Meridia

Generic Name: sibutramine (si BUE tra meen)
Brand Names: Meridia

What is Meridia?

Meridia (sibutramine) affects chemicals in the body that are related to weight maintenance.

Meridia is used together with diet and exercise to treat obesity that may be related to diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.

Meridia may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Important information about Meridia

Do not use Meridia if you have taken an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. Serious, life threatening side effects can occur if you use Meridia before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body. You should not take sibutramine if you are allergic to ir, or if you have severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure, an eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia), or if you are taking stimulant diet pills.

Before taking Meridia, tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, high blood pressure, heart disease, a history of heart attack or stroke, liver or kidney disease, depression, underactive thyroid, seizures, a bleeding disorder, a history of gallstones, or if you are older than 65 or younger than 16.

Tell your doctor about all prescription and over-the-counter medications you use, especially antidepressants, narcotic pain medicine, or migraine headache medicines.

Tell your doctor if you do not lose at least 4 pounds after taking the medication for 4 weeks along with a low calorie diet.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Meridia?

Do not use Meridia if you have taken an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. Serious, life threatening side effects can occur if you use Meridia before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body. You should not take Meridia if you are allergic to sibutramine, or if you have:

• severe or uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure);

• an eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia); or

• if you are taking stimulant diet pills.

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take Meridia:

• glaucoma;

• high blood pressure;

• heart disease (chest pain, congestive heart failure, heart rhythm disorder);

• a history of heart attack or stroke;

• liver disease;
• kidney disease;

• depression;

• underactive thyroid;

• epilepsy or seizure disorder;

• a bleeding or blood clotting disorder;

• a history of gallstones; or

• if you are older than 65 or younger than 16.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether Meridia is harmful to an unborn baby. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant. Use effective birth control while taking Meridia, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether sibutramine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Do not give Meridia to anyone younger than 16 years old.

See also: Pregnancy and breastfeeding warnings in more detail

How should I take Meridia?

Take Meridia exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Meridia is usually taken once daily. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication.

Meridia can be taken with or without food.

You should lose at least 4 pounds during the first 4 weeks of taking Meridia and eating a low calorie diet. Tell your doctor if you do not lose at least 4 pounds after taking the medication for 4 weeks.

To be sure this medication is not causing harmful effects, your blood pressure and pulse will need to be checked on a regular basis. Do not miss any follow-up visits to your doctor.

Meridia should not be taken for longer than 2 years.

Store this medicine at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Skip the missed dose and wait until it is time for your next dose to take the medicine. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include headache, dizziness, and fast heart rate.

What should I avoid while taking Meridia?

Meridia can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Do not take any other prescription or over-the-counter weight-loss products without your doctor's advice.

Avoid taking cough and cold or allergy medications while taking Meridia.

Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Meridia.

Meridia side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Meridia: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop using Meridia and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• flu symptoms;

• fast or pounding heartbeats;

• dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, chest pain, uneven heartbeats);

• new or worsening shortness of breath;

• seizure (convulsions)

• easy bruising or bleeding (nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or any bleeding that will not stop);

• blood in your urine or stool;

• weakness, restless feeling, confusion, anxiety, agitation, fever, overactive reflexes, joint pain, sweating, vomiting, tremors; or

• very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, feeling like you might pass out.

Less serious Meridia side effects may include:

• dry mouth, upset stomach;

• loss of appetite;

• dizziness;

• runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough;

• headache, back pain;

• trouble sleeping (insomnia),

• constipation.

• hunger;

• mild skin rash; or

• changes in your menstrual period.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

See also: Meridia side effects in more detail

What other drugs will affect Meridia?

Before using Meridia, tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by Meridia.

The following drugs can interact with Meridia. Tell your doctor if you are using any of these:

• lithium (Lithobid, Eskalith, and others);

• tryptophan or L-tryptophan;

• an antidepressant such as citalopram (Celexa), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, Symbyax), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), venlafaxine (Effexor), and others;

• narcotic pain medication such as fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, Fentora, Onslolis), meperidine (Demerol), pentazocine (Talwin);

• migraine headache medicine such as almotriptan (Axert), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Imitrex), eletriptan (Relpax), frovatriptan (Frova), or zolmitriptan (Zomig); or

• ergot medicine such as dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal Nasal Spray), ergonovine (Ergotrate), ergotamine (Ergomar), or methylergonovine (Methergine).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with Meridia. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about Meridia.

• Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed
• Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2009 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 3.03. Revision Date: 09/08/2009 11:04:39 AM.