For some people, it’s the easiest trick to lose weight: Swallowing a package of laxatives after a heavy meal. And while countless research shows that laxatives don’t actually help people lose weight, it’s still a decades-old technique people rely on as a last-ditch effort.
But now the FDA says there’s a new reason why you shouldn’t abuse laxatives to lose weight–it could kill you.
“The bottom line is that these products are safe for otherwise healthy adults and older children for whom dosing instructions are provided on the Drug Facts label as long as they follow these dosing instructions and don’t take the product more often, or in greater amounts, than the label instructs,” says Mona Khurana, M.D., a medical officer in the FDA’s Nonprescription Regulation Development Division. “It is not possible to determine the precise rate of these events as no one knows how many individuals who take these medications may experience side effects.”
Why Laxatives are Dangerous
In a report posted on its website earlier this week, the FDA warns that misusing laxatives could lead to serious side effects, including death.
And in fact, the FDA reports that 13 people recently died in association with the misuse of laxative drugs containing the ingredient sodium phosphate.
Popularly misused as a weight loss aid, its rise in misuse has the FDA worried–and several eating disorder organizations.
“Often, laxatives are misused following eating binges, when the individual mistakenly believes that the laxatives will work to rush food and calories through the gut and bowels before they can be absorbed,” says the National Eating Disorders Association in a written statement. “But that doesn’t really happen. Unfortunately, laxative abuse is serious and dangerous–often resulting in a variety of health complications and sometimes causing life-threatening conditions.”
For those who use laxatives properly, side effects are minimal–though cramps and loose stools are common, they often don’t last. But for those who abuse these drugs, its impact extends more than a short bout of diarrhea, according to the FDA. For starters, misusing laxatives even for a couple of days could injure the kidneys, producing symptoms such as drowsiness, edema, and a decrease in urine output. In many instances, it can also cause dehydration as well.
“Consumers taking these laxatives should watch for warning signs of a bad reaction,” says the FDA in a written statement. “For example, a rectal dose that is retained and does not produce a bowel movement may cause dehydration and/or serious changes in blood electrolyte levels.”
In worst case scenarios, however, the effects can be life-threatening, according to experts, who say that laxatives can harm the precious electrolyte balance in your body. And when that happens, your risk of a heart attack increase by ten fold.
“Sodium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus are electrolytes and minerals that are present in very specific amounts necessary for proper functioning of the nerves and muscles, including those of the colon and heart,” says the National Eating Disorders Association. “Upsetting this delicate balance can cause improper functioning of these vital organs.”
Case in point? If you’re desperate to lose weight, throw away the laxatives–it’s not worth risking your life.
Readers: Have you ever misused drugs to lose weight?
Sources:
FDA Warns About Laxative Abuse – CBSNews.com
Laxative Abuse – NationalEatingDisorders.org
FDA: Why You Should Be Careful With Laxatives – FDA.gov
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