Meridia Side Effects

Italian health official withdrew all sibutramine products in the beginning of March 2002 after reports of 50 health related problems due to Meridia side effects. Italy's move to withdraw Meridia was the first action taken by any country since Meridia's approval. In the UK, health authorities have attributed two deaths to Meridia side effects in addition to the 212 reports of suspected adverse reactions from Meridia side effects in patients who have taken Meridia, and French drug regulators reports 99 reports of Meridia side effects with 10 of these being very serious.

Risks of Meridia side effects of heart problems outweigh the benefits according to the Public Citizen. The diet pill was approved after the FDA's advisory committee voted against it 5-4 because of the minimal effectiveness and evidence that the Meridia side effects were greater than its benefits. The FDA medical officer that reviewed Meridia found that there were potential heart problems that were associated to Meridia side effects and did not want the diet pill to be approved.

Meridia Side Effects Can Include:

  • Rapid heart rare
  • Constant breathlessness with minimal exertion
  • Dizzy spells
  • Fainting
  • Fatigue
  • Chest pain
  • Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH)
  • Cardiac valve dysfunction
  • Stroke
  • Seizures
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Heart disease
  • Mental impairments
  • Increased sweating

Meridia Side Effects Cause Heart Problems

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) is a very rare condition that can be fatal in some instances. Meridia side effects have been associated to various heart conditions, side effects like Primary Pulmonary Hypertension have not yet surfaced but should be a concern after the Fen Phen controversy. Meridia's side effects warns patients of the possibility of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. Primary Pulmonary Hypertension results when high pressure in the blood vessels in the lung caused by leaking blood vessels is present. In many instances patients will not know they have Primary Pulmonary Hypertension because there are no specific Meridia side effects that indicate the condition is present in the early stages.

The most common Primary Pulmonary Hypertension sign is dyspnea, or difficulty in breathing, chest pain, and fatigue. Meridia is a diet pill so most patients are overweight or obese, making the symptoms easily confused with symptoms of being overweight. Primary Pulmonary Hypertension causes some of the cell lining of the lung's blood vessels to weaken. The weakened blood vessels allow leakage of blood that causes the surrounding muscles to constrict. Eventually, the constriction will not allow the blood to flow between the heart and lungs and cause dizziness, exhaustion, fainting, and sometimes heart failure.

If Primary Pulmonary Hypertension is diagnosed early enough the Meridia side effects patients suffering from the life-threatening condition has a better chance of survival. While there are no cures for Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, there are several treatments available that can extend a Meridia side effects patient's lifespan. These Primary Pulmonary Hypertension treatments may include several different approaches depending on the Meridia patient's needs and stage the condition has progressed to.

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension is a serious side effect that many worry will surface in Meridia patients. In addition to the other serious Meridia side effects, like cardiac valve dysfunction, the number of deaths worldwide and other health conditions that have been surfacing prompted a Europe wide safety review of the diet pill. Currently, the FDA is reviewing Public Citizen's petition before deciding their next action.

If you have suffered any adverse Meridia side effects contact us to speak with a Meridia lawyer. You may be entitled to receive compensation for the health conditions you have suffered.


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FDA Petitioned to Ban Meridia Diet Pill

On March 19, 2002, the Public Citizen consumer group petitioned the FDA for the immediate ban of Meridia diet pill. This is Public Citizen's fifth petition it has filed with the FDA to ban a drug since 1996. The group's petition came after they called Meridia "unacceptably dangerous" and referred to the 29 Meridia deaths that have resulted since Meridia's launch in the beginning of 1998. Of the 29 deaths that Public Citizen cited from the FDA database, 19 of the deaths were caused by cardiovascular adverse Meridia side effects. FDA advisors voted against the approval of Meridia 5-4 because of the safety concerns and Meridia side effects associated to the diet pill, including elevated blood pressure and increased heart rate. Since 1997, almost 9 million people have used a sibutramine-based drug, the chemical name of Meridia.

To view the Public Citizen petition
click here «

Dieting Tip

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