Update: Counterfeit Alli diet pill poses threat to Indiana consumers, may lead to heart attack

As previously reported, a counterfeit version of Alli has been being sold to consumers across the nation, including in the state of Indiana, and is considered to be a serious threat.

The counterfeit version of the diet pill has been verified as having the active ingredient of sibutramine, which is the active ingredient in the diet pill Meridia. The active ingredient in Alli should be orlistat, and is available for purchase as an over-the-counter weight management tool.

The Food and Drug Administration has released another updated warning about the counterfeit version of Alli, with the major concern emphasized on the amount of sibutramine that consumers may be ingesting.

Recently, sibutramine has been documented as being dangerous for consumers who have certain heart conditions, and should be monitored closely with a doctor’s care.

The counterfeit Alli has varying amounts of sibutramine in it, making it hard for consumers to completely understand the amount of sibutramine they are unintentionally ingesting.

According to the FDA, consumers who are following the labeling instructions on the counterfeit Alli may be consuming as much as three times the usual daily dose of sibutramine and at least twice the amount of what is recommended.

Even healthy people can have a serious reaction to this much sibutramine, including anxiety, nausea, heart palpations, a racing heart, insomnia, or increased blood pressure. For those who have a history of cardiovascular disease, the excess amount of sibutramine may lead to stroke or heart attack.

Consumers who feel they may be in possession of a counterfeit bottle of Alli should check the signs of the counterfeit bottle and contact the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations at 1-800-551-3989.