McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates, P.A.

The weight loss dietary supplement Hydroxycut has been recalled by the Food and Drug Administration and Lovate Health Sciences (FDA Consumer Warning PDF Here). The recall was announced after the FDA reported serious side effects, including liver failure. To date, the FDA has received 23 reports of serious health problems linked to Hydroxycut products. The agency also received a report of 1 death related to Hydroxycut; a teenage male who used the product.

It was over a decade ago that Fen-phen, an anti-obesity drug, was used as a weight loss supplement. It was later determined that Fen-phen was linked to an increased risk of pulmonary hypertension and valvular heart disease. In 1997 the FDA requested that fen-phen be removed from the market. The FDA noted in the finding from doctors that approximately 30 percent of patients who were evaluated had abnormal echocardiograms, even though they had no symptoms. Soon after the removal of Fen-phen, thousands of lawsuits were filed alleging it caused serious heart conditions and even death.

Now with liver failure and other serious conditions attributed to Hydroxycut products, the FDA had to take action. A 2008 case series and review of herbal supplements noted that Hydroxycut had been suspected to have possible liver toxicity. During this case study, two women developed acute hepatitis during a short time frame of usage. It was also noted that neither of these women had any history of liver problems.

It will be difficult to determine just how many people have been affected by Hydroxycut products because they could be purchased without a prescription. If you have taken Hydroxycut products please see your doctor. For a free consultation regarding Hydroxycut products, please call McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates, P.A. at 1-800-694-0994 or visit their website today. Their offices are conveniently located in Aiken, Camden, Columbia, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, and Sumter, South Carolina.