CONSUMERS HAVE TODAY been strongly warned by the Irish Medicines Board about the health dangers associated with slimming products that contain the substance Sibutramine – which has been linked to heart attacks and strokes.

Appealing to those who may feel unhappy about weight gain after the festive season, the IMB cautioned consumers against buying illegal medications over the internet. Although Sibutramine has been withdrawn from the worldwide market due to safety concerns, it is still contained in some illegal medications that promise slimming effects, the IMB said.

According to the IMB, some slimming products containing Sibutramine do not declare so on their packaging – meaning that even careful individuals could inadvertently consume the harmful substance.

“We are identifying Sibutramine containing products that, in some cases, are labelled as containing only natural ingredients.  In addition, the packaging is often quite sophisticated and is intended to convince purchasers they are buying legal and safe products,” said John Lynch, Director of Compliance at the IMB, “The products are often presented as natural slimming aids but many do not refer to Sibutramine in their packaging and are deliberately misleading consumers”.

The IBM has published a list of 38 illegal products that have been found to contain Sibutramine (see below). It has advised any consumers taking these products to immediately stop doing so, and has advised anyone experiencing ill effects after ingesting such products to contact their doctor immediately.

The board said that it had seen an “incremental and progressive” rise in confiscations of products containing Sibutramine, with a 600 per cent rise being noted between they years 2009 and 2011.

Consumers are reminded that unwanted medicines should always be disposed of safely - never put in with general household waste or flushed down the toilet. The IMB has advised anyone who wishes to safely dispose of any of these products can contact the IMB in confidence on 01-6343436.

For further information consumers are urged to access the IMB leaflet Dangers of Buying Medicines Online.

List of illegal Sibutramine containing products:

1.      Botanical Slimming 100% Natural Soft Gel (Capsules), also sold as “Meizitang”
2.      Lipro Diet Pills
3.      Li Da Capsules/
4.      Li Da Daidaihua
5.      Reduce Weight Fruta Planta Capsules
6.      ZenSlim
7.      Chinashow (Capsules)
8.      Slim body #1 Capsules
9.      Slimforte Slimming Coffee
10.   Slimforte Slimming Capsules
11.   Svelte 30 Capsules
12.   Celerite Slimming Tea
13.   Celerite Slimming Capsules
14.   Fat Burner No. 1 Capsules
15.   Herbal Diet Natural Capsule
16.   Tea Polyphenol Capsules
17.   Ultra Effect Capsules
18.   Slim Magic Herbal Capsules
19.   Slim 3 in 1 Slim Formula
20.   Natural Slim Capsules
21.    2 Day Diet Capsules
22.   Best Life Fat Burning Capsules
23.   Golden Root Formula
24.   Riomont
25.   Capsule 1
26.   Eight Treasure Emperor Capsule
27.   Paiyouji Plus
28.   Slimex
29.   Leisure 18
30.   Jianfei
31.   Royal Viga
32.   Sibutramine HCI Monohydrate Capsules
33.   Slimming Coffee
34.   Super Slim
35.   Zhen de shou
36.   Sibustat -15
37.   Obestat – 15
38.   Obety -15