Question 1

what is the definition or description of: meridia allergy?

Accepted Answer

Meridia allergy: Meridia ((sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate) is used in management of obesity.   An allergy occurs when your body’s immune system creates antibodies to a foreign substance causing a reaction that can be mild to severe.   This medication was taken off the market due to ^'ed risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Question 2

what's the difference between the diet drugs meridia and phentermine?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Adipex is another name for phentermine.

Question 3

is meridia a good drug for anxiety and weight loss i am 26 and  458 pounds and suffer from panic attacks an this is what's asking about being prescribed but is it safe

Accepted Answer

No, : No, it is not. Meridia (also known as sibutramine) is an appetite suppressant, a drug that was intended to help reduce weight in conjunction with calorie restricted diet and exercise. It was withdrawn from the market in the us and in many other countries because of the serious adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. The following quotation is from an article on sibutramine posted on the us national library of medicine website (link below): "sibutramine is no longer available in the U.S. The manufacturer has decided to stop producing sibutramine based on information from a recent clinical study. In this study, people taking sibutramine had an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. If you are currently taking sibutramine, you should stop taking this medication and call your doctor to discuss switching to another treatment for weight loss or maintenance of weight loss.".

Question 4

what were the bad meridia side effects?

Accepted Answer

Headache: Headache, blood pressure elevation mainly not mentioning loss of sleep.

Question 5

why did they pull meridia? do i need to worry?

Accepted Answer

Probably no: Meridia could cause pulmonary hypertension, heart attack, heart valve damage or cardiac valve dysfunction and death.  There were over 8 millions people took this drug and chance is very small,  if you feel fine as before, mostly likely you are ok.  Otherwise you already has symptoms.

Question 6

what medicines are approved for long-term treatment of obesity since meridia?

Accepted Answer

Weight loss meds: As of 8/1/2012, there are now 4 fda-approved drugs for weight loss.  3 for long term use and one for short term use.  6/27/12, fda approved lorcaserin (belviq), 7/17/2012 fda approved qsymia (phentermine and topiramate).  Orlistat approved in 1999.  The short term weight loss med is called phentermine.

Question 7

how can i tell if i have hives or a drug allergy?

Accepted Answer

Subtle: hives can occur as part of an allergy syndrome.  people with chronic hives or who have an inborn low threshold for hives have difficulty differentiating simple hives from drug allergy.  If the drug reaction is IgE-mediated, or occurs via a similar pathway without IgE, then one would expect additional symptoms other than hives (breathing problem, dizzy, nausea, swelling, headache, etc)

Question 8

is there a blood test to determine drug allergies?

Accepted Answer

What is the context: Depends on what you are looking for. No simple test. There are specific tests for certain things (penicillin).  There are a few tests done to determine if an individual can tolerate a certain med (G6PD). Mostly, though, it comes down to trial of a med and knowledge  of what to look for. For example if you get a cough with ACE inhib (lisinopril) your DR will change you to ARB (valsartan)

Question 9

can my unborn child be harmed if i have a drug allergy?

Accepted Answer

No: Having a drug allergy is only a problem if you are exposed to the  drug. If there is a severe drug allergy during pregnancy there is a potential for a problem. Avoid the drug to which you are allergic.

Question 10

my mom said i was allergic to sulfa drugs as a child, so could i have outgrown this allergy 20 years later?

Accepted Answer

Immune tolerance: Allergy to sulfa drugs are not known to be commonly outgrown, however it is possible through mechanisms of immune tolerance. According to the reaction in childhood, your doctor might design the appropriate test that has the least risk of a severe reaction.

Get Virtual Care

For Businesses

About Us

HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients

Doctor answers about:

Meridia allergy drugs

A member asked:

What is the definition or description of: meridia allergy?

A member asked:

What's the difference between the diet drugs meridia and phentermine?

A member asked:

Is meridia a good drug for anxiety and weight loss i am 26 and 458 pounds and suffer from panic attacks an this is what's asking about being prescribed but is it safe

A member asked:

What were the bad meridia side effects?

A member asked:

Why did they pull meridia? do i need to worry?

A member asked:

What medicines are approved for long-term treatment of obesity since meridia?

A member asked:

How can i tell if i have hives or a drug allergy?

A member asked:

Is there a blood test to determine drug allergies?

A member asked:

Can my unborn child be harmed if i have a drug allergy?

A member asked:

My mom said i was allergic to sulfa drugs as a child, so could i have outgrown this allergy 20 years later?

HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients

Telemedicine

Primary Care

Manage Your Conditions

Women's Health

Children's Health

Men's Health

Senior Health

Wellness, Prevention & Lifestyle

Sexual Health

Mental & Behavioral Health

Travel Medicine

Urgent Care

Didn't find what you're looking for?

More of what we treat

Allergies

Antibiotics

Asthma

High Blood Pressure

Prescriptions

Type 2 Diabetes

For Businesses

Company

Health Content

Join Us

Download HealthTap

Questions?