Prescription diet pills have been available for many years, but in the past, these drugs were classified as amphetamines, or stimulants. In November 1997, the Food and Drug Administration approved Meridia (sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate) as an appetite suppressant for the treatment of obesity when combined with a reduced-calorie diet. Meridia is not an amphetamine. It helps you control your appetite without keeping you up all night.
Appetite Suppression
Meridia affects the appetite control center of the brain. According to Vanderbilt University, the drug increases serotonin levels, thus reducing the craving for carbohydrates. Meridia also increases the amount of adrenaline, which curbs the general appetite.
Lifestyle Changes
Meridia helps obese patients change their lifestyle for improved health. Vanderbilt University reports that one patient using the drug for a clinical trial said it eliminated the hunger pangs and constant thoughts about food. Vanderbilt adds that this distraction from food also enables patients who are dieting to concentrate on other lifestyle changes, such as increasing their exercise.
Weight Loss
According to the FDA, clinical studies performed by Knoll Pharmaceuticals in 1998 show that Meridia helped overweight patients who followed a low-calorie diet lose approximately 5 to 10 percent of their weight in the first six months of using Meridia. These patients kept the weight off for up to one year.
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