Meridia (Sibutramine) Review

 

Updated: October 8, 2010- FDA orders Meridia to be withdrawn from the market in the U.S. and Canada due to heart risks.

Meridia is the brand name for the prescription appetite suppressant drug Sibutramine. Sibutramine acts on brain chemistry, by altering neurotransmitters in the brain. A neurotransmitter is a chemical that nerves produce and release to communicate with other nerves. When neurotransmitters are released, they either attach to other nerves (to communicate) or they are taken up again by the nerves that released them. When the neurotransmitters are taken up again it's a process called reuptake. Reuptake is a problem when you're talking about the mood related brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. If they are not communicating with other neurotransmitters you may suffer from unstable moods, increased anxiety, etc. (Anti-depressant medications block the reuptake process of these chemicals.) Sibutramine also blocks the reuptake of these neurotransmitters, with the idea that it will alter the appetite control centers in the brain and act as an appetite suppressant. Because of this, sibutramine is classified as a controlled substance - like anti-depressants.

Sibutramine (Meridia) was approved by the FDA in 1997, to be prescribed for people with a BMI higher than 30. Studies have shown that in a year's time, patients might achieve a 5 to 10% reduction in their baseline weight if sibutramine is taken in conjunction with a regular exercise program and a healthy diet. Those numbers are not huge, but they are legitimate, so obviously there is no miracle here. There is a laundry list of possible side effects, which is typical of any medication, and your doctor will (should) address those before he writes you a prescription.

Sibutramine made news earlier this year when the FDA announced a mass recall of over the counter diet pill products. Those over the counter products were all found to contain prescription-only controlled substances that were not declared in the ingredients list - and sibutramine was one of those compounds. Frighteningly, the FDA found that some of these over the counter products contained more sibutramine than prescription Meridia!
This is the list of the FDA recalled products containing illegal sibutramine:

2 Day Diet
2 Day Diet Slim Advance
2x Powerful Slimming
3 Day Diet
3 Days Fit
3x Slimming Power
5x Imelda Perfect Slimming
7 Day Herbal Slim
7 Days Diet
7 Diet
7 Diet Day/Night Formula
8 Factor Diet
Eight Factor Diet
21 Double Slim
24 Hours Diet
999 Fitness Essence
Body Creator
Body Shaping
Body Slimming
Cosmo Slim
Extrim Plus
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Fatloss Slimming
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Imelda Fat Reducer
Imelda Perfect Slim
JM Fat Reducer
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Meili
Meizitang
Miaozi MeiMiaoQianZiJiaoNang
Miaozi Slim Capsules
Natural Model
Perfect Slim
Perfect Slim 5x
Perfect Slim Up
Powerful Slim
ProSlim Plus
Reduce Weight
Royal Slimming Formula
Sana Plus
Slim 3 in 1
Slim 3 in 1 Extra Slim Formula
Slim 3 in 1 Extra Slim Waist Formula
Slim 3 in 1 M18 Royal Diet
Slim 3 in 1 Slim Formula
Slim Burn
Slim Express 4 in 1
Slim Express 360
Slim Fast
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Slim Up
Slim Waist Formula
Slim Waistline
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Sliminate
Slimming Formula
Somotrim
Super Fat Burner
Superslim
Super Slimming
Trim 2 Plus
Triple Slim
Venom Hyperdrive 3.0
Waist Strength Formula
Xsvelten
Zhen de Shou