Meridia Warnings – What to Lookout For
Your healthcare provider should review the warnings and precautions of Meridia before you begin taking this medicine. Your healthcare provider needs to know of any medical conditions that you might be experiencing, such as kidney or liver disease, heart problems, or high blood pressure. You should also know that Meridia can cause medical conditions like seizures. The precautions and warnings of Meridia also apply to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and to people who have certain allergies.
Before you begin taking Meridia or sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate, talk with your healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms: * Glaucoma
* Any heart problems
* Kidney disease, including kidney failure, also known to as renal failure
* High blood pressure, also known as hypertension
* Liver disease, like hepatitis, cirrhosis, or liver failure
* A stroke
* Epilepsy or seizures
* Any allergies, including allergies to food, preservatives, or dyes
* Depression
* A history or alcohol or drug abuse
* A bleeding disorder
* An eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia
* Had problems with gallstones
Tell your healthcare provider if you are:
* Breastfeeding
* Pregnant or planning to become pregnant
Your healthcare provider should also know about other medicines that you are taking, such as non-prescription and prescription medications, herbal supplements, and vitamins.
Particular Warnings and Precautions of Meridia
Before taking Meridia, you need to be aware of some of the following warnings and precautions:
* If you already have a history of a stroke, heart problems, or high blood pressure, Meridia can increase your blood pressure and heart rate
* If Meridia is taken along with other medications that affect serotonin, it may cause dangerous symptoms known as serotonin syndrome. These other medications include other antidepressants, triptans or migraine medications, and several other medications. If you are experiencing any possible symptoms of serotonin syndrome, including the following, talk with your healthcare provider immediately:
o Muscle spasms
o Feeling faint
o Confusion
o Sweating
o Hallucinations or seeing or hearing things that are not really there
o Fever
o Tachycardia or fast heartbeat
o Diarrhea
o Difficulty walking
* Although Meridia does not appear to cause dangerous lung problem or pulmonary hypertension, it is still a possibility, even though other weight loss medications have been shown to cause these types of problems.
* Although the total risks are not yet known, Meridian may not be safe for use in pregnancy because it is considered a pregnancy Category C medication.
* If you have a history of gallstones, talk with your healthcare provider before starting a weight loss plan. It is known that weight loss can cause or worsen gallstones.
* If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed, talk with your healthcare provider before taking Meridia. It is not known if Meridia passes through breast milk.
* Meridia has the potential to be abused, as it is a controlled substance
* If you have kidney or liver disease, your body may not handle Meridia as well as normal, since the kidneys and liver help to remove Meridia from the blood.
* Seek the advice of your healthcare provider before taking Meridia if you have glaucoma, as Meridia can make glaucoma worse.
* Let your healthcare provider know if you have a history of seizures or epilepsy. Some studies showed that some people who took Meridia experienced seizures.
* It is not known why some people experienced bleeding when they took Meridia, but there have been reports of increased bleeding in people who took the drug, and no one knows why it happens or if it is even related to Meridia.
* Meridia can interact with a number of different medications
* Your healthcare provider should make sure that your obesity is not caused by a medical problem, before recommending Meridia.
Meridia is Not Recommended for Everyone
Do not take Meridia if any of the following apply to you and you:
* Are taking other weight-loss medications that also affect chemicals in the brain
* Are allergic to Meridia, sibutramine, or any of the inactive components used to make Meridia.
* Have a history of an eating disorder, such as bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa
* Have taken MAOI, also known as monoamine oxidase inhibitor, in the past 14 days. MAOIs include the following:
o Rasagiline or Azilect
o Tranylcypromine or Parnate
o Selegiline or Eldepryl, Zelapar, Emsam
o Isocarboxazid or Marplan
o Phenelzine or Nardil
People should be aware of many of the warnings and precautions involved with taking Meridia and the number of situations in which this drug should not be taken. If you find that not all of the warnings and precautions suitable to your situation were discussed in this article, talk with your healthcare provider about specific precautions and warnings of Meridia that apply particularly to you.
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