5 Things You Need to Know About Meridia

1. Meridia Is a Weight Loss Tool

Meridia is a weight loss medication that is available with a prescription. It acts on selected receptor sites in the brain to reduce hunger. When serotonin levels in our brains are low, our bodies develop carbohydrate cravings, because eating carbohydrates increases serotonin levels. By keeping serotonin levels high, Meridia eliminates these cravings. Meridia is a weight-loss tool for people who need to lose 30 lbs. or more.

2. No Magic Bullet

Meridia is not a magic pill. You still have to burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. The advantage of taking the medication is that it suppresses your hunger, so you will be less likely to stray from the plan. Of course, if you eat when you are not hungry, as many overweight people do, you will have to work on that issue. The Meridia website offers a lot of tools to help you to eat better and incorporate more activity into your day.

3. Obese Teens Lost Weight and Inches

A study at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and 21 other sites enrolled 498 obese teens between the ages of 12 and 16. All of the teens completed a 1-year behavioral therapy program. Three hundred and sixty-eight teens took Meridia and 130 took inactive placebo. The study was a double-blind one, meaning that patients and the investigators didn't know who was taking Meridia and who wasn't. At the end of the year, the body mass index for the teens who took Meridia dropped 17 percent and they lost an average of 3 inches from their waistline. The teens who took the placebo pills lost less than an inch from their waists and gained an average of 4 lbs. Meridia has also been successful in studies of obese adults.

4. Monitor Your Blood Pressure

There are some side effects with Meridia. Headaches, dry mouth, constipation and insomnia are common, especially when you begin taking the drug. A more serious side effect is high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor will probably not prescribe Meridia. Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medications, even over-the-counter products. Be aware that Meridia is a drug that some people abuse, so keep it in a safe place.

5. Meridia vs. Fenfluramine

You might recall that another anti-obesity drug, fenfluramine, was taken off the market because it caused heart valve damage. Meridia and fenfluramine are similar because they both affect serotonin levels, but fenfluramine had a greater effect on the whole body. Researchers say that Meridia is safer because it works only on the appetite-control center of the brain.