Brief Answer:
Hydroxycut, a pandora's box, avoid it

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking!
You are very much right and your friend is blindfolded by cheap publicity stunts of this herbal product and now can not see the dire effects.
Hydroxycut, a dietary supplement purported to be energy enhancing, muscle building, and fat burning. The agent contains ephedra alkaloids and caffeine, which are both central nervous system stimulants; with drastic effects. I myself have seen many patient presented to me with seizures due to its use just for two weeks with no other signs.
It has following ingredients and most of them are banned by FDA.
Lady's mantle extract (Alchemilla vulgaris)
Wild olive extract (Olea europaea)
Komijn extract (Cuminum cyminum)
Wild mint extract (Mentha longifolia)
Since 2009 its use is prohibited by FDA for its adverse effects reports.
reports of liver problems, seizures, and a muscle-damaging condition called rhabdomyolysis are very common complication of this drug.
In my hospital A 22-year-old man was hospitalized after unexplained seizure-like activity and unresponsiveness. A urine toxicology screen was negative for salicylates, acetaminophen, alcohol, and drugs of abuse. Medical history was insignificant with the exception of recent (within 2 wks) ingestion of Hydroxycut,
Common adverse effects of ephedra alkaloids are nausea, vomiting, dizziness, tremor, anxiety, agitation, insomnia, and headache. This class of alkaloids can cause cardiac stimulation leading to severe hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and stroke. it has been reported also to have caused severe ADRs, including insomnia, nervousness, seizures, stroke, CNS vasculitis, premature ventricular contraction, myocardial infarction, and death.
I suggest stop taking it and seek a doctor for further guidance.
I hope it helps.Take good care of your friend and dont forget to close the discussion please.
May the odds be ever in your favour.
Regards
S Khan

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Brief Answer:
Some relations mentioned

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking!
Even if they take the ephedra components out it is still not wise to use,FDA has it yet endorsed its approval.Its under approval..There is no update ,
http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm152152.htm
call FDA on this consumer number on the link and they ill help you with any updates.
Here is a recent articles for the adverse effects of the medicine.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/409725_1 regarding seizures etc

and the other regarding hypertensive retinopathy.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/409725_1

Get her to a doctor an internal medicine specialist and let them help a brainwashed mind. Thanks to the cheap publicity stunts.
take care

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