Warning on Hydroxycut Products
FDA's MedWatch Safety Alerts: June 2009
FDA Warns Consumers to Immediately Stop Using Dietary Supplements Labeled Hydroxycut Because of the Potential Risk of Severe Liver Injury
Hydroxycut products are distributed by Iovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell, N.Y. Iovate has agreed to recall Hydroxycut products from the market.

Hydroxycut products are dietary supplements that are marketed for weight loss, as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low-carb diet aids, and for water loss under the Iovate and MuscleTech brand names.

The recalled products include:

• Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
• Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
• Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
• Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
• Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
• Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
• Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
• Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
• Hydroxycut 24
• Hydroxycut Carb Control
• Hydroxycut Natural
• Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia products are not affected by the recall

Adverse events: FDA has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) and elevated liver enzymes (an indicator of potential liver injury), to liver damage requiring a liver transplant and one death due to liver failure.

Other health problems reported include seizures, cardiovascular problems, and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure.

People at risk: Anyone who has taken any of the recalled Hydroxycut products, even if they haven't exceeded the doses recommended on the bottle.

Recommendations:

• Stop using the recalled products and return them to the place of purchase.
• Watch for symptoms of liver injury including jaundice and brown urine. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, excessive fatigue, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching, and loss of appetite.
• Call your health care professional if you have symptoms possibly associated with these products.
• FDA actions: FDA continues to investigate the potential relationship between Hydroxycut dietary supplements and liver injury or other potentially serious side effects.

For more information:
FDA's Web Page on Hydroxycut Products at www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm152152.htm
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration at http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/default.htm

They were pushing that stuff pretty hard on one of the local radio stations here in Tampa Bay a couple of years ago.

Yeah, I remember hearing a lot of advertisements for their prodcuts too.

I'm not surprised that there are health risks associated with them though. The only real healthy way to lose weight is to do it the old fashioned way... exercise and eat healthy!

I totally agree. I am always skeptical to try a new product that you ingest when it first comes out because it can take a long time, in some cases, to see if there are any side effects or real damaging things it can do to the body.

Anyone remember fen-phen (fenfluramine and phentermine), in the 1990's, prescribed for weight loss by reducing the appetite? It is no longer available due to its potentially fatal pulmonary hypertension and damaging heart valve problems.

I don't remember, but again I'm not surprised. Any pill that helps you lose weight can't be good for your body!

That phen fen stuff sounds familiar too. I think the radio stations were pushing it before the hydroxycut stuff.

And people wonder why I don't listen to music.

You don't listen to music??

I remeber it because I thought it was amusing that it was being advertised on the Infomercials that air in the early morning hours of the Sci-Fi channel.... Yeah... all that lose weight by pill stuff is bad for you... There is bout to be an off-shoot of hydroxycut comming out, probably manufactured by the same company... just a couple ingredients different... same weight loss claims... but the FDA can't warn people until official tests are done...which takes time... same risks though... To finish making a short story long... drug bad... no quick, easy fix to weight loss other than healthy lifestyle changes!

I would never consider using a weight loss pill to loose weight. I think the people who do use those pills should not wonder how they ended up overweight because they are obviously too lazy to workout and are looking for the easiest way to loose weight without moving a muscle!