The Meridia Weight Loss Pill

Did you know that there is a drug that is considered the Holy Grail in the pharmaceutical industry? Take a guess as to what it is. For those of you who guess right, it is the magical weight loss pill. Billions of dollars are spent on finding a cure for obesity. A small pill that can be taken daily and then eat whatever you want without adding weight.

There was Fen-phen in the early 90s that ended in disaster and huge lawsuits, followed by Redux in the late 90s which was similar to Fen-phen. In the end, both were pulled from the market due to a high incidence of valvular heart disease. A case of where the cure is worse than the disease. Let’s not forget ephedra for weight loss which can harm you in so many different ways.

How Meridia Works

So the race for the cure of obesity continues with Meridia (Sibutramine Hydrochloride Monohydrate). Meridia helped patients initially lose weight over prolonged periods of time and helped keep the weight off. The hardest part about weight loss is not the actual losing of pounds but rather keeping it off over time. Diets are difficult to maintain since once you are off, the weight comes back. Also having all of these fast food options today doesn’t help.

Meridia (Sibutramine Hydrochloride Monohydrate) is a neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitor which simply meant that it kept the body from re-absorbing serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. These three chemicals help the brain regulate food consumption as well as the feeling of fullness. When your stomach is empty, it notifies the brain that it is empty and the brain emits these chemicals so you get that hunger feeling.

The theory behind Meridia was to trick your brain by keeping serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine in your system so you feel full and you have no desire to eat. If you don’t eat, you won’t gain weight. The idea was so simple and yet difficult to achieve chemically.

Meridia Side Effects

As expected, Meridia (Sibutramine Hydrochloride Monohydrate) had side effects which were associated with its use. We will begin with the mild ones such as dry mouth, nausea, insomnia, constipation, headaches and muscle/joint pain. Overall the side effects won’t deter one from using Meridia for weight loss.

Unfortunately, the side effects get worse. You can have a severe allergic reaction, anxiety, mental mood changes (depression, psychosis), irregular heartbeat (never good), difficulty breathing, disorientation, migraines, high fever, loss of consciousness (seriously, how can this be good for you?), vomiting, seizures, unusual bruising or bleeding and vision changes. The side effects caused a few deaths and were so bad, that the drug was pulled from the market in 2010 by the FDA due to a higher risk of cardiovascular problems.

Today, you have to be careful with weight loss supplements which are not regulated by the FDA yet. I have seen on some bottles Sibutramine as one of the ingredients. That means, the possibility exists that you will encounter one of the side effects mentioned above. Read the label carefully for ingredients and don’t lie to your doctor if you experience any of the side effects.

Have you tried any prescription weight loss pills that worked over time?