Hydroxycut Side Effects: Risks & FDA Warnings - A Comprehensive Overview

Hydroxycut is a line of herbal weight-loss products. A previous group of Hydroxycut herbal weight-loss products was withdrawn by manufacturer Iovate Health Sciences in May 2009 after reports of dangerous side effects. Iovate has since released a different version, New Thermogenic Hydroxycut Advanced, which has a complete change to the herbal formula.

Liver Damage

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a consumer advisory warning about Hydroxycut in May 2009 after receiving 23 reports of serious health problems, mostly liver issues. One person required a liver transplant; another died due to liver failure.

Liver Symptoms

• Symptoms of liver damage include jaundice, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, light-colored stools, fatigue and itching.

Additional Dangers

• Other serious health conditions reported by Hydroxycut users with the earlier line of products were cardiovascular disorders, seizures and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to kidney failure.

Caffeine Dangers

• Caffeine, a main ingredient in both the earlier and the current Hydroxycut products, can cause rapid heartbeat or heart palpitations and high blood pressure. It can worsen glaucoma and also can worsen certain mental health conditions such as anxiety and panic disorders.

Drug Interactions

• Many drugs interact with the early line of Hydroxycut products. They include diabetes medications, certain antibiotics, cimetidine, clozapine, fluvoxamine, mexiletine and theophylline.