How It Works
Reductil is approved as a weight loss agent for up to one year to treat obesity. It works by increasing feelings of satisfaction and fullness after eating, known as satiety.
Weight loss effects
Although Reductil is approved for use for up to one year, many health care practitioners suggest limiting use to 8 to 12 weeks due to the risks of cardiovascular complications. When prescribed for weight loss, it should be used in combination with a low calorie diet and an exercise plan. Taking Reductil may result in a 5 to 10% weight loss when combined with dietary control and exercise over six months. After six months, very little additional weight loss occurs. Reductil has also been effective when combined with other weight loss treatments inclucing fat sequestering medications such as orlistat.
Physical Side Effects
Side effects similar to some antidepressants are seen such as dizziness, upset stomach and sleep disturbances. Others such as constipation, headaches and dry mouth have been commonly reported. Reductil may also increase blood pressure and the risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias, a risk that may increase over time.
Other side effects
Mental disturbance, mood changes and thoughts of suicide are also thought to be risks of Reductil use. Reductil has not shown evidence of the rare but serious side effect, pulmonary hypertension, which caused an appetite suppressant with a similar mechanism of action (fenfluramine) to be removed from the market.
Effects with Other Drugs
Reductil cannot be given with monoamine oxidase inhibitors used for depression due to the likelihood of development of serotonin syndrome. Serotonin syndrome is a medical emergency that can develop when two serotonin based drugs are given together. Symptoms are extreme mental disturbance, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, and muscle tics, tremors and contractions. Use with these serotonin uptake inhibitors may increase the risk of serotonin syndrome: fluoxetine and paroxetine, antimanic agents containing lithium, some antimigraine medications such as sumatriptan and zolmitriptan, opiate type medications such as meperidine and dextromethorphan. Drugs such as ketoconazole and erythromycin may increase blood levels of sibutramine.
Misconceptions
Some consumer protection groups have questioned the safety of Reductil and other brand names. A petition was filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) demanding the ban of sibutramine due to a supposed extreme risk of increased cardiovascular events; however the FDA rejected the petition as being unfounded. In 2008, over 27 nonprescription diet supplements were found to be contaminated with sibutramine as an unlisted ingredient. Several of these unregulated diet supplements had sibutramine in levels far greater than the prescription amount. The FDA did issue warnings against nonprescription diet supplements due to the nonregulation of the industry and lack of safety data in nutritional supplements. Reductil, Meridia or any prescription products containing sibutramine were not involved in this warning.
