Meridia Warning for Weight Loss & Diet Drug Users

Sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate, manufactured and marketed for the treatment of obesity by Abbott Laboratories, is more commonly known by the name Meridia®.  The primary mode of action of Meridia is to suppress brain chemicals that effect appetite.  This affect results in weight loss according to the manufacturer.

Meridia became popular even though it was not considered as effective for weight-loss as the combination of fenfluramine and phentermine (phen-fen). This is because the withdrawal of fenfluramine from the market made the sale of phen-fen illegal. Its popularity also increased even though weight-loss from Meridia use is considered moderate (5% to 10% of total body weight). Additionally, Meridia use continued to rise despite the fact that an FDA advisory committee voted five to four that the risks of Meridia use outweighed the benefits. A risk of great concern to the FDA is the potential for significant increase in blood pressure and heart rate in some patients, which could become life threatening. ¹ An FDA medical officer even stated that "Meridia should never have been approved. The clinical tests clearly show that the risks of death and serious injuries greatly outweigh its minimal effectiveness."  In the end, none of these risks or other concerns have discouraged widespread Meridia use.

~ 8.6 million people worldwide have taken Meridia

Although there has been some concern over the use of Meridia, it is estimated that to date over 8.6 million people worldwide have used Meridia, with 20,000 prescriptions filled weekly in the United States alone. ² However, on March 19, 2002, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to remove Meridia from the market. The petition states that Meridia has been associated with 29 deaths. Of these, nineteen deaths were determined to be related to cardiovascular problems. Problems have also been observed in several other countries: use of Meridia suspended in Italy because of two cardiovascular deaths; use of Meridia in France and Great Britain under review because of over 400 adverse health reports, including two deaths in Britain and over 110 serious health reports in those countries. This information, with FDA concerns and its 'minimal' effectiveness, is cited as justification by Public Citizen as the basis for the removal of Meridia from the market.

This request may be too late for many persons who have taken Meridia based on physician advice and assertions of safety from Abbott Laboratories. If you need assistance with a Meridia®-related injury please contact us. For further information on Meridia use and side-effects please read below.

Who should consult a physician before Meridia® use?

• Patients having suffered congestive heart failure or a stroke
• Patients having suffered seizures or a history of seizures
• Patients with coronary artery disease or arrhythmias
• Patients with anorexia nervosa
• Patients with glaucoma
• Patients with hypersensitivity or allergies to any Meridia ingredients
• Patients with hypothyroidism or other 'natural' causes of obesity
• Patients with increased blood pressure or at risk from high blood pressure
• Patients taking other centrally acting appetite suppressant drugs
• Patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

Potential symptoms of Meridia^® use.

• Backaches and Headaches
• Flu-like symptoms
• Abdominal and stomach pain
• Chest and neck pain
• Dry mouth
• Anorexia
• Constipation
• Insomnia or the inability to sleep

Please note that these lists are not intended to be exhaustive. Research may indicate the need to make note of additional symptoms or use restrictions.

If you need assistance with a Meridia^®-related injury please contact us.

NAME	DESCRIPTION
Abbott Laboratories	The manufacturer of Meridia.
Meridia® Product Site	Information about Meridia from Abbott Laboratories.
Original FDA approval of Meridia	1997 approval of Meridia for weight-loss control.
Request of FDA to ban Meridia	2002 request from Public Citizen to ban the use of Meridia for weight-loss control. Adobe Acrobat required.
Public Citizen	Public Citizen, the organization requesting that Meridia be banned.
Meridia Information from the FDA	Minutes from an FDA meeting regarding Meridia.
Medline - Weight Loss and Dieting	National Library of Medicine weight-loss and dieting information.
InteliHealth - Meridia Information	Searchable directory from InteliHealth, an Aetna Company..
Meridia News	News about the weight loss drug Meridia.
MeridiaInfoCenter	The purpose of his site is to bring awareness to users.
Meridia Information	Meridia news and information.

1. Abbott Laboratories disputes the validity of the concern by the FDA and maintains that the data relied on is incorrect.  It also claims that no patient deaths have been proven to be the result of Meridia® use.  However, Abbott Laboratories does admit that there have been 34 deaths reported worldwide in patients using Meridia, 28 in the United States, 2 in Italy, 2 in Britain, 1 in South Africa and 1 in Switzerland.

2. Publication date: May 14, 2002.