Hoodia Side Effects, safety, risks, and allergy, at what dosage does this plant cause a danger, what are the short term and long term risks? Should you take a break from use, is it toxic?

The hoodia gordonii plant is a spiny succulent that grows in the Kalahari desert in Africa. San Bushmen (who are one of the world's oldest and most primitive hunter-gatherer tribes), have known about the hoodia plant for countless generations. The nomadic Bushmen, who live in this harsh and arid desert, use the hoodia gordonii plant as an appetite suppressant during their long marches and hunting trips through the vast desert. Apparently hoodia side effects have not been reported by the Bushmen, except for a decrease in appetite.

Hoodia side effects, safety, dangers
As of 2010, we have not seen of any published human studies with hoodia supplements for weight loss, therefore we can't say for sure what hoodia side effects there would be if people take this product for weeks and months. Reports from users of hoodia supplements may not be fully accurate since many weight loss products with hoodia also have other herbs and nutrients in them. To complicate matters further, there is no guarantee that the product you buy has pure hoodia or any hoodia. Some marketers may put other weight loss herbs in their product and sell it as hoodia pills. This is not common but it does occur.
   Hoodia became popular in the United States starting about 2005. Thus far, after hundreds of thousands or millions of people taking hoodia supplements, no mention has been made in the medical literature of any case reports of hoodia side effects. This is quite remarkable considering the serious side effects that occurred with the Phen-Fen phenomenon, or the side effects reported with the herb ephedra.
   The active appetite suppressing ingredient in hoodia appears to be a compound named P57. Hoodia gordonii has many other compounds in it, and we don't know what kind of effect these substances have on the body when ingested for prolonged periods. Would there be any harm to the liver or other organs?

Hoodia side effects versus side effects of obesity
Hoodia appears to be effective for weight loss. We do know that being overweight carries risks for metabolic syndrome which includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and a host of other health problems. When a person eats less, their blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol go down. Therefore, hoodia could have health benefits and this has to be balanced with potentially unknown hoodia side effects.

A reasonable approach to avoiding possible hoodia side effects
Almost every herb on the market available in health food stores or over the counter is relatively safe in low doses, it appears that problems occur when people take too high amounts of these herbs or take them for prolonged periods without breaks. One way to reduce or avoid any potential hoodia side effects is to take breaks from the use of this product. You can take a hoodia supplement for two weeks and then go off it for a week. If you really need to lose additional weight during the off week, you can substitute another natural weight loss product that does not have hoodia. Also, just to make sure, have your liver enzymes tested and do a routine blood work every two or three months just to be certain nothing is happening that would be of concern.

What about when combined with medications?
This is a totally unknown topic of medical research. There are thousands of prescription medicines and we have no idea what kind of interactions there would be between these drugs and herbal products. Would hoodia side effects be likely if taken together with acetaminophen, stating drugs, antidepressants, etc? This is a mystery at this time.

Diabetes and hoodia use
Since hoodia and other natural weight loss pills reduce appetite, those who have diabetes should carefully monitor their blood sugar to avoid overdosing on insulin or drugs used to lower blood sugar.

Hoodia allergy
Q. I have had adverse allergic reaction to Hoodia gordonii in any amount and or hoodia brand I've tried. I do have food allergies and it was totally unexpected but it was accumulative and about the third day I was really swollen and my breathing almost cut off ( a hystamine reaction?) Even after a year's wait and trying another "pure" hoodia brand the same thing happened.
   A. it is very unusual to have an allergic reaction to hoodia.

emails
Q. I am just writing to report an asthma attack that seems to be happening as a direct result of taking hoodia supplement for 2 weeks. The brand I am taking is Pure Hoodia; the company is a small local company and manufactures and sells a variety of reputable herbal products. The Pure Hoodia is not supposed to have anything else in it. Since I started taking it, I've noticed increasing difficulties with breathing within an hour after taking it. I sometimes have mild asthma attacks, maybe once or twice a year in normal circumstances, so it took me a while to realize that what I was feeling was asthma. Today it became crystal clear as I felt the asthma come on very strong with my 3rd Pure Hoodia pill of the day, which is the most I take in one day. It was so bad that I even needed to use my inhaler to feel like I could breathe freely again. As you probably know, that is a very uncomfortable feeling. Pure Hoodia has been great at controlling my appetite, but after two weeks I feel I can do that on my own without help. I will be taking a break from Pure Hoodia after today and will see whether I feel any improvement / cessation of asthma symptoms. I will let you know what I find. Meanwhile I would suggest to any asthma sufferers that they monitor their breathing closely if they decide to try hoodia to avoid this hoodia side effects.
   A. This is the first report of that involve asthma symptoms. Was there another ingredient in the Pure Hoodia capsule that caused the asthma symptoms? Would a different hoodia product not cause the side effects? We won't know until a different product is tried. Not all hoodia products are pure even if the product name claims it is. You may wish to find out all the other ingredients and fillers that are added to this product just to be sure. Keep us updated.
      Q. I stopped taking the Hoodia a few days ago and my asthma has calmed down but not completely. It may just be seasonal. I am waiting until all symptoms subside before I try hoodia again, and if the asthma comes back full force I will let you know. Fortunately I don't have serious asthma problems but it's enough to be annoying and tiring. I will also check the ingredients.
         A. At this time we are not in a position to accept that the asthma hoodia side effects were related.

Is nausea a hoodia side effect?
    Nausea is not a common adverse reaction.