RECALL: FDA Warns Consumers To Stop Using Hydroxycut Immediately
The FDA has issued a warning instructing consumers to stop using Hydroxycut immediately due to the risk of severe injury to the liver.
The FDA says they have 23 reported cases of liver injury, including one death, connected to the popular dietary supplement. The product is also associated with seizures; cardiovascular disorders; and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure.
"The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risk. Adverse events are rare, but exist. Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they are experiencing symptoms possibly associated with these products," said Linda Katz, M.D., interim chief medical officer of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report serious adverse events (side effects) or product quality problems to the FDA.
–Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
–Regular Mail: Use FDA postage paid form 3500 found at: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm and mail to MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787
–Fax: 800-FDA-0178
–Phone: 800-FDA-1088
For product refunds, consumers are directed to return their product directly to the place of purchase.
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Comments:
So... I shouldn't be washing them down with a High Life and two aspirins, I'm guessing?
The sad thing is that people who think this helps them will be out trying to stockpile this stuff before it gets pulled from shelves.
Ugh. I used Stacker 2 with ephedra along with exercise and I lost a ton of weight. But because idiots like Korey Stringer can't read a label, it ruins it for people who do things the right way.
One of my ex's started taking this after we broke up because he became obsessed with trying to be as thin as I was. Hope his liver damage was worth it.
I used to take Hydroxycut, but not this one. It was in a black bottle from GNC. The sales guy said theirs was safer or more effective or something, but that was probably just typical marketing BS.
Is there any surprise here? A product whose tag line is "Lose Weight Fast!" Whatever happened to exercise and portion control? Alas.
Wasn't it already pulled before, when it still contained ephedrine?
These diet pills are such a bad idea. I'm convinced this was a factor in a friend's death a couple of years ago. I know that they work for some people, but the long-term side effects are scary sometimes.
hellinmyeyes
Some people use a fat burner to assist with working out. It's not just people eating nachos and milkshakes and throwing a few of these back.
Anyone know what the active ingredient in this is? Is it just a megadose of something?
I used this long ago. Gave me bad heartburn and acid reflux, and I was only taking like 1/2 the recommended dosage. I have a heart arrhythmia now...I was if it is related.
@H1N1_GitEmSteveDave: Before the FDA ephedra ban, it used to be your basic ECA stack: ephedrine, caffeine, and aspirin.
Nowadays, they still have the "CA" part of the stack, but now they've elimited the ephedrine components and added some other ingredients that ostensibly speed up your metabolism.
FYI: While the FDA is unsure what component of this product is causing the liver damage, Hydroxycut contains hydroxycitric acid, which is also found in other weight loss products under various names, including the plant garcinia cambogia, which is a source of hydroxycitric acid.
Bring on the lawsuits!
Good! Take this crap off the shelves. I'm still waiting for the results to come back that Red Bull and energy drinks are death-juice.
They'll just put it back on the market as a homeopathic thing and it will be fine, as the FDA doesn't regulate human gullibility.
@BuddyGuyMontag: 'Some' is the key word there. And it seems like the people who do work out and eat well realize that they don't need to put this crap in their bodies.
Will they need to update their before and after pics now?
Before: Hot chick in blue bikini.
After: Dying chick in blue hospital gown.
The premise for loosing weight is simple : burn more calories than you take in . You can do that be working out or watching what you eat and/or both .
Supplements used to be really cheap until the industry saw people would pay just about anything for their desired look . Problem is with a lot of these dangerous or not you are literally pissing away the supplements and your money .
Which is another problem . Proper hydration is a key for health period let alone when using supplements .
Unless you are professional athlete that must loose weight for money why bother .
Aren't some of the key ingrediants in many of these weight loss supplement Ephedra & caffenine which will speed up the heart which I can see causing problems for an out of shape user . Remember alot of people don't associate physical fittness AND weight loss - they don't realize they go hand and hand .
BuddyGuyMontag: That's true, but it doesn't necessarily mean that products like this are a good addition to a fitness program. The supplement industry pushes a lot of unnecessary crap. With fat-burners, what you usually wind up with is caffeine and aspirin, herbs of questionable efficacy, and nutrients that you could get from a good multivitamin. Weight-gain formulas tend to have a lot of sugar, fillers, and artificial colors/flavors.
It's not as simple as "exercise and portion control" for people who want hardcore results fast, but there are much better options than this crap. I supplement with fish oil and a mix of plain grocery-store vitamins and have seen excellent results. Pure protein powder from whey or pea sources (I don't like soy) is better for muscle gain than most of the fancy flavored stuff they sell at GNC; actual meat is even better. And if I thought the stuff in green tea would help me toward my goals, well, I'd go drink some.
Can we stop those annoying commercials now too?
"I was so unhappy with my body. I hated my stomach, I hated my thighs, and I ESPECIALLY hated my butt... I tried everything, but nothing seemed to work, until I found Hydroxycut! Now I look and feel great! I love my body!"
Good lord, I didn't know companies targeted suicidal minded people as such a large demographic!
I wonder what the kids and I will have for breakfast now that this is banned.
The new thing, at least in my area, is "Healthe Trim", I've been wondering if it does anything nasty to you like melt your duodenum or something
Until an equivalent drug replacement is available, the FDA is recommending exercise as an interim solution.
My liver pisses me off too. And it refuse to die, even under a daily onslaught of alchohol. I may have to resort to more drastic measures...
The key feature of virtually any such product is it's ability to seperate fools from their money.
Yes, Hydroxycut works. I lost 50 pounds on Hydroxycut. Mostly because Im wasting away cause my liver is dying. But look how fit I am!
God... I understand that sometimes you need help to control your appettite but in reality its mostly just will to go out and exercise and portion control.
@calquist: Energy drinks are just caffeine and B-vitamins. I think if coffee and daily vitamins were that harmful, we'd all be dead by now.
Now the sugar, thats different. Those quad-sized rockstar beverages with screw on capswill probably kill you dead.
I already consulted with Dr. Jon Marshall. He told me to keep using Hydroxycut as he has used it himself with FANTASTIC results.
Is America ever going to figure out there's no magic bullet for weight loss?
Eat properly and exercise regularly. Make these changes PERMANENTLY and ignore the fad diets for the best health benefits.
I'm wondering what ingredient was the problem. I checked out one of the items on the list: Hydoxycut Caffeine Free and it has the following ingredients:
Hydroxagen Plus 1.32 g:
Garcinia cambogia extract (rind) Standardized for 60% hydroxycitric acid
Gymnema sylvestre extract (leaf) Standardized for 25% gymnemic acids
Phosphatidylserine-enriched Soy Lecithin Supplying 50% phosphatidyl choline, 2% phosphatidyl ethanolamine
Rhodiola rosea extract (root) Standardized for 5% rosavins
HydroxyTeaCF 214 mg:
Caffeine-free green tea extract (as Camellia sinensis) (leaf)
Standardized for 90% polyphenols, 75% catechins, 45% EGCG - 92mg EGCG
Caffeine-free white tea extract (as Camillia sinsensis)(leaf)
Standardized for 50% polyphenols, 35% catechins, 15% EGCG
Caffeine-free oolong tea extract (as Camellia sinensis)(leaf)
Standardized for 50% polyphenols, 25% catechins, 15% EGCG
Other Ingredients:
Microcrystalline Cellulose, Hydroxypropyl Cellulose, Crospovidone, Croscarmellose Sodium, Coating (Polyvinyl Alcohol, Titanium Dioxide, Macrogol, Talc, FD&C Yellow No.6, FD&C Yellow No.5), Stearic Acid, Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Acesulfame-Potassium.
These are common in a lot of supplements out there. I'm not seeing any weird stimulants or anything.
If there were a pill that could make you lose weight safely, Oprah would be thin. It would be front page news. HMOs would hand them out at the door.
So even w/o a receipt...I can still return a partially used container?
I've used this product actually. The last time I used it was a year ago, Hydroxycut Hardcore. I didn't feel particularly bad from it, and it helped me lose weight and give me energy while I used it. I think this recall is more along the lines of the FDA trying to figure out what exactly happened and which ingredients are most likely to blame (as supplements are not regulated, illness/deaths are reported/studied after the fact I believe). They're saying the hydroxycitric acid seems to be a culprit, whatever that is. Also ominous were some compounds associated with green tea. Until we get the complete story I'll see what happened.
@FigNinja:
Some supplement companies in the past (and probably still do) would secretly mix real drugs, amphetamines or designer steroids into their products to increase their efficacy.
@dragonfire81: "America" knows, the stupid people in it do not. Don't single out the rest of us because some people fall for marketing hype.
@BuddyGuyMontag: Funny thing is, it was probably safe with the ephedrine
Don't they test this stuff first?
Bah! Who needs a liver anyways? Organs only make your stomach look flabby!
I smell lawsuits!!!!!!
And I thought this product was a fancy, overpriced placebo...like the rest of the stuff on tv.
Maybe NOW the FDA will start to regulate these type of "herbal suppliments". Just because something is 'natural', doesn't automatically mean it's safe (ie, mushrooms, poison ivy, cocaine)
@Raekwon: Yeah, but I didn't see anything about the drug being banned or pulled, just warning consumers to stop using it. I mean, it would make sense, but I just didn't see any mention of it specifically.
@u1itn0w2day: Soooo eating taco bell and playing video games all day isn't going to help me lose weight? Damn.
It was only a matter of time before this drug got pulled.