by P. M. Montgomery

Created on: July 15, 2009

Lipodissolve is a generic term being used, perhaps a bit inappropriately, for a series of fat-busting injections.

It is actually a type of mesotherapy treatment known as lipolysis which uses a chemical cocktail and a series of 4 to 10 injections which literally melts the fat off of any place on the body. It can cost anywhere from $150 and $800 per body part.

It does work, however the medical community is not very happy with the procedure. In fact it has been banned in Brazil. England and Germany have both stopped advertising the procedure.

The reason? According to the doctors, not enough testing has been done on the procedure. Some testing has been done, but the ever important double-blind, published, peer-reviewed medical studies conducted specifically on fat-melting injections have not, and until those tests have been done, most doctors believe they have little or no information to go on.

The injections really do liquefy fat, but where it goes from there is what has them concerned. Does it end up in the liver, kidneys, or in the blood stream? Until long-term testing and follow-up with patients has been done, no data is available to answer that question.

There is also concern over how the cocktail is made. Since it is not FDA approved yet, those performing the procedure order the cocktail from a compounding pharmacy and no two pharmacies make it the same way. So no one really knows from one injection to another what will be in the cocktail or how their body will respond to the injection.

This brings us to the reported side effects. While most people report no problems, some may have swelling, redness hives, dizziness, sweating, fainting, fever, diarrhea, unexpected menstrual bleeding, and there was one report of a person who lost all her hair.

The procedure is not meant to drop a person down two dress sizes anyway. It is meant more to "sculpt" areas of the body.

Several clinical trials are underway, but it takes at least two years for them to be completed and the drugs approved.

But FDA approved or not, people will have the procedure done. So if you do, for your own safety, make sure you have it done in a medical environment by a doctor, preferably, or a trained physician's assistant or registered nurse with the doctor on site. Make sure you tell them about any medical conditions you have and any drug allergies.

If you have HIV, hepatitis C, cancer, kidney or liver disease, are pregnant or nursing, are diabetic, have thyroid, or bleeding disorders, avoid the procedure.

If you have heart disease, any abnormal heart rhythms, or a history of blood clots or strokes, then really talk with the doctor before having the procedure done. Use with caution.

Make sure to report any signs of infection at the injection sites. They would be redness, pain, or swelling, fever, aches and pains, or headaches may occur.

www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/features/fat-busting-injec tions-under-scrutiny?

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