Description
What is Phendimetrazine?
What is Phendimetrazine used for?
Short-term treatment for weight management in adults with a body mass index (BMI) of:
-
30 kg/m2 or greater; or
-
27 kg/m2 or greater with other risk factors (e.g., high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol)
How Phendimetrazine works
Phendimetrazine is a sympathomimetic. The exact way it helps with weight loss isn’t well understood. But it’s thought to lower your appetite by working in the part of your brain that controls hunger.
What are the risks and warnings for Phendimetrazine?
Phendimetrazine can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Not safe with other weight loss medications
Phendimetrazine shouldn’t be taken along with other medications for weight loss, including ones found over the counter. Talk with your care team if you have more questions about your treatment plan.
Lower response to the medication over time
Phendimetrazine might stop working as well over time, even for those who saw good results at the start. This is called tolerance. Raising the dose of phendimetrazine won’t help and isn’t safe because of the risk for serious side effects. Let your prescriber know if you’ve noticed weight gain or your appetite returning after you’ve been taking this medication. They’ll need to recommend other treatment options for you.
Risk of misuse and dependence
-
Risk factors: Taking more phendimetrazine than prescribed
Similar to other stimulants, phendimetrazine has a risk of misuse and for causing dependence, which can lead to stimulant use disorder. To lower this risk, your healthcare professional will usually prescribe a limited amount at a time. Take phendimetrazine exactly as directed. It’s meant for short-term use, typically just a few weeks. If interested, talk with your care team to learn more about long-term weight management options.
High blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension)
-
Risk factors: Taking phendimetrazine for longer than 3 months
Although rare, phendimetrazine can cause pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the lungs. Pulmonary hypertension is serious and can be life-threatening. The risk is higher if you take medications that lower your appetite, including phendimetrazine, for longer than 3 months. If you experience trouble breathing, chest pain, fainting, or swelling in your legs, stop the medication and get medical help right away.
Heart valve problem
-
Risk factors: Long-term use | Taking high doses | Taking multiple medications that lower your appetite
People taking stimulants similar to phendimetrazine experienced heart valve problems.The risk is higher for those using the medication long-term or taking multiple appetite-suppressing medications. Let your prescriber know if you have dizziness, chest pain, leg or ankle swelling, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, or trouble breathing.
Risk of high blood pressure
Let your prescriber know if you have high blood pressure, even if your condition is well-controlled by medications. Taking phendimetrazine might raise your risk for high blood pressure so your care team might ask you to check your blood pressure more often during treatment.
Risk of low blood sugar in people with diabetes
-
Risk factors: Taking insulin or sulfonylureas
People with diabetes who are taking medications that lower blood sugar, such as insulin or sulfonylureas like glipizide, are at higher risk for low blood sugar during treatment with phendimetrazine. This can happen due to changes in eating habits and appetite with phendimetrazine. Your diabetes care team might need to adjust the dose of your blood sugar medications after you start phendimetrazine.
Always keep emergency glucose tablets or hard candy with you in case your blood sugar drops too low. If you experience symptoms of low blood sugar, such as feeling faint, shaking, and sweating, check and treat your low blood sugar levels right away. If your symptoms don’t improve, get medical help.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.