Why Was Reductil Banned in the UK?

Last Updated: 25/06/2025

Reductil (sibutramine) was an anti-obesity drug that was available on the NHS for people suffering from obesity. Reductil’s active ingredient, sibutramine hydrochloride, is a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor. This means it helps to increase the levels of both of these neurotransmitters in the body, which can have various effects on your metabolism.

In particular, Reductil acted to help increase satiety (the feeling of being full), which meant that you could eat less and still feel full. Reductil also raises your metabolism slightly, resulting in your body using more calories even when resting. Combined with diet and exercise, Reductil would allow you to lose weight quickly and efficiently.

These two factors made Reductil an excellent choice for weight loss; however, it would soon be removed from the NHS’s approved list, and banned from sale across the UK.

The issue with Reductil was the side effects. A study showed that, pound for pound, Reductil was not effective enough to justify the serious side effects that could occur when taking it. It was compared to placebo in obese patients, and found that patients were significantly more likely to experience severe cardiovascular side effects comapred to those on placebo. The weight loss aspect of the medication worked, but many found it difficult to keep body weight off once they finished the prescription. 

As the medication required a longer period of use to keep the weight off, those who took Reductil would be exposed to the potential side effects for longer than necessary. Combined with the existing risk of heart disease as a complication of obesity, Reductil faced an uphill battle.

Many people who took Reductil found that they faced hypertension (high blood pressure), insomnia and were at a significantly increased risk of heart attack and stroke. As such, the NHS decided it was no longer worth prescribing the medication.

As the product was only available on prescription, and you could not buy Reductil over the counter, that effectively ended Reductil in the UK. While there are some sources which claim to be able to continue selling Reductil, these sources are going against EU laws, and the likelihood of them having any actual Reductil left to sell a decade after it was banned is slim, to say the least.

There are still options for diet pills on the NHS. Orlistat (brand name Xenical) is available through the NHS. This medication prevents your body from absorbing fats in the food you eat, which makes them less likely to cause you to gain weight.

You can get Orlistat through the NHS if you have a BMI above 30, or a BMI above 27 and a weight-related health condition, such as diabetes.

You can also receive Saxenda through the NHS. Originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, saxenda works similarly to Reductil, tricking your body into feeling fuller even when you eat less food. Thankfully, Saxenda is more effective than Reductil, and the side effects are far less serious.

The criteria for receiving Saxenda through the NHS are the same as for Orlistat, so look into both weight loss products and decide which one might be right for you.

If you have a NHS prescription for Orlistat or Saxenda, we can deliver it for you. Check out our NHS Prescriptions page for more information.

Both Orlistat and Saxenda can be purchased through our Online Doctor. Simply fill in a questionnaire about your medical history and the product you are purchasing, and we can arrange delivery straight to your door in plain, discreet packaging.

Most likely, these websites are simply scams that will take your money and never deliver. When ordering online, you should always use a site you trust; Simple Online Pharmacy is trusted by hundreds of customers daily.

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