Meridia

Medication Information

How should Meridia be used?

Your doctor may start you on a low dose of Meridia and increase your dose, after you have been taking Meridia for at least 4 weeks. Your doctor may decrease your dose if you experience certain side effects while you are taking your starting dose.

You will probably lose weight soon after you begin taking Meridia and following your diet and exercise program. Be sure to monitor your weight, and call your doctor if you do not lose at least 4 pounds during your first 4 weeks of therapy. Your doctor may wish to change your dose of Meridia.

You may not continue to lose weight after your first 6 months of treatment. However, you should continue to take Meridia even if you have stopped losing weight. If you stop taking Meridia, you may gain weight. Do not stop taking Meridia without talking to your doctor.

Other uses for Meridia
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

What special precautions should I follow?

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to Meridia or any other medications. do not take Meridia if you are taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, including isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl), and tranylcypromine (Parnate), or have stopped taking them within the past 2 weeks. Do not start taking these drugs for at least 2 weeks after you stop taking Meridia. do not take other prescription or non-prescription medications, herbal products or nutritional supplements to help you lose weight such as benzphetamine (Didrex), methamphetamine (Desoxyn), phendimetrazine (Adipost,
• Bontril, others), and phentermine (Adipex-P, Phentride, others) while you are taking Meridia.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. Be sure to mention any of the following: amiodarone (Cordarone); anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin); antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), and ketoconazole (Nizoral); caffeine-containing products including NoDoz, and Vivarin; cancer chemotherapy medications; clarithromycin (Biaxin, Prevpac); clopidogrel (Plavix) ; cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune); danazol (Danocrine); delavirdine (Rescriptor); diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac); erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin); fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic); gold salts such as auranofin (Ridaura) and aurothioglucose (Solganal); heparin; HIV protease inhibitors such as indinavir (Crixivin), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), and saquinavir (Fortovase, Invirase); isoniazid (INH, Nydrazid); lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid); medications for allergies, coughs, and colds; medications for depression; medications for high blood pressure; medications for migraine headaches such as dihydroergotamine mesylate (Migranal), ergoloid mesylates (Gerimal, Hydergine), ergonovine (Ergotrate, Methergine); ergotamine (Bellamine, Cafergot, others), frovatriptan (Frova), methysergide (Sansert), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Imitrex), and zolmitriptan (Zomig); medications for nausea such as alosetron (Lotronex), dolasetron (Anzemet), granisetron (Kytril), ondansetron (Zofran) and palonosetron (Aloxi); medications for anxiety, mental illness, seizures, and pain; meperidine (Demerol, Mepergan); metronidazole (Flagyl); muscle relaxants; pentazocine (Talcen, Talwin); quinine; quinidine (Quinidex); salicylate pain relievers such as aspirin, choline magnesium trisalicylate, choline salicylate (Arthropan), diflunisal (Dolobid), magnesium salicylate (Doan's, others), and salsalate (Argesic, Disalcid, Salgesic); sedatives; sleeping pills; sulfa antibiotics such as sulfadiazine, sulfamethizole (Urobiotic), sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim (Bactrim, Septra), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), sulfisoxazole (Gatrisin, Pediazole); ticlopidine (Ticlid); tranquilizers; troleandomycin (TAO); tryptophan; verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); or zafirlukast (Accolate). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa (abnormal focus on being thin that causes patient to eat very little and exercise excessively) or bulimia nervosa (eating large amounts of food and then removing the food from the body using diuretics (water pills), laxatives, or vomiting); cancer; chest pain; congestive heart failure (heart is unable to pump blood well enough); depression; gallstones (clumps of hardened material that can block the passages from the liver to intestine); glaucoma (an eye disease); a heart attack; hemophilia or other bleeding problems; high blood pressure; irregular heart beat; migraine headaches; osteoporosis (thinning and weakening of the bones); Parkinson's disease (a disorder of the nervous system that causes difficulties with movement, muscle control, and balance); seizures; a stroke or mini-stroke; pulmonary hypertension (high pressure in the vessel that moves blood from the heart to the lungs); or kidney, liver, or thyroid disease. Also tell your doctor if you have ever used street drugs or overused prescription medications.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant or are breast-feeding. You should use effective birth control to be sure you do not become pregnant while you are taking Meridia. Ask your doctor if you need help choosing a method of birth control.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking Meridia. you should know that Meridia may make you drowsy and may affect your judgment, your ability to think, and your coordination. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. remember that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this medication. Ask your doctor about the safe use of alcoholic beverages while you are taking Meridia.
• ask your doctor about drinking coffee, tea, or caffeinated beverages while taking Meridia. Caffeine may make the side effects from Meridia worse.

What special dietary instructions should I follow?

Talk to your doctor about drinking grapefruit juice while taking Meridia.

What should I do if I forget a dose?

What side effects can this medication cause?

• headache
• change in appetite
• constipation
• heartburn
• dry mouth
• weakness
• back pain
• nervousness
• difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• runny nose
• flu-like symptoms
• flushing
• painful menstrual periods

Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor immediately:

• fast or pounding heart beat
• chest pain
• shortness of breath
• upset stomach
• stomach pain
• vomiting
• extreme excitement
• restlessness
• anxiety
• depression
• dizziness
• lightheadedness
• fainting
• confusion
• uncoordinated or abnormal movement
• muscle stiffness
• shaking hands that you cannot control
• seizures
• shivering
• excessive sweating
• fever
• sore throat
• large pupils (black area in center of eyes)
• change in vision
• eye pain
• hives
• skin rash
• itching
• difficulty speaking, breathing, or swallowing
• hoarseness
• swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• unusual bleeding or bruising

Meridia may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

What storage conditions are needed for Meridia?

In case of emergency/overdose

Symptoms of overdose may include:

fast heart beat What other information should I know? Keep all appointments with your doctor. Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure and heart rate (pulse) frequently while you are taking Meridia.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.