I can personally vouch for Reductil. It's an appetite supressant, prescribed by my GP. I lost 8 pounds in 10 days and still losing, I'm also exercising hard 3 times per week too, which obviously helps too.
Reductil does have side effects. It can cause blood pressure to increase, disturb sleep patterns, cause mood swings, hot flushes, loss of concentration amongst others. Most of these effects do pass in a couple of weeks of use, but your blood pressure must be checked regularly.
I think Epherdrine is banned here and wouldn't reccommend it, as it does cause the heart to beat more rapidly and cause palpitations and shaking. I think people have died taking Ephedrine.