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DIDREX
DIDREX ONLINE
Before Using This Medicine
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine
must be weighed against the good it may do. This is a decision you
and your doctor will make. For sympathomimetic appetite
suppressants, the following should be considered:
Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever
had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or
amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, ephedrine, epinephrine,
isoproterenol, metaproterenol, methamphetamine, norepinephrine,
phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrine, terbutaline,
or other appetite suppressants. Also tell your health care
professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as
foods, preservatives, or dyes.
Diet—You must follow a reduced-calorie diet
while using an appetite suppressant in order to lose weight. Also,
in order to keep the lost weight from returning, changes in diet
and exercise must be continued after the weight has been lost.
Pregnancy—If a pregnant woman takes this
medicine in high doses or more often than the doctor has directed,
it may cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby. Also,
medicines similar to sympathomimetic appetite suppressants can
cause birth defects in the newborn baby if a pregnant woman takes
them in high doses. Before taking this medicine, make sure your
doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.
Breast-feeding—Diethylpropion and
benzphetamine pass into breast milk. It is not known if other
sympathomimetic appetite suppressants pass into breast milk.
However, use of sympathomimetic appetite suppressants during
breast-feeding is not recommended, because it may cause unwanted
effects in nursing babies.
Children—Studies on these medicines have
been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific
information comparing use of sympathomimetic appetite suppressants
in children with use in other age groups. The use of these
medicines by children younger than 16 years of age is not
recommended.
Older adults—Many medicines have not been
studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be
known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger
adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in
older people. There is no specific information comparing use of
appetite suppressants in the elderly with use in other age groups.
Other medicines—Although certain medicines
should not be used together at all, in other cases two different
medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur.
In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other
precautions may be necessary. When you are taking appetite
suppressants, it is especially important that your health care
professional know if you are taking any of the following:
 | Amantadine (e.g., Symmetrel) or
| Amphetamines or
| Caffeine (e.g., NoDoz) or
| Chlophedianol (e.g., Ulone) or
| Cocaine or
| Medicine for asthma or other breathing problems or
| Medicine for colds, sinus problems, or hay fever or other
allergies (including nose drops or sprays) or
| Methylphenidate (e.g., Ritalin) or
| Nabilone (e.g., Cesamet) or
| Pemoline (e.g., Cylert)—Using these medicines with
sympathomimetic appetite suppressants may increase the central
nervous system (CNS) stimulant effects, such as irritability,
nervousness, trembling or shaking, or trouble in sleeping |
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| Appetite suppressants (diet pills), other or
| Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (citalopram [e.g.,
Celexa], fluoxetine [e.g., Prozac], fluvoxamine [e.g., Luvox],
paroxetine [e.g., Paxil], sertraline [e.g., Zoloft])—It is
not known whether using two different appetite suppressants
together or using a sympathomimetic appetite suppressant with
a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor is safe and
effective. There have been some serious unwanted effects on
the hearts of people who used two different appetite
suppressants together |
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| Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor activity (isocarboxazid
[e.g., Marplan], isocarboxazid [e.g., Marplan], phenelzine
[e.g., Nardil], procarbazine [e.g., Matulane], selegiline
[e.g., Eldepryl], tranylcypromine [e.g., Parnate])—Do not
take an appetite suppressant while you are taking or less than
14 days after taking a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor.
If you do, you may develop sudden extremely high blood
pressure |
| Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline [e.g., Elavil],
amoxapine [e.g., Asendin], clomipramine [e.g., Anafranil],
desipramine [e.g., Pertofrane], doxepin [e.g., Sinequan],
imipramine [e.g., Tofranil], nortriptyline [e.g., Aventyl],
protriptyline [e.g., Vivactil], trimipramine [e.g., Surmontil])—Using
these medicines with sympathomimetic appetite suppressants may
cause high blood pressure or irregular heartbeat |
Proper Use of This Medicine
In order to prevent trouble in sleeping, if you are taking:
| One dose of this medicine a day, take it about 10 to 14
hours before bedtime.
| More than one dose of this medicine a day, take the last
dose of the day about 4 to 6 hours before bedtime. |
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For patients taking a long-acting form of this
medicine:
| Swallow these capsules or tablets whole. Do not break,
crush, or chew before swallowing. |
For patients taking mazindol:
| This medicine may be taken with food, if needed, to prevent
stomach upset. |
Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor .
Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take
it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. If too much is
taken, it may cause unwanted effects or become habit-forming.
If you think this medicine is not working properly after you
have taken it for a few weeks, do not increase the dose.
Instead, check with your doctor.
Dosing—
The dose of appetite suppressants will be different for
different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the
directions on the label. The following information includes
only the average doses of appetite suppressants. If your dose
is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you
to do so.
For benzphetamine
| For oral dosage form (tablets):
| For appetite suppression:
| Adults—At first, 25 to 50 milligrams (mg) once a
day, taken in midmorning or midafternoon. Your doctor
may need to adjust your dose.
| Children up to 16 years of age—Use is not
recommended. |
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For diethylpropion
| For oral dosage form (tablets):
| For appetite suppression:
| Adults—25 milligrams (mg) three times a day, taken
one hour before meals.
| Children up to 16 years of age—Use is not
recommended. |
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| For long-acting oral dosage form (extended-release
tablets):
| For appetite suppression:
| Adults—75 mg once a day, taken in midmorning.
| Children up to 16 years of age—Use is not
recommended. |
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For mazindol
| For oral dosage form (tablets):
| For appetite suppression:
| Adults—At first, 1 milligram (mg) once a day. Your
doctor may need to adjust your dose.
| Children up to 16 years of age—Use is not
recommended. |
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For phendimetrazine
| For long-acting oral dosage form (extended-release
capsules):
| For appetite suppression:
| Adults—105 mg once a day, taken thirty to sixty
minutes before the morning meal.
| Children up to 16 years of age—Use is not
recommended. |
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| For oral dosage form (tablets):
| For appetite suppression:
| Adults—17.5 to 35 mg two or three times a day,
taken one hour before meals.
| Children up to 16 years of age—Use is not
recommended. |
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For phentermine
| For oral dosage form (capsules):
| For appetite suppression:
| Adults—15 to 37.5 milligrams (mg) once a day,
taken before breakfast or one to two hours after
breakfast.
| Children up to 16 years of age—Use is not
recommended. |
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| For oral dosage form (tablets):
| For appetite suppression:
| Adults—15 to 37.5 mg once a day, taken before
breakfast or one to two hours after breakfast. Instead
of taking it once a day, your doctor may tell you to
take smaller doses thirty minutes before meals.
| Children up to 16 years of age—Use is not
recommended. |
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| For oral resin dosage form (capsules):
| For appetite suppression:
| Adults—15 to 30 mg once a day, taken before
breakfast.
| Children up to 16 years of age—Use is not
recommended. |
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Missed dose—
If you miss a dose of this medicine, skip the missed dose and
continue with your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Storage—
To store this medicine:
| Keep out of the reach of children.
| Store away from heat and direct light.
| Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in
other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to
break down.
| Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of
children. |
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Precautions While Using This Medicine
Your doctor should check your progress at regular visits to
make sure that this medicine does not cause unwanted effects.
If you think this medicine is not working properly after you
have taken it for a few weeks, do not increase the dose.
Instead, check with your doctor.
Do not take an appetite suppressant with or less than 14
days after taking a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor. If you
do, you may very suddenly develop extremely high blood pressure.
Taking a sympathomimetic appetite suppressant may cause a
positive result in urine screening tests for amphetamines.
Sympathomimetic appetite suppressants may cause dryness of the
mouth. For temporary relief, use sugarless candy or gum, melt bits
of ice in your mouth, or use a saliva substitute. However, if your
mouth continues to feel dry for more than 2 weeks, check with your
medical doctor or dentist. Continuing dryness of the mouth may
increase the chance of developing dental disease, including tooth
decay, gum disease, and fungus infections.
This medicine may cause some people to feel a false sense of
well-being or to become dizzy, lightheaded, drowsy, or less alert
than they are normally. Make sure you know how you react to
this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else
that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or are not alert.
Before having any kind of surgery, dental treatment, or
emergency treatment, tell the medical doctor or dentist in charge
that you are using this medicine. Taking appetite
suppressants together with medicines that are used during surgery
or dental or emergency treatments may cause serious side effects.
Check with your doctor immediately if you notice a decrease
in your ability to exercise, if you faint, or if you have chest
pain, swelling of your feet or lower legs, or trouble in breathing.
These may be symptoms of very serious heart or lung problems.
If you have been taking this medicine for a long time or in
large doses and you think you may have become mentally or
physically dependent on it, check with your doctor.
| Some signs of dependence on appetite suppressants are:
| a strong desire or need to continue taking the medicine.
| a need to increase the dose to receive the effects of
the medicine.
| withdrawal side effects (for example, mental depression,
nausea or vomiting, stomach cramps or pain, trembling,
unusual tiredness or weakness) when you stop taking the
medicine. |
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For patients with diabetes:
| This medicine may affect blood sugar levels. If you notice a
change in the results of your urine or blood sugar test or if
you have any questions, check with your doctor. |
If you have been taking this medicine in large doses or for a
long time, do not stop taking it without first checking with
your doctor. Your doctor may want you to reduce gradually the
amount you are taking before stopping completely. This will help
prevent withdrawal side effects.
Side Effects of This Medicine
Appetite suppressants may cause some serious side effects,
including heart and lung problems. You and your doctor should
discuss the good this medicine may do as well as the risks of
taking it.
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some
unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may
occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the
following side effects occur:
| Rare
| Chest pain; decreased ability to exercise ;
fainting; swelling of feet or lower legs;
trouble in breathing |
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Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the
following side effects occur:
| More common
| Increased blood pressure |
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| Less common or rare
| Difficult or painful urination; fast or irregular
heartbeat; feeling that others can hear your
thoughts; feeling that others are watching you or
controlling your behavior; hallucinations (feeling,
seeing, or hearing things that are not there);
headache (severe); mental depression;
numbness, especially on one side of the face or body;
skin rash or hives; sore throat and fever (with
diethylpropion) ; talking, feeling, and acting with
excitement and activity you cannot control; unusual
bleeding or bruising (with diethylpropion) |
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| Symptoms of overdose
| Abdominal or stomach cramps; coma;
confusion; convulsions (seizures); diarrhea
(severe); dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting;
fast breathing; feeling of panic; fever;
hallucinations (seeing, hearing or feeling things that are
not there); high or low blood pressure;
hostility with urge to attack; irregular heartbeat;
nausea or vomiting (severe); overactive reflexes;
restlessness; trembling or shaking; tiredness,
weakness, and mental depression following effects of
excitement |
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Abuse of a sympathomimetic appetite suppressant (taking the
medicine in larger doses or taking it more frequently or for a
longer time than the doctor ordered) can cause the following side
effects:
| Changes in personality; excessive, excited activity;
irritability (severe); mental illness (severe), similar
to schizophrenia; skin disease; trouble in
sleeping (severe) |
Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medical
attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your
body adjusts to the medicine. However, check with your doctor if
any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:
| More common
| Constipation; dizziness or lightheadedness ;
dryness of mouth; false sense of well-being;
headache; irritability; nausea or vomiting;
nervousness or restlessness; stomach cramps or pain
; trembling or shaking; trouble in sleeping |
After the stimulant effects have worn off, drowsiness,
unusual tiredness or weakness, or mental depression may occur.
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| Less common or rare
| Blurred vision; changes in sexual desire or
decreased sexual ability; diarrhea;
drowsiness; frequent urge to urinate or increased
urination; increased sweating; unpleasant
taste |
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Although not all of the side effects listed above have been
reported for all of these medicines, they have been reported for
at least one of them. However, since all of the sympathomimetic
appetite suppressants are similar, any of the above side effects
may occur with any of these medicines.
After you stop using this medicine, your body may need time to
adjust. The length of time this takes depends on the amount of
medicine you were using and how long you used it. During this time
check with your doctor if you notice any of the following side
effects:
| Extreme tiredness or weakness; mental depression;
nausea or vomiting; stomach cramps or pain;
trembling; trouble in sleeping or nightmares |
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some
patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.
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