Sibutramine Side Effects

Brand Names: Meridia

Please note - some side effects for Sibutramine may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA.

Side Effects of Sibutramine - for the Consumer

Sibutramine

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Sibutramine:

Back pain; constipation; dizziness; dry mouth; flu-like symptoms; headache; increased or decreased appetite; joint pain; nausea; nervousness; painful menstruation; runny nose; sleeplessness; sore throat; upset stomach; weakness.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); agitation; anxiety; blurred vision or other vision changes; change in the amount of urine; chest, left arm, or jaw pain; clumsiness; confusion; difficulty breathing; disorientation; excitement; eye pain; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; high fever; increased sweating; large, unchanging pupils; loss of consciousness; mood or mental changes (eg, depression, mania, psychosis, thoughts of suicide or suicide attempt); numbness of an arm or leg; one-sided weakness; restlessness; seizures; severe or persistent dizziness, headache, or weakness; shivering; shortness of breath; stomach pain; swelling of the feet, ankles, or legs; tremors; unusual bruising or bleeding; vomiting.

This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.

Side Effects by Body System - for Healthcare Professionals

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%).

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.

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%).

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.

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%).

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 has also been reported.

Genitourinary

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

Cardiovascular

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.

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.

Other

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

Metabolic

Metabolic side effects have included thirst (1.7%) and generalized edema (1.2%).

Hematologic

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

Psychiatric

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

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, discontinuation should be considered. One case of exacerbation of panic attacks has also been reported.

Hypersensitivity

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

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