Meridia is the brand name for the prescription weight loss medication sibutramine HCl monohydrate. Meridia acts by blocking the re-uptake of brain chemicals (serotonin and norepinephrine) which help regulate the sense of fullness. This sense of fullness signals you to stop eating and by taking Meridia you will feel satisfied with less food.
Most people who lose weight while taking Meridia combined with a weight loss program and exercise lose it in the first six months of treatment. A scientific study that lasted two years showed that over 40% of the people who lost weight with Meridia in the first six months and continuted to take Meridia in conjunction with diet and exercise maintained their weight loss.
How Does Meridia Work?
Meridia is not an appetite suppressant. That is to say, Meridia does not stop a person from becoming hungry, but does help to make them feel full faster during a meal. By blocking the re-uptake of serotonin and norepinephrine Meridia causes a sense of fullness when eating. This results in a reduction in the amount of food consumed during meals and effectively lowers the number of calories consumed each day. Similar to all other diet products, Meridia is most effective when used along with a low-calorie diet and regular exercise program.
Health Benefits of Meridia
Being overweight or obese puts you at serious risk for developing many obesity related diseases including heart attack, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Losing weight with Meridia can help to lower the risks of developing these diseases.
What You Should Consider Before Taking Meridia
Meridia is a prescription drug that used to be used for several functions, including to help obese dieters to lose weight, but that has considerably dropped in popularity since warnings against it were issued by the FDA.
As a tool to help with fat loss, this pill was prescribed for its appetite suppressing properties. It worked by stimulating the brain’s neurotransmitters in order to decrease the sensation of hunger by increasing the synaptic experience of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
The warnings from the FDA have been related to a number of problematic side effects that have been associated with the use of Meridia, not to mention more than 28 deaths. Among the side effects are high blood pressure, constipation, dry mouth, insomnia, headaches, and many others. Other serious risks have also been associated with the use of this medication, including a higher chance of stroke or heart attack.
The fact that Meridia has been a legal drug for use as an appetite suppressant, and that is now the subject of FDA warnings has generated a considerable amount of confusion surrounding this pill, which has only managed to grow among dieters over recent years.
Meridia is a brand name pill, which is also sold in its generic form under the name sibutramine. Studies have indicated that it can be slightly beneficial to obese individuals who need to lose weight. They have shown that over a period of one year, subjects taking Meridia lost an average of approximately 10 pounds more than their dieting counterparts who were taking a placebo.
The United States isn’t the only country that has recognized that the use of Meridia has slight benefits but serious risks associated with it. For example, the drug has been temporarily banned in Italy after 50 adverse reactions were reported there. There was a petition for a similar ban in 2002, by the Public Citizen (a nonprofit group), in which they called for the FDA to stop the use of the drug in the United States. This petition cited evidence that suggested that the drug causes potential health problems such as heart palpitations, high blood pressure, and a rapid heart rate. Although the FDA has opted not to ban this drug, it has continued to monitor its safety quite closely.
According to Abbott, the manufacturer of Meridia, it has commissioned studies in which there have been more than 12,000 patients that have used the drug, and they have shown the medication to be safe to use.
Meridia Drug Information
Meridia (generic name: sibutramine HCl monohydrate)
Meridia diet pills come in three different strength capsules (5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg). The recommended initial starting dose of Meridia is one 10 mg capsule per day. Your doctor will determine the starting dose that is best for you.
Uses
Meridia diet pills are used in combination with a weight loss program and regular exercise to help you lose weight and for long-term weight maintenance.
How to take this Meridia
You can take Meridia on an empty stomach or after a meal.
