Meridia Side Effects

Generic name: sibutramine

Note: This document contains side effect information about sibutramine. Some dosage forms listed on this page may not apply to the brand name Meridia.

Applies to sibutramine: oral capsule.

Serious side effects of Meridia

Along with its needed effects, sibutramine (the active ingredient contained in Meridia) may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking sibutramine:

Less common

• Achiness
• chills
• fast or irregular heartbeat
• increased blood pressure
• mental depression
• painful menstruation
• swelling of the body, feet, or ankles

Rare

• Bruising or red spots or patches on the skin
• convulsions (seizures)
• excessive bleeding following injury
• headache (severe)
• rapidly changing moods
• skin rash
• weight gain (unusual)

Other side effects of Meridia

Some side effects of sibutramine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

• Anxiety
• constipation
• dizziness
• dryness of the mouth
• headache
• irritability or unusual impatience
• nervousness
• stuffy or runny nose
• trouble with sleeping

Less common

• Abdominal or stomach pain
• back pain
• burning, itching, prickling, or tingling of the skin
• change in sense of taste
• diarrhea
• drowsiness
• increase in appetite
• increased sweating
• increased thirst
• indigestion
• nausea
• unusual warmth or flushing of the skin

For Healthcare Professionals

Applies to sibutramine: oral capsule.

General

General side effects, unrelated to a specific organ system, have included headaches (30.3%), back pain (8.2%), flu syndrome (8.2%), accidental injury (5.9%), asthenia (5.9%), abdominal pain (4.5%), chest pain (1.8%), and neck pain (1.6%).^[Ref]

Nervous system

Nervous system side effects have included dry mouth (17.2%), insomnia (10.7%), dizziness (7.0%), nervousness (5.2%), anxiety (4.5%), depression (4.3%), paresthesia (2.0%), somnolence (1.7%), CNS stimulation (1.5%), emotional lability (1.3%), amnesia, abnormal dreams, abnormal gait, amnesia, anger, cerebrovascular accident, impaired concentration, confusion, aggravated depression, Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, hypesthesia, decreased libido, increased libido, mood changes, nightmares, short term memory loss, speech disorder, transient ischemic attack, tremor, twitch, and vertigo. Less than 0.1% of patients have experienced seizures during therapy.^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

Gastrointestinal side effects have included anorexia (13.0%), constipation (11.5%), increased appetite (8.7%), nausea (5.9%), dyspepsia (5.0%), gastritis (1.7%), vomiting (1.5%), and rectal disorder (1.2%).^[Ref]

Respiratory

Respiratory system side effects have included rhinitis (10.2%), pharyngitis (10.0%), sinusitis (5.0%), increased cough (3.8%), and laryngitis (1.3%). Causal relationships have not been proven.^[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

Musculoskeletal aches and pains associated with the use of this drug have included arthralgia (5.9%), myalgia (1.9%), tenosynovitis (1.2%), and joint disorder (1.1%).^[Ref]

Dermatologic

Dermatologic side effects have included rash (3.8%), sweating (2.5%), herpes simplex (1.3%), and acne (1.0%). A case of severe bullous drug eruption due to sibutramine (the active ingredient contained in Meridia) has also been reported.^[Ref]

Genitourinary

Genitourinary side effects have included dysmenorrhea (3.5%), urinary tract infection (2.3%), vaginal monilia (1.2%), metrorrhagia (1.0%), and urinary retention.^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular side effects have included tachycardia (2.6%), vasodilation (2.4%), migraine (2.4%), hypertension/increased blood pressure (2.1%), and palpitation (2.0%), arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrest. A few cases of QT interval prolongation have also been reported.^[Ref]

The manufacturer has reported that in placebo-controlled obesity studies, sibutramine 5 to 20 mg once a day has been associated with mean increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure of approximately 1 to 3 mm Hg relative to placebo, and mean increases in pulse rate of approximately 4 to 5 beats per minute.^[Ref]

Other

Other side effects have included taste perversion (2.2%), ear disorder (1.7%), and ear pain (1.1%).^[Ref]

Metabolic

Metabolic side effects have included thirst (1.7%) and generalized edema (1.2%).^[Ref]

Hematologic

Hematologic side effects including significant improvements in serum triglyceride and HDL-C levels have been reported.^[Ref]

Psychiatric

Psychiatric side effects including cases of depression, psychosis, mania, suicidal ideation and suicide have been reported. If any of these events should occur during treatment with sibutramine (the active ingredient contained in Meridia) discontinuation should be considered. One case of exacerbation of panic attacks has also been reported.^[Ref]

If depression occurs during treatment with sibutramine, further evaluation of the patient may be necessary.^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

Hypersensitivity side effects have included reactions ranging from mild skin eruptions and urticaria to angioedema and anaphylaxis.^[Ref]

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Some side effects may not be reported. You may report them to the FDA.

Medical Disclaimer