Ukmedix has previously reported on and warned of slimming capsules and medicines that are not what they seem. Following the popularity of the Reductil (or Meridia) slimming pill unscrupulous manufacturers of slimming products have been using its active ingredient namely sibutramine and putting it in their products.

This is not only highly illegal but is also extremely dangerous. Sibutramine is a regulated drug all over the world and so a licence is required before it can be used and it is also a drug that requires a doctors subsciption. Adding it to slimming products without informing the consumer of the presence of the drug and the risks involved could have very serious health consequences for some people, especially those with any sort of heart problem.

In the latest bust of a slimming product using sibutramine the health authorities in Hong Kong are warning people not to take Fat Rapid Loss Capsules that have been tested positive and which are not licenced or even registered with the Pharmacy & Poisons Ordinance. The product's labelling and packaging makes no mention of the drug sibutramine and therefore unsuspecting customers could be putiing themselves in real danger. The packaging also refers to the slimming pills by a Chinese name Xin Yan Zi Pai Mei Zi Jiao Nang.

The medical authorities in Hong Kong have been plagued with fake and illegal medicines coming over the border from China and this is not the first weight loss remedy that has been found to contain sibutramine. The advice of the authorities is to dipose of the medicine immediately and to get a check up especially if they feel ill or they have a history of heart problems.

Sibutramine is used in the weight loss drug Reductil and can help obese people who have a problem losing weight. It works as an appetite suppressant and can be very effective but like many effective drugs it has side effects that must be considered before using it. Reductil for example can cause a rise in blood pressure and heart beat rate and therefore Ukmedix and doctors advise people with any heart problems not to use it.