Diet Pills for Diabetics

Haphazardly combining over-the-counter diet pills with any diet plan is never a good idea, but it becomes much worse if you are have a persistent condition like diabetes. Diabetics have unique health care requirements that are not always considered when formulating diet pills. Thus, the best diet pills for diabetics are usually those that have obtained FDA approval and are prescribed with the consent of your supervising physician.

FDA and Supplements

Choose a diet pill approved by the FDA to avoid unwanted health and safety concerns in the long term. In general, the FDA has far less authority over the manufacturing of supplements than it does over other items, and is normally relegated to acting after the fact. In other words, the FDA can file a suit against hazardous products after they are on the market, but cannot regulate or ensure product quality or content. This means that ingredient lists and even the overall effectiveness of any diet pill on the market is not guaranteed so long as it is sold as a supplement. To avoid this potential pitfall, stick to proven medications with FDA approval.

Diabetes and Normal Diet Pills

Avoid commercial diet pills containing numerous stimulants to avoid inadvertently exacerbating your diabetes. Many over-the-counter diet pill supplements contain stimulants like caffeine, which can have an adverse effect on your body's insulin sensitivity, or how well your boday can manage and utilize insulin, according to a study published in the February 2002 issue of the journal "Diabetes Care," conducted at the Department of Internal Medicine in the Netherlands. As your insulin sensitivity is already impaired because of diabetes, there is no need to make the problem worse by adding unregulated diet pills. In other words, since you already have diabetes, you want to avoid further reducing your insulin sensitivity at all cost.

FDA Approved Pills

Choose a diet pill that has been FDA approved with your doctor's consent to ensure that it will not negatively impact your diabetes. As of now, there are four separate diet pills that have obtained FDA approval, with one being an over-the-counter supplement. These include Phentermine, Xenical, Meridia, Orlista, and Alli, the over-the-counter lower strength version of the fat-blocking pill Orlistat. These pills work by blocking the body's ability to process dietary fat or regulating appetite to decrease cravings. Regardless of which pill you choose, remember that it will work best when paired with a regular regime of diet and exercise. According to the site MyAlli.com, while there are no drug interactions between diabetes medication and Alli, your doctor might need to adjust your medication dosage, so keep him informed of any changes in your diet or supplementation regime.