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Thursday, November 12, 2009
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Meridia Oral

Precautions and Side Effects


Generic Name: SIBUTRAMINE - ORAL
Pronounced: (sye-BYOU-truh-meen)

Meridia Oral Side Effects

Table of Contents

Dry mouth, increased appetite, nausea, strange taste in the mouth, upset stomach, constipation, trouble sleeping, dizziness, drowsiness, menstrual cramps/pain, headache, flushing, or joint/muscle pain may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur:

  • fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat
  • numbness/tingling of the hands or feet
  • mental/mood changes (e.g., excitement, restlessness, confusion, depression, rare thoughts of suicide)


Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur:

  • change in the amount or color of urine
  • easy or unusual bruising/bleeding
  • black stools
  • vomit that looks like coffee grounds
  • yellowing eyes or skin
  • unexplained fever
  • shaking
  • unusual sweating
  • swelling of the arms/legs


Seek immediate medical attention if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur:

  • seizures
  • chest pain
  • weakness on one side of the body
  • vision changes
  • trouble breathing


Sibutramine may rarely cause a very serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Taking sibutramine with "triptans" used to treat migraine headaches (e.g., sumatriptan, eletriptan) or certain antidepressants including SSRIs (e.g., citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine) and NSRIs (e.g., duloxetine, venlafaxine) increases the risk of this reaction. Before taking sibutramine, tell your doctor if you take any of these medications. Serotonin syndrome may be more likely when you start or increase the dose of any of these medications. Seek immediate medical attention if you develop some of the following symptoms:

  • severe mental/mood changes (e.g., hallucinations, unusual restlessness)
  • loss of coordination
  • fast heartbeat
  • severe dizziness
  • unexplained fever
  • severe nausea/vomiting/diarrhea
  • twitchy muscles
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