Hydroxycut Recall

Anapol Schwartz | Attorneys at Law

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cOnTacT Lawyers: ThOmas r. anapOL, esquire and barry hiLL, esquirecaLL: 866.706.1477emaiL: [email protected] or [email protected] read mOre infOrmaTiOn OnLine aT: www.anapolschwartz.com

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hydrOxycuTa recenTLy recaLLed dieTary suppLemenT

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HyDRoxyCuT - A RECEnTLy RECALL ED DIETARy SuPPLEMEnTPrepared by Lawyers at Anapol Schwartz. © 2009 All Rights Reserved.Read more information online at www.anapolschwartz.com. 2


abOuT hydrOxycuT

Hydroxycut is a dietary supplement that is used primarily for weight loss. Hydroxycut was introduced to the American consumers in 2002 and has since become the leading weight loss supplement product taking 90% of the market share. Io-vate Health Sciences, Inc. in ontario, Canada manufactures Hydroxycut and it has been distributed by Iovate as well as by MuscleTech, a subsidiary of Iovate. Hydroxycut products have been recalled by the manufacturer due to health con-cerns and warnings from the FDA.

Hydroxycut is a supplement that is taken with water typically three times per day, before meals. The supplement is formulated using natural ingredients. It originally contained ephedra but was reformulated in 2004 to remove it after ephedra was banned from use. There are 14 Hydroxycut products that all contain various amounts of the same or similar ingredients.

Hydroxycut has been taken for weight loss as well as to increase metabo-lism and increase energy. Hydroxycut dietary supplements were thought to be very successful among many who took them.

The Hydroxycut products suppressed appetite and increased metabolism. The consumers were told to eat a healthy diet while taking the Hydroxycut supplement. This allowed people to eat their own meal plan making Hy-droxycut supplements more popular than diet plans that forced people to eat special diets.


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seriOus injury and deaTh repOrTed

The FDA recently received reports of serious injury and death reported after us-ing Hydroxycut. The findings prompted an FDA warning to the public to immediately stop taking Hydroxycut products. The company has since initiated a total recall of all Hydroxycut dietary supplements. Health reports include liver damage, seizures, cardio-vascular problems and muscle damage. FDA warns that at this time they aren’t sure which of the ingredients are causing the problems but that everyone must stop taking Hydroxycut immediately to prevent further incidences of injury.

There are 14 Hydroxycut dietary supplement prod-ucts that are all under the current recall.

These include Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets, Hy-droxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets, Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Capsules, Hydroxycut Max Liquid Capsules, Hy-droxycut Regular Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix), Hy-droxycut Max Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Liquid Shots, Hydroxycut Hardcore Ready-to-Drink, Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed, Hydroxy-cut 24, Hydroxycut Carb Control and Hydroxycut natural.

The FDA cautions all consumers to stop taking all Hydroxycut di-etary supplement products. While the products have only affected a small portion of users at this time it is apparent that the product has the possibility to cause severe health damage. The FDA has released information that the patients who were ill took the prod-ucts according to the correct instructions and did not become ill due to misuse or overuse of the Hydroxycut.




fda warning Leads TO hydrOxycuT recaLL The FDA recently issued a warning that has caused the recall of Hydroxycut diet products. Hy-droxycut has been a popular diet supplement in the united States and Canada. It has been on the market as a diet supplement in various forms since 2002 and has been touted as “America’s number one Diet Supplement” by the company that makes it, MuscleTech Research and De-velopment, Inc., owned by Iovate. The company has initiated a recall on all Hydroxycut diet products manufactured by the ontario-based company.

Hydroxycut has now been linked directly to liver damage of people who have taken it as a diet supplement. At this time the FDA does not know the specific ingredient that is causing the liver damage. However, it is important to note a few things about the liver damage. First, the liver damage was significant. In many cases the liver damage or hepatotoxic-ity could be controlled or reversed with treatment. However in some patients the liver damage was severe enough to require a liver transplant and in at least one instance the patient died before receiving a new liver.

Secondly, the liver damage was not attributable to any other factors and appeared in people who were otherwise healthy up until that point. Most of the patients who had liver damage as a result of taking Hydroxycut were not taking other medications and were not predisposed to liver disease through any other means. The liver disease was nearly always attributable to only Hydroxycut products and not as a result of hepatitis, autoimmune disease or genetic diseases.




Liver damage Occurred in sOme peOpLe very quickLy

Finally, the liver damage occurred in some people very quickly after starting to regularly take the product. There is no definite relationship between how long the patients were taking the product leading researchers to believe that liver disease may occur in some patients soon after they start taking the supplement. Prior to 2004 Hydroxycut contained ephedra, a harmful substance that has since been banned from use. All Hydroxycut products made since 2004 are ephedra-free.

Liver damage due to Hydroxycut is a serious health concern for anyone who has taken any of the Hydroxycut products over the last years. It is unknown at this time which ingredients in the products may be the cause of the liver damage. If you have taken Hydroxycut and suffered with liver damage there could well be a link. In all cases the patients were told to discontinue use of the product.

The liver damage was not caused to misuse of the product. Those who reported liver damage were found in most cases to have been taking the Hydroxycut diet supplement as directed on the package. There are 14 various Hydroxycut products that contain the Hydroxycut ingredi-ents including Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets, Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets, Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Cap-sules, Hydroxycut Max Liquid Capsules, Hydroxycut Regular Drink Pack-ets, Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix), Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Liquid Shots, Hydroxycut Hardcore Ready-to-Drink, Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed, Hydroxycut 24, Hydroxycut Carb Control and Hydroxycut natural.




The fda issued a seriOus heaLTh warning The FDA has recently issued a serious health warning for users of Hydroxycut diet supplement products. There have been some severe health problems associated with the use of Hydroxycut including at least one death due to liver failure problems. Liver failure has been reported in some people who took Hydroxycut dietary supplements with the most severe cases needing liver transplants.

Liver failure is a serious health problem that requires imme-diate medial attention. The liver is a solid organ of the body and provides many necessary functions. In fact the liver does more than 400 processes for the body. A few of the processes are essential to life. The liver helps to filter out harmful substances from the body including drugs, chemicals and environmental toxins.

The liver stores fats and other substances that the body will use later on. It also makes the protein necessary to form blood clots. Another main function of the liver is to produce bile, a substance that helps the body properly break down fats so that they can be used by the body. The intestines use bile to absorb vitamins such as A, E, K and D.




hydrOxycuT has caused Liver faiLure

Hydroxycut dietary supplements have caused liver failure in some people who have taken them. The symptoms of liver failure range from mild to severe. The liver often begins to show signs of liver failure but continues to function. As the liver failure proceeds the symptoms worsen. Jaundice is a common symptom of liver failure. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin as well as the whites of the eyes due to a buildup of toxins in the body that the liver is not taking care of.

other symptoms of liver failure include itching, dark urine, gray colored stools, fluid buildup in the abdomen and bruising easily. More advanced symptoms of liver damage include mental confu-sion, vomiting blood and the patient can lapse into a coma.

The Liver has a remarkabLe abiLiTy TO regeneraTe iTseLf.

When parts of the liver become damaged the body can rebuild parts of the liver. If the damage is not too severe and the cause of the damage is stopped quickly there is a good chance of full recovery. Taking Hydroxycut products may dam-age the liver and can lead to liver failure, particularly if the product was taken over a long period of time.

When damage to the liver is severe there is no way to repair it and the patient must get a liver transplant. The reports of liver failure and other serious health concerns while taking Hydroxycut dietary supplements have been occurring for at least several years.

The reported death of a patient due to liver failure prompted the FDA to take immediate action. It is important to note that the health injuries were sustained even when people used the Hydroxycut products according to directions. It is unclear if taking the product for a long time will cause more damage than short-term use.




paTienTs OfTen make a fuLL recOvery

Many of the patients who reported health problems after using Hydroxycut made a full recovery after they stopped taking Hydroxycut supplements. The incidence of health problems seems to be low compared to the large number of people who took Hydroxycut. However not all of the affected patients reported problems. often if the person had im-mediate health reactions to the product they simply stopped taking it and the symptoms subsided, so the incident was not reported.

All 14 Hydroxycut dietary supplement products have been pulled from distribution in a massive recall prompted by the FDA health warnings.

Hydroxycut has been the largest selling weight loss dietary supplement in America with almost 90% of the market. People used Hydroxycut for weight loss, appetite suppression and to give them added energy.




recaLL Of 14 hydrOxycuT dieTary suppLemenTs

The FDA has recently issued a warning to Americans to immediately stop using Hydroxycut di-etary supplement products. The warning has also prompted the recall of 14 Hydroxycut dietary supplement products. Hydroxycut has been marketed since 2002 and has become the highest selling dietary supplement weight loss product in the country.

Liver disease is characterized by a breakdown in the function of the liver. The liver is the largest solid organ in the body and is responsible for many important functions. The liver provides detoxification ridding the body of many harmful toxins. The liver makes proteins that actually con-tribute to maintaining the proper amount of blood in the body as well as assisting in clotting. The liver stores and processes fats that are used by the body for energy. one of the most important functions of the liver is to secrete bile that helps the intestines absorb vitamins.

People cannot survive without a functioning liver. When the liver is damaged it can no longer properly perform these functions. In the case of damage caused by Hy-droxycut some of the harm may be reversed when prod-uct use is promptly halted. Severe acute liver damage cannot be corrected and survival is dependant on a liver transplant. Hydroxycut may cause severe liver damage that requires a liver transplant.




Liver TranspLanT surgery — a cOmpLex OperaTiOn. The liver is a solid organ as well as a gland so liver transplant surgery is considered organ transplant surgery.

As soon as it is known that a liver transplant is neces-sary the patient goes on a waiting list. The liver must be a proper match for the recipient. It may take days, weeks or even months to locate a liver suitable for transplant. The patient needs to be prepared and ready to go to surgery at a moment’s notice when a matching liver is located.

A major surgery performed by a team of specialistsLiver transplant surgery is considered major surgery performed by a team of specialists. The surgeon opens the abdo-men and first removes the old liver. The liver is connected via various major blood vessels and bile ducts that are left intact for reconnection to the new liver. The patient will likely have a drainage tube inserted that is used to drain bile from the body during the procedure. The new liver is then placed in the body and reconnected to each of the blood vessels and bile duct.

During the liver transplant you will most likely need to have a blood transfusion. This is a standard procedure. The liver transplant surgery itself will take anywhere from � to � hours on average. The patient will spend a few days to a week in ICu and then will need to recover in the hospital for several weeks or longer. The rate of recovery, as with most surgery, depends a great deal on the overall health and age of the patient before surgery is done.




The rOad TO recOvery afTer Liver TranspLanT is a LOng One buT is OfTen quiTe successfuL.

It can take months to heal completely as the body adjusts to the new organ. on average 9�% of liver transplant patients survived the first year after surgery. Most liver transplant patients will need to take special medication for the rest of their lives.

Hydroxycut products have been found to cause liver damage. While the percentage of people with liver disease from Hydroxycut is small the product is recalled due to the possible severity of the damage. If you have used Hydroxycut products in the past and have experienced liver problems as a result you should seek advice about how to proceed.




hydrOxycuT recaLL The FDA has announced the recall of all Hydroxycut dietary supplement products for sale in the united States. The product, Hy-droxycut is a diet supplement manufactured by Iovate Health Sciences, Inc. of ontario, Canada. The announcement comes after various reports of serious injury and death caused by taking Hydroxycut supplements.

The reported health issues associated with taking Hy-droxycut products include liver failure, seizures, rhab-domyolysis (muscle tissue breakdown), and cardiovas-cular problems.

The reported incidences of health problems have oc-curred in the last several years. The Hydroxycut products originally contained ephedra but this ingredient was re-moved in 2004 as a result of another FDA recall and the product was reformulated.

The FDA is unsure of the exact ingredients in Hydroxycut that are causing the health problems. The serious health injuries occurred in people who took the product correctly according to the package directions. The most serious of the health problems are related to liver damage. The liver damage was so severe in some cases that a liver transplant was necessary and one patient died from liver failure after taking Hydroxycut.

If you have taken any of the 14 Hydroxycut dietary prod-ucts and had any associated health problems you need to seek the help of a Hydroxycut lawyer. Choose an attor-ney that has experience dealing with large health injury lawsuits. While the company has recalled the product if you had health problems after taking Hydroxycut keep the unused portion. This should be given to your Hy-droxycut attorney.



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TaLk TO a hydrOxycuT aTTOrney

In addition, if you think that you may be a victim of ill-ness due to taking Hydroxycut talk to a Hydroxycut at-torney. you should write down all information that you can remember about taking the product including the dates, times and dosages that you consumed. Any associated health records should be obtained includ-ing doctor or hospital reports and bills.

The best Hydroxycut lawyers are those with experi-ence in bringing large lawsuits against drug or supple-ment companies. These attorneys will be able to help determine if you have a good case and will assist you through the process. Lawsuits such as these are of-ten taken on contingency, meaning the lawyer gets paid upon settlement of the suit. you should consider filing a lawsuit if you have been injured and have had expenses as a result of taking Hydroxycut dietary supplements.

cOnTacT a hydrOxycuT Lawyerfree nO-ObLigaTiOn cOnsuLTaTiOn

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Hydroxycut Recall

Health & Medicine

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