Role of Meridia
The anti-obesity drug Meridia belongs
to a group of drugs known as appetite
suppressants. This prescription medication
is by no means the answer to helping
a person lose weight, and is most
effective only when used in along
with a low calorie diet and plenty
of exercise. It is important that
people who use this drug understand
that Meridia cannot work on its own.
This means that if you take Meridia
without bothering to lower your calorie
intake or exercise, you will lose
little to no weight.
Basically, Meridia helps a person
lose weight by acting on the brain
and decreasing one’s appetite.
The main active ingredient in this
drug is sibutramine, which blocks
the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine,
both of which are neurotransmitters
in the brain that help to regulate
a person’s sense of fullness
or satiety. When used properly Meridia
can be extremely effective, as this
drug is shown to have helped many
people lose weight and maintain their
weight loss.
It is important that people who have
been prescribed Meridia take this
drug exactly as prescribed by their
doctor and follow their prescription
carefully. It is crucial that for
Meridia to be effective you must take
it at exactly the same time everyday,
once a day. This means that if you
have Meridia with your breakfast you
must continue to take it with your
breakfast unless your doctor prescribes
otherwise. Meridia is available in
capsule form and must be only taken
orally with a glass of water. You
can have Meridia with or without food.
Another significant aspect of this
weight loss medication is that it
is habit forming; therefore it is
essential that one takes Meridia exactly
as directed by their doctor. Do not
take more or less of this drug unless
you speak to your doctor first. Most
patients who have been prescribed
Meridia normally start off on lower
dosage which is then increased slowly
under a doctor’s supervision.
A lot of people tend to lose weight
as soon as they start taking this
drug together with a low calorie diet
and exercise. However, it is important
that you keep in mind that most people
do not continuously lose weight after
the first 6 months of treatment, but
that they need to continue taking
the medication or else all the weight
lost will be gained back again. Do
not stop taking Meridia without consulting
your doctor first and always remember
that Meridia is most effective when
used in combination with a reduced
calorie diet and moderate exercise.
Side Effects
Meridia may cause side effects. Inform
your doctor if any of these symptoms
are severe or do not go away:
- headache
- weakness
- back pain
- nervousness
- difficulty falling asleep or staying
asleep
- change in appetite
- constipation
- heartburn
- dry mouth
- runny nose
- flu-like symptoms
- flushing
- painful menstrual periods
Beware that Meridia may cause drowsiness,
so do not drive or operate machinery
when on this drug. Alcohol can also
cause drowsiness when you use Meridia.
So using alcoholic beverages when
you are on this drug can be harmful. |
