MERIDIA 15 MG

Meridia 15 mg pill contains the drug that works by improving the feeling of satiety, thus reducing the food intake of an individual. It is generally used in combination with a low-calorie diet and regular exercise. From clinical studies, it was observed that Meridia 15 mg tablet helps to reduce an individual’s body weight by an average of 10% over 6-12 months effectively.

This medicine is indicated for the management of obesity, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss for obese patients having an initial body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m² or ≥ 27 kg/m². However, Meridia 15 mg pills should be used cautiously as they can increase the risk of heart attack and strokes.

What to Discuss With the Doctor

As Meridia medication can lead to several minor and serious side effects, it is important to consult with the concerned doctor even before starting the treatment with Meridia. This medicine is prohibited for selective individuals suffering from certain health conditions. Avoid Meridia medicine if you have:

• Severe hypertension
• Eating disorder
• Coronary artery disease
• Heart disease
• Liver or kidney disease
• Depression
• An underactive thyroid
• Epilepsy
• Medicated with stimulant diet pills, etc.

How to Use and Store Meridia Pills

• Meridia tablets should not be taken any longer than 2 years
• Meridia 15 mg pills can be taken with or without food as per the prescription or the doctor’s advice.
• It is generally observed that an individual using Meridia medicine is able to lose over 4 pounds within a month. You may need to inform your doctor if you do not lose at least 4 pounds after taking the Meridia 15 mg medication.
• Your blood pressure and pulse rate must be monitored regularly.
• Meridia tablets must be stored at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight.
• Try not to share prescribed Meridia with other people and keep the medication in a place out of reach of children.

Meridia Dosage

Meridia medication is taken once daily. It is generally taken in the morning or you may split the dose to be used during the morning and noon. Meridia therapy usually starts with 10 mg per day. This dose might be increased up to 15 mg by an authorized physician to achieve the desired effect accordingly. However, the dose of Meridia should not exceed 60 mg a day.

Pharmacokinetics

After administration, the Meridia drug is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract within an hour. The drug itself reaches its peak plasma level after 1 hour and has also a half-life of 1 hour. It is broken down or metabolized in the liver. Sibutramine drug in the Meridia 15 mg tablet is metabolized by cytochrome P450 isozyme CYP3A4 into its two active metabolites.

A major part of this drug is excreted out from the body in the form of urine and feces. Apart from that, the Meridia medicine can stay in an individual’s system for up to 1-2 days. But it will further take around 4-6 months to properly observe its weight-loss effects.

Meridia 15 mg with Other Substances

Several other drugs, medications, and substances can interact with Meridia (Sibutramine) medication to produce new side effects or worsen other side effects. Because of that utmost care should be taken while the treatment stage. With proper advice from the doctor either you should avoid using such medications or lower the dose of Meridia accordingly.

• Sedatives like Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan
• clarithromycin (Biaxin)
• danazol (Danocrine)
• diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac, Dilacor)
• fluconazole (Diflucan), fluoxetine (Prozac)
• itraconazole (Sporanox), propoxyphene (Darvon)
• Meridia (sibutramine) should not be used with MAO inhibitors, and there should be at least a 2-week interval between stopping MAO inhibitor and starting Meridia 15 mg medication.
• Alcohol and narcotics substances
• Opioid analgesics (Codeine, Oxycodone, Opana ER) and sleeping pills such as Ambien, Lunesta

Meridia 15 mg During Pregnancy

There are no studies supporting the use of Meridia medicine during pregnancy. Not enough studies with the Sibutramine drug have been conducted on pregnant women. Hence, the use of Meridia 15 mg pills during pregnancy is not recommended. Also, women of childbearing potential must use adequate contraception while taking Meridia 15 mg medicine. Patients trying to conceive must consult with their concerned doctors while on Meridia medication.

Also due to lack of evidence, it is not known whether the Sibutramine drug or its metabolites are excreted in human milk. Therefore, Meridia 15 mg pill is not recommended for nursing mothers.