Feds warn weight-loss drug contains Prozac
The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that OxyELITE Pro Super Thermogenic, a supplement marketed for weight loss, contains antidepressant fluoxetine, or Prozac.
{mosads}Consumers should “not purchase or use” the product, officials said in a public notice posted Saturday, noting that it contains the FDA-approved drug Prozac, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).
“SSRIs have been associated with serious side effects including suicidal thinking, abnormal bleeding, and seizures,” the notice reads, which was posted to draw attention to supplements that do not post certain drugs or chemicals on their labels.
Officials found the drug in the supplement “during an examination of international mail shipments,” according to the notice, and its existence was confirmed at an FDA laboratory.
The manufacturer of the supplement, USPlabs, faced similar issues in 2011, when officials found an earlier version of the product to contain the synthetic stimulant DMAA, which has life-threatening side effects, according to BuzzFeed, which first reported the newest alert notice.
A later version of the drug was linked to hepatitis cases, BuzzFeed reported. USPlabs did not comment for that report.
“These products are typically promoted for sexual enhancement, weight loss and body building and are often represented as being ‘all natural,’ “ the FDA said, suggesting consumers be cautious when purchasing dietary supplements.
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