What is the most important information I should know about meridia?

There are some reports that meridia may cause slight increases in blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, you should ask your physician to monitor your pressure and pulse on regular basis during each session of taking meridia.

Meridia may make you feel dizzy or disturb your concentration. It is therefore unwise to drive a car or use any potentially dangerous machinery if you are one of the small number affected.

It is also unwise to mix meridia with any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines unless your physician approves. The most important warning concerns Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) such as Parnate. You should allow a washout period of at least fourteen days when switching from meridia to an MAOI and vice versa. There may also be adverse reactions to combinations with antidepressants in general (including prozac, paxil and zoloft) and the lithium salts in particular. Take care when you take tryptophan either as a dietary supplement or a medication. Similarly, because they may also cause drowsiness, avoid decongestants, cough suppressants and migraine medicines. Do not double up the dose of meridia or take several weight-loss medications at the same time. This can quickly lead to an overdose.

Before beginning any course of treatment with a prescription medication, you should discuss potential difficulties with your physician. In the case of meridia, either you should not take the medication or only take it in reduced dosage if you have:

1. kidney or liver disease;
2. hypertension, cardiovascular disease, arrhythmia or you have had a stroke or heart attack in the last six months;
3. epilepsy or another seizure disorder;
4. gallstones;
5. glaucoma; or
6. one of the eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.

So far, there has been no research into the use of meridia to treat overweight children and young adults under the age of 16 years. Before giving meridia to a child, check with your physician that there have been no reports of adverse effects. Similarly, the effects of meridia during pregnancy or while breast-feeding have not been studied. As a precaution, you should contact your physician for the latest information if you find yourself pregnant or you are proposing to take meridia while nursing a new-born baby.

You should always follow the instructions of your physician or pharmacist when taking meridia. Because you may experience problems if you do not use meridia properly, you must ask about anything you do not completely understand. To avoid doubt, you must not take more meridia than has been prescribed. Taking too much meridia or taking meridia for too long can be dangerous.

Take the prescribed dose once a day with plenty of water. You can decide whether to take meridia with or without food but, whatever you decide, you should then be consistent.

Store meridia in a cool dry place at room temperature. Remember that you should always keep prescription medications out of your children’s reach. It is also inadvisable to share your medication with anyone else.

What happens if I miss a dose?

If you forget to take your meridia, it is safe to take the tablet during the next few hours. But, if you do not remember until the next day and you are close to the time for the next dose, do not take two tablets close together. This can be an overdose and, if you have a serious reaction, seek emergency medical attention.

What are the possible side effects of Meridia?

For the most part, few taking meridia experience side effects but, if you are unlucky, they are usually mild and do not last long. So long as they remain mild, you can continue to take meridia. You only need to contact your physician if the following continue for some time or begin to grow more serious:

• dizziness;
• headache;
• dryness or an unpleasant taste in your mouth;
• constipation;
• slight tremor in your hands;
• nervousness, restlessness or anxiety; or
• disruption to your sleep pattern.

The following symptoms are more serious. You should contact your physician immediately or, if they become worse, go to a hospital:

• your heartbeat begins to race or grows irregular;
• you begin to sweat, shiver, run a high temperature or vomit;
• you have a serious headache and blurred vision suggesting the possibility of high blood pressure;
• you grow confused and you lose physical co-ordination;
• you have a seizure or lose consciousness; or
• you find your face and tongue swells, your throat closes making it difficult to breathe and/or you develop a rash and hives — suggesting an allergic reaction.

Where can I get more information about meridia?

Your local pharmacist has access to more detailed information and may allow you to read it or discuss it with you. for health professionals that you may read.

We have taken reasonable care in collecting this information about meridia for you. We believe it to be up-to-date and reasonably complete, but we give no guarantee or warranty to that effect. The only guaranteed way of obtaining completely accurate information is to go and ask a healthcare professional.