:05:25 PM	No, I've never used it and I'm glad I didn't! Unless prescribed or regulated by a doctor I probably will never use one either.	111
MARIA4988 5/4/2009 12:38:43 PM	I tried hydroxycut a few months back, it was the worst experience ever. My heart felt like it was beating a million miles per hour, and I was constantly shaking. I was to the point where I thought I needed to go to the ER. After that I got rid of it, and I never plan on taking any diet pill again!!!!	110
STRONGANDSEXYY 5/4/2009 11:45:54 AM	I've never tried hydroxycut! I didn't know about its effects on the liver, but my mom told me it can cause irregular heartbeats and heart failure so I've always been to scared! My roommate was trying it, and I pleaded with her to stop. Hopefully she'll listen! There is no such thing as a "quick fix" for weight loss...you've got to put in the hard work.	109
IREANERUPE 5/4/2009 10:29:19 AM	I was 17 or 18 when I tried Hydroxycut which is terrible! It made my heart beat really fast and I felt out of breath. Not to mention that it also works like a laxative - one of biggest reasons you don't really want to eat when you're on it! I stopped after two days of use because it just scared me.	108
MICIASHAKIRA 5/4/2009 9:10:38 AM	I have never tried Hydroxycut, but I have tried other diet pills in the past before I became a Member of SparkPeople. This site has taught me a lot when it comes to weight loss. Now I focus on eating healthier and exercise and not quick fixes.	107
LEXEY626 5/4/2009 6:01:45 AM	I have tried many, many diet pills - including Hydroxycut. Most of them did give me energy, so I believe I exercised harder, which is why I lost a little weight. However, I stopped taking hydroxycut because it caused horrible acne (and backne) and severe heartburn to the point I seriously thought there was something wrong with my heart! Every so often I get tempted by a new diet pill, but then I snap back into reality and remember the horrible side effects I had. I will never take a diet pill again.	106
DIZZY* 5/4/2009 1:12:55 AM	I am also glad I did'nt try it as well. I have been doing the Slim 4 Life program and that is hard anyway. Diet programs should have FDA approval because there are so many plans you really don't know what is safe anymore. It will always be the on going battle of the bulge until you learn how to eat right and sensibly.	105
BONNIEMAC588 5/4/2009 12:12:33 AM	I'm glad I didn't even try it.	104
KNELSO2 5/3/2009 11:57:22 PM	I hate the stuff. I'm not surprised that it's not healthy. I have a friend who uses it for weight loss. It drops the pounds fast, since all you consume is fruit juice with it, but when you stop, the weight all comes back on plus more. And it doesn't address the issue of changing behaviours. I'd rather keep the weight on than use the diet supplements.	103
*PIANOLADY** 5/3/2009 11:33:00 PM	I may be fooled in some areas, but diet pills are one thing I know better than to try. People want the easy way out, but a healthy lifestyle is the only way to go.	102
ROGEMA 5/3/2009 7:34:01 PM	I will not use diet supplements, I have always been against these. Just the other day a friend asked me what I thought about the Acuai Berry supplements. I told her you know my feelings on that stuff. To me they are nothing but trouble. I love they way my innards are and I'll do anything within reason to keep them healty. I've been struggling to lose the last 20 pounds and my doctor and I agree it will eventually come off.	101
SOURDOUGHGIRL 5/3/2009 6:24:47 PM	I will never use diet pills to lose weight. It's just too unsafe. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people would do anything to lose a few pounds. One day I saw a lady in the gym locker rooms. She looked in distress. I asked if she was all right and she said she was feeling sick. After asking her a few more questions she mentioned that her symptoms probably had to do with the diet pills she took. I asked her what the pills were and she said "just some pills my friends let me try". She probably didn't even know what the pills were. I wouldn't take any diet pills even with studies to back them up, let alone something without a name.	100
JODAFEEN17 5/3/2009 4:21:41 PM	As much as I'd want to take a "magic" pill to lose weight, I've realized that the only way to lose weight is my the magic formula: eat less, exercise more. I had started thinking about taking Hydroxycut, but then this warning came out and I felt relieved to have been saved from this potential problem. I've got enough health issues without adding to them! When I was younger, I tried Dexatrim, but they just made me jittery and I never learned how to control my appetite on my own. Now that I've been on Spark, I have learned what to do, and have lost 30 pounds so far, without "diet" aids and all that bogus croop. I know now that I CAN get to my goal, and that it will take time to get there but it'll be lifelong and safe to do it the right way.	99
ADMETOS 5/3/2009 3:34:26 PM	It amazes me to see the numerous advertisements for new products like Hydroxycut that bombard us every time we turn on the TV! Back in the dark ages, when I was a kid and TV was still black and white we had our share of obnoxious advertisements; They told us that cigarettes tasted good, and that doctors even recommended certain brands!!! Today we are bombarded by ads for all kinds of products that promise to help us in our quest for physical perfection, from weight loss products to sexual enhancement pills and prescription meds that we should "ask our doctor about," (followed by the inevitable list of possible side effects). Unfortunately, in pursuit of the almighty dollar, it seems that many of these products are marketed to the public without adequate testing. My advice is not to jump on any band wagons until time has proved that a product is really safe to use. After all, anything that seems too good to be true often is.	98
VWBUG_1967 5/3/2009 2:47:33 PM	I never tried Hydroxycut but I did have my doctor prescribe a weight loss pill last year. And it worked because I never ate. So when I stopped taking the pill (I took myself off because I was a little freaked out), I gained it all back because I hadn't learned anything about eating well or balancing choices. I found this site this year, have lost 30 pounds (only 20 more to go!) and will never, ever consider taking another weight loss pill or supplement. Who needs it?	97
CALIDREAMER76 5/3/2009 1:37:17 PM	I use Relicore - but not for weightloss- it hasn't worked for that - but does help maintain an even temperament or mood. In a job where many, MANY of our staff are on medication for anxiety - this helps and is mostly vitamins - heavy on the B's. Some of that other stuff just worked the opposite - used to take sudafed when I had allergies or a cold - the "natural" version of the main ingredient is ma huang (sp?) - in any case it gave me a voracious appetite! NO WAY was that for me. Move more, eat moderately less - make it a life style!	96
SHELLPRO 5/3/2009 1:35:13 PM	what I do find rediculous about this? If you listen 2 or read the precautions about all the medications most of us take every day (including prescription med's.) The same damage or worse is listed & not clearly given! Sadly, there had been studies that proved that this product did 'aid' in weight loss!	95
KATIE13LYNN 5/3/2009 12:35:31 PM	I tried hydroxycut and hated it as well. Within the first few days of taking it I would notice my heart would be racing out of nowhere. Everytime I ate something that was not diet food I would feel incredibly sick to the point of not moving. I quit taking it as soon as the racing of the heart became daily! Haven't touched another supplement since	94
LLBRCFAN 5/3/2009 12:06:23 PM	I was tempted in the past but now I am so glad I never did try this or any other diet pill	93
JERSEYGIRL726 5/3/2009 12:01:33 PM	I have to admit, I was sorely tempted...especially after seeing the ads for so long and then they were GUARANTEEING weight loss! In fact, I was seriously considering buying it this past payday (4/30), and that's when I saw the article on the internet--Yahoo, I think. The only thing that works is MOVE MORE/EAT LESS.	92
JERSEYGIRL726 5/3/2009 12:01:32 PM	I have to admit, I was sorely tempted...especially after seeing the ads for so long and then they were GUARANTEEING weight loss! In fact, I was seriously considering buying it this past payday (4/30), and that's when I saw the article on the internet--Yahoo, I think. The only thing that works is MOVE MORE/EAT LESS.	91
ENUFF81020 5/3/2009 10:59:23 AM	I am guilty of trying this and many other things too. I am taking a personal risk with this because I am an intelligent woman, but weight loss and maintenance has always been both on my mind and something that I have had to work my tail off at. I really had this little hope, in the back of my mind that the "next one" could help me. I have several partial bottles of different stuff around now, the most recent being "Real African hoodia." (translate real to mean the most expensive) I have used my grocery money to buy this stuff and I have also lost weight when I took it with the real reason being the fact that I journaled, ate correctly, and exercised. Even then, I never attributed the weight loss to my efforts, but to the junk pill du jour. I am finally past that, because I am also saying out loud that I am trying to lose weight--duh, I have 117 more pounds to lose. I believe these things need regulation and they need it FAST. First of all, anyone who has ever taken any of this stuff has to have noticed variations in the exact "same" stuff. Capsules can be eyeballed to have different amounts of stuff in them or different colors of the stuff in them. (I can write better than repeatedly using the word "stuff," I just do not want to call these things medication or supplements or anything with a respectable connotation.) The advertisement needs to be honest and so does the labeling. They should not be able to make the outrageous claims and then hide behind the teeny tiny print comment "Results not typical" or "When used in combination with a healthy eating and exercise program." It is high time that these companies quit building their fortunes on the desperation of people who are obese or who have eating disorders. Their preying on these individuals just adds to their probems, capitalizing on their vulnerable and fragile nature while taking advantage on their need to resolve their issues in any way possible. The real kicker for me was when I found a slip of paper on which my then 14 year old daughter had written down a name, address, and price of a supplement that included a quote "Lose all extra weight in two weeks guaranteed." It definitely is time for this to be regulated.	90
KIMMY801 5/3/2009 10:39:01 AM	I have tried Hydroxycut. It was horrible!! I took and brand that was made for women only and bought it at GNC were the worker told me that this kind had a high success rate. I took it for one week and it made me feel sick to my stomach to the point I didn't want to eat anything. I was so shaky that I couldn't even hold my pen in class. And I had the WORST emotional strain. I would either be crying or yelling over nothing. I will NEVER again take any kind of weight loss supplement!!!	89
CNIKKI33 5/3/2009 10:23:55 AM	I tried it about 4 years ago, after my son was born. It was awful.I felt sick to my stomach, terrible headaches, my hands swelled up, I retained water like crazy. The day that I had to go home from work early because I didn't feel well enough to keep going I stopped taking them.	88