TrimSpa Dangers

TrimSpa is among the most popular diet pills sold in the United States, according to Herbal-Supplements-Guide.com. TrimSpa has contained a supposed appetite suppressant, hoodia gordonii, since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ban of its former key ingredient, ephedra. Like other diet pills, TrimSpa poses side effects as well as long-term risks.

Side Effects

• According to Herbal-Supplements-Guide.com, TrimSpa has a history of dangerous side effects. Users have reported vomiting, chest pain, breathing difficulties, trouble swallowing and choking. If you experience any of these side effects, call your doctor immediately. Your risk for side effects may increase if you take blood thinners, are sensitive to caffeine or have shellfish allergies.

Long-Term Effects

• TrimSpa is meant to help you lose weight by speeding up your metabolism and suppressing your appetite. However, losing a large amount of weight in a short period of time can be indicative of water weight loss as well as muscle loss. It takes time to lose fat, and losing muscle makes long-term weight loss difficult, as muscles are needed to burn fat. Thus, if you lose a lot of weight while taking TrimSpa, you may gain it back as soon as you stop taking the diet pill. Also, suppressing your appetite with a diet pill like TrimSpa can actually damage your metabolism, making it difficult for your body to burn calories in the future.

Advertisements

• Despite the potential dangers of TrimSpa, an advertising campaign during the first decade of the 21st century led some consumers to believe it was safe and effective. Some of the most memorable commercials featured Anna Nicole Smith, who endorsed TrimSpa and claimed to lose 69 pounds over eight months. The ads claimed that hoodia gordonii could help consumers lose great amounts of weight in a short period of time by suppressing their appetites.

Federal Trade Commission

• In January 2007, the Federal Trade Commission cracked down on the marketers of TrimSpa. According to the FTC website, TrimSpa marketers were fined $1.5 million after the FTC concluded that there were false and misleading claims made in TrimSpa advertisements. The FTC warned that all advertisements going forward were not to make any health claims unless they were proven by credible scientific evidence.

Prevention/Solution

• Although TrimSpa may help you lose weight, you should always check with your doctor before deciding to take an over-the-counter diet pill. Proper, healthy weight loss takes time; results are not meant to be achieved instantaneously with a pill.