PatchMD Review - 11 Things You Need to Know

PatchMD is a company that creates supplement patches that are supposed to improve overall health. There’s one patch made with the ingredient garcinia cambogia, which has been around in the weight-loss market for decades. 

Does garcinia cambogia cause weight loss? Can the ingredients pass from the PatchMD patch to the bloodstream? Our researchers decided to find out.

What is PatchMD?

PatchMD is a company that makes dietary supplements that come in the form of an adhesive skin patch, rather than a pill or capsule. The brand says that patches can be superior to pills and capsules due to their convenience as well as the factor that having to digest your supplements can cause issues like stomach sensitivities and subpar absorption.

PatchMD makes patches that are gluten-free, non-synthetic, latex-free, lactose-free, sugar-free, and hypoallergenic.

The important question: Can patches really work to deliver supplement ingredients to your bloodstream? It depends on the active ingredient. For instance, a study from the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics found that a melatonin skin patch improved night workers’ ability to sleep for 8 hours during the daytime. However, there were only eight people involved in this experiment, so to say that more research is needed would be an understatement. For other supplements, there is even less evidence.

Their main weight-loss product is the Garcinia Cambogia Plus patch. This topical patch contains extract of garcinia cambogia, a plant from southeast Asia that is most closely related to the mangosteen plant. It is a bit more distantly related to the willow, poinsettia, violet, rafflesia and coca plants.

Despite garcinia’s popularity as a weight-loss supplement, there is only very limited and conflicting evidence for its effectiveness. One study that is representative of this fact was published in Current Therapeutic Research – Clinical and Experimental. It found that 12 weeks of taking garcinia cambogia did burn some body fat, but did not end up having a significant effect on total body weight.

PatchMD Competitors

Who Makes PatchMD?

The PatchMD supplement patch line is made by PatchMD LLC. According to the Better Business Bureau profile for PatchMD LLC, the company has been in business for 12 years and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are not BBB accredited, and the BBB features PatchMD reviews with the dismal average rating of D+. In the past three years, 15 people have complained about PatchMD to the Better Business Bureau, and only two of these complaints were resolved.

Although PatchMD reviews found on their own website are almost entirely 5-star ratings, it may be advisable to give weight to the large number of negative reviews posted on the Better Business Bureau site.

PatchMD Customer Service

There are lots of options to contact PatchMD customer service. On the main website’s contact page, there are posted their office address, customer service phone line, corporate office phone line, and e-mail address.

Address: 750 Pilot Rd, Ste B, Las Vegas, NV, 89119

Phone (Customer Service): 1-855-789-9773

Phone (Corporate Office): 1-800-717-9401

Popular Products from PatchMD

• Multivitamin patch
• B12 Plus Energy patch
• Iron Plus patch
• D3/Calcium patch
• Biotin Plus patch
• Garcinia Cambogia Plus patch

Scroll below for one of the best products we’ve seen over the last year.

PatchMD Claims

The Garcinia Cambogia Plus patch makes the claim that it may suppress appetite. PatchMD also makes products that people trying to lose weight might also be interested in, like iron patches and multivitamin patches. An iron or multivitamin supplement can help replace nutrients lost by calorie restriction.

PatchMD Ingredients

Though PatchMD offers dozens of supplement patches, only one is specifically designed for weight loss, and this is the Garcinia Cambogia Plus topical patch. This patch contains:

• 15mg garcinia cambogia extract
• 7.5mg potassium, or less than 1% daily value
• 5mg bitter melon
• 3mg green tree extract
• 1mg curcumin

Do PatchMD Products Work?

There are a lot of PatchMD multivitamin reviews and other patch reviews you can read online. However, it’s important to pay heed to the science behind these products, and not simply rely on PatchMD multivitamin reviews and weight loss patch reviews to make your purchase decision.

Scientific American calls into question the scientific validity of most supplement patches. Only a very narrow variety of compounds are physically able to get into your skin. After all, the whole purpose of your skin as an organ is to keep things out of your body.

Multiple scientific studies show that compounds applied topically don’t really reach the bloodstream. The journal Toxicological Sciences says that with topical zinc application, only trace amounts are absorbed into the body. Another good example is topical magnesium, which despite its popularity is an extremely ineffective if not useless way to supplement magnesium according to the journal Nutrients

There was a study done about whether hydroxycitric acid, the main active chemical of garcinia, could actually be absorbed through the skin. Published in the Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, the study found that hydroxycitric acid required nanotechnology delivery systems to penetrate the skin. Needless to say, PatchMD does not use nanotechnology.

PatchMD and Weight Loss

So, the garcinia in this product is very unlikely to actually get into your body. Does garcinia actually cause weight loss if administered in other ways?

A main study used as evidence for garcinia was published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In this study, 214 overweight people took a high dose of garcinia for six months. Indeed, at the end of the study the subjects had improved weight, visceral fat, blood glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol. However, this is not actually evidence for garcinia, because the subjects also were given glucomannan (a type of dietary fiber) and were advised to eat a Mediterranean diet, drink more water and exercise.

Studies that involve garcinia alone have much less encouraging results. For example, a study in Nutrition Journal had 86 overweight subjects take garcinia for 10 weeks. The herb failed to promote weight loss or lower cholesterol

PatchMD Side Effects

Using Garcinia cambogia for weight loss has been known to carry serious risks. The academic journal Nutrients notes that while usually safe, this herb has been observed to cause liver damage, serotonin toxicity, and mania in certain people. The authors also state that the number of adverse effects cases has only grown with time.

The scientific journal Case Reports in Hepatology published a literature review that reiterates the possibility of liver damage from taking garcinia cambogia. The European Journal of Ophthalmology has even reported cases of eye damage caused by this supplement.

Nevertheless, PatchMD’s Garcinia Cambogia Plus patch contains less than one-tenth the dose of garcinia that has produced weight loss in scientific studies. The very low dose combined with the very low probability that much of the garcinia extract in this patch will reach your bloodstream means that your risk of garcinia-related side effects from this product is extremely low, if not zero.

A much likelier side effect would be skin irritation from the adhesive, especially if the patch is left on too long. Even this side effect is not particularly likely, since the company uses a hypoallergenic adhesive.

Cost and Where to Buy

The main way to buy this line of products is through the official PatchMD.com. Here, you can buy the Garcinia Cambogia Plus topical patch for $29.95 – a 30-day supply. You may find it on sale for lower prices such as $19.95.

There are ways to save money on your order, such as PatchMD coupon codes. Even if you can’t find a current PatchMD coupon code, the company often runs various promotions at PatchMD.com. For example, they offer buy-one-get-one sales, bundles to save money on multiple products, subscribe-and-save, and free shipping over a certain amount.

Third-party vendors might also offer similar deals and free shipping, but this may vary, so shop around for the best deals.

What we have discussed so far pertains to buying PatchMD as a United States resident. What about buying PatchMD in Australia? There are still options. You can buy PatchMD in Australia through sites such as www.FishPond.com.au, www.Amazon.com.au, and www.DesertCart.com.au.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Lots of ways to save money on this product

Cons:

• Little-to-no evidence for the efficacy of topical supplement patches
• Little evidence for garcinia cambogia for losing weight
• Garcinia cambogia may have side effects

What Users Are Saying

“I had bariatric surgery a few years ago and could never get correct vitamins absorbed. After only a few weeks of using patches instead of oral vitamins, vitamin levels were all within range. I’m sensitive to tape and these don’t bother me at all.”

“I used this patch to raise my iron level. I wore them every day for a month, but my iron level hadn’t risen at all.”

“Absolutely love these patches. As an adult with ADD this definitely helps keep me focused during my classes.”

Bottom Line on PatchMD Results

There are many factors that might make this brand of supplement patches appealing at first glance. However, the science simply doesn’t support topical application as a way to absorb dietary supplements. Furthermore, garcinia cambogia is not among the most scientifically proven weight-loss ingredients. Even if it was, the Garcinia Cambogia Plus patch from PatchMD most likely does not contain enough garcinia to have any effect. The ease of use of this product is not really worth its lack of effectiveness. Your money is probably better spent elsewhere.

The effectiveness of PatchMD is nowhere near that of Noom. With Noom, users are taught why they eat the way they do and how to change their lifestyle so they lose weight naturally. It’s all based on psychology, which makes this program far different from everything out there today. 

Don’t take our word for it. The CDC has recognized the program as a healthy lifestyle option. Why not give it a go? You can get a free trial offer for a limited time just for being a Dietspotlight reader.