Rare Cases of Liver Damage Tied to Weight-Loss Drug

[HuckleB]

Source: US News & World Report

Responding to reports of rare but sometimes severe cases of liver damage, U.S. health officials on Wednesday announced revised labels for a widely used weight-loss drug.

The drug, orlistat, is available by prescription under the trade name Xenical and over-the-counter as Alli.

Thirteen cases of severe liver injury have been associated with taking orlistat, 12 of them overseas and one of them, from Alli, in the United States, according to a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Still, given that some 40 million people worldwide are taking the drug, according to FDA estimates, consumers needn't be too worried about the risk, said Dr. Eugene Schiff, director of the Center for Liver Diseases at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "The issue here is that they are identifying cases, not many, but some cases of severe liver injury," he said.

Read more: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/managing-your-healthcare/policy/articles/2010/05/26/rare-cases-of-liver-damage-tied-to-weight-loss-drug.html

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Just news that some may want to know.

[K8-EEE]

1. Wow....reminds me of Phen-Fen

I knew like 5 women that were on that when it was the rage, and now they have a health risk factor from it. All of them regained the weight.

[Bette Noir]

3. I only knew one woman who was on Phen-Fen. She died.

[Beaverhausen]

4. I took it- I'm fine

I had an echo-cardiogram and everything.

[KatyaR]

2. Anything that gives you diarrhea as a way to lose weight, I'm against.

Really, there are better and safer ways to lose weight.

[Daemonaquila]

5. That's not how it works.

I used it. It was awesome. It does NOT cause diarrhea unless you do stupid things on your diet. Unfortunately, I wound up gaining a bunch of weight back NOT because I stopped using it, but because several months later I was put on high doses of steroids. I can't take it any more to lose the weight because it might interfere with some of the drugs I'm on now (boo). However, anyone who says it doesn't work, or that you'll immediately gain weight when you stop, or that you lose because of diarrhea, hasn't used it properly.

[D-Lee]

6. glad it worked for your body, didn't for mine

and please do not imply that only those who can't follow directions have adverse results..

You were lucky with the medication.

[K8-EEE]

7. It only "works" if you diet anyway so what's the point of it?

I guess it makes you afraid of the consequences of binge eating sort of like anabuse or whatever.....well if there' a link to kidney damage, it's NOT worth it.