Acomplia is a weight loss medication containing rimonabant used together with exercise and diet to reduce weight in patients who are either obese, overweight or who have other risk factors like diabetes. The rimonabant substance in accomplia acts by blocking cannabinoid type 1 receptor found in the nervous system thus helping the user lose weight through reduction of food intake. Acomplia diet pills have been appraised by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and has been authorized for use in the European Union since 2006. It is also marketed in eighteen member states of the European Union.

Acomplia is a diet pill that was once hailed as a promising weight loss medication, but has been found to cause dangerous psychiatric side effects in some users.

However, due to its psychiatric side effects, Acomplia has not been approved as a weight loss medication in U.S. One of the psychiatric side effects of this diet pill is that it can cause depression in its users. An ongoing review by several medical organizations revealed that the drug has in the past caused depression to many patients immediately after they started using started using the drug. For this reason, most medical agencies recommend that anyone using Acomplia should consult with qualified health professionals in order to learn more about the drug before using it. Also, information about the ability of Acomplia to cause depression is normally reflected in the drug’s product information. Furthermore, doctors are advised against prescribing accomplia to patients with pre-existing psychiatric conditions.

It is believed that Acomplia diet pills can cause memory lapse and suicidal thoughts to its users. Research has revealed that there is a receptor in the brain called TRPVI, which is responsible for controlling long term depression, learning and memory. Large doses of the medicine block the receptor thus leading to suicidal thoughts and memory lapses. The findings are backed by a recent trial; STRADIVARIUS which revealed that more than 40% of people who used the medicine developed psychiatric problems that ultimately led to the death of some patients. For this reason, the European Medicines Agency recommended suspension of the marketing authorization of the drug from the companies that manufactured the drug.

Evidence of a research conducted by Sanofi-Aventis, a company that manufactures accomplia, revealed that the drug can cause anxiety, nervousness and sleep disorders. Approximately one in every hundred patients reported an increase in these side effects after they had used the drug and by 2007, a total of 921 cases of adverse reactions to the medicine had been reported. The other psychiatric side effect of Acomplia is that it can cause disorders of the nervous system, which may in turn lead to disorders like mood swings and irritability. Subsequently, people who have a history of mental health disorders are advised against taking the medicine or to inform their doctors of this before taking the medicine.

Even though there is little information on the safety of Acomplia on people who suffer from diseases like epilepsy, it is believed that the drug can have a side effect on such people and should therefore be prescribed with caution in these instances. Lastly, the medicine is believed to also cause hallucinations, hypertension and insomnia.