I was doing some research on this, I found the following advice...
How safe are Diet Pills?
Diet pills available over the counter (OTC) contain a combination of medications, usually phenylpropanolamine (PPA) and caffeine, which act to control appetite. The active agent in these medications, PPA, is a central nervous system stimulant and has many effects on the body, one of which is to depress the desire to eat. Caffeine, also a stimulant, increases alertness and decreases drowsiness and fatigue when taken in low doses (50-200 mg). Caffeine also has some weak appetite suppressant properties.
Recently, the effectiveness of PPA-based diet pills as weight control agents have been questioned. Studies show that although PPA may act on the brain to depress appetite, this effect is minimal, and PPA can produce some serious side effects, such as high blood pressure, nausea, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and hallucinations.
Caffeine also affects the circulatory function and has unpredictable effects on blood pressure. Because overweight people run a higher risk of hypertension, using PPA-based diet pills in the recommended doses may seriously damage health, especially in those people who are unaware of possible high blood pressure condition. For those reasons, many pharmacists are refusing to sell such aids until their safety has been evaluated.
Some alternatives to diet pills...
Eating and appetites for particular foods are influenced by many factors, most of which are learned throughout a lifetime. Diet pills of any kind will not change your food habits or preferences. If you want to control your weight by changing eating habits, try to cultivate tastes for new, lower calorie foods and learn more about eating a balanced diet from the Food Guide Pyramid to maintain an ideal weight.
Hi Helen,
I was doing some research on this, I found the following advice...
How safe are Diet Pills?
Diet pills available over the counter (OTC) contain a combination of medications, usually phenylpropanolamine (PPA) and caffeine, which act to control appetite. The active agent in these medications, PPA, is a central nervous system stimulant and has many effects on the body, one of which is to depress the desire to eat. Caffeine, also a stimulant, increases alertness and decreases drowsiness and fatigue when taken in low doses (50-200 mg). Caffeine also has some weak appetite suppressant properties.
Recently, the effectiveness of PPA-based diet pills as weight control agents have been questioned. Studies show that although PPA may act on the brain to depress appetite, this effect is minimal, and PPA can produce some serious side effects, such as high blood pressure, nausea, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and hallucinations.
Caffeine also affects the circulatory function and has unpredictable effects on blood pressure. Because overweight people run a higher risk of hypertension, using PPA-based diet pills in the recommended doses may seriously damage health, especially in those people who are unaware of possible high blood pressure condition. For those reasons, many pharmacists are refusing to sell such aids until their safety has been evaluated.
Some alternatives to diet pills...
Eating and appetites for particular foods are influenced by many factors, most of which are learned throughout a lifetime. Diet pills of any kind will not change your food habits or preferences. If you want to control your weight by changing eating habits, try to cultivate tastes for new, lower calorie foods and learn more about eating a balanced diet from the Food Guide Pyramid to maintain an ideal weight.
Source - http://health.rutgers.edu/brochures/saferweightloss.htm
I think I am going to lose weight the natural way for the time being - even if it is a lot more work! I hope this helps you make a decision.