The First Ever FDA Approved Over the Counter Weight Loss Pill to be Available this Summer
Wednesday, February 7th, 2007Starting this summer, you will be able to buy the first ever FDA approved over-the counter weight loss pill. The pill is called Alli and is a weaker version of the prescription pill Xenical.
It should be taken three times a day with meals and will cost about $2 per day. It’s major side effects include gas and ‘oily discharge’. Eating a low fat diet can reduce these side effects.
Alli users should take a multivitamin at bedtime to avoid vitamin deficiencies which may be caused by the pill.
According to Dr. Charles Ganley, the FDA’s head of nonprescription products, “This drug is only going to be effective if used in conjunction with a weight-loss program.”
Steven Burton, vice president for GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare’s weight control division agreed, “We want to emphasize that Alli is not for everyone. It is for that person who is committed to making those dietary changes.”
The consumer group Public Citizen has urged a ban on the prescription medication Xenical and has stated that Alli should not have been approved because some animal studies showed precancerous colon lesions.
If you have had an organ transplant, are taking any blood blood-thinning medicine or are being treated for diabetes or thyroid problems, make sure that you talk to your doctor before taking Alli.
I have had several patients try Xenical and lose a few pounds, but I have found that most people can lose a lot more weight on a structured weight loss program.