$Unique_ID{BRK02083}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{PHENDIMETRAZINE}
$Subject{Adipost (Ascher)
Adphen (Ferndale)
Anorex (Dunhall)
Bontril PDM (Carnrick)
Bontril Slow-Release (Carnrick)
Dyrexan-OD (Trimen)
Metra (Forest)
Obalan (Lannett)
phendimetrazine tartrate (various manufacturers)
Plegine (Ayerst)
Prelu-2 (Boehringer Ingelheim)
Slyn-LL (Edwards)
Statobex (Lemmon)
Trimcaps (Maynard)
Trimstat (Laser)
Trimtabs (Maynard)
Weh-less (Hauck)
Weightrol (Vortech)}
$Volume{}
$Log{}

Copyright (C) 1991 Publications International, Ltd.


PHENDIMETRAZINE
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BRAND NAMES (Manufacturers):
     Adipost (Ascher)
     Adphen (Ferndale)
     Anorex (Dunhall)
     Bontril PDM (Carnrick)
     Bontril Slow-Release (Carnrick)
     Dyrexan-OD (Trimen)
     Metra (Forest)
     Obalan (Lannett)
     phendimetrazine tartrate (various manufacturers)
     Plegine (Ayerst)
     Prelu-2 (Boehringer Ingelheim)
     Slyn-LL (Edwards)
     Statobex (Lemmon)
     Trimcaps (Maynard)
     Trimstat (Laser)
     Trimtabs (Maynard)
     Weh-less (Hauck)
     Weightrol (Vortech)
TYPE OF DRUG:
     Anorectic
INGREDIENT:
     phendimetrazine
DOSAGE FORMS:
     Tablets (35 mg)
     Capsules (35 mg)
     Sustained-release capsules (105 mg)
STORAGE:
     Phendimetrazine should be stored at room temperature in a tightly closed,
       light-resistant container.

USES

     Phendimetrazine is used as an appetite suppressant during the first few
weeks of dieting to help establish new eating habits.  This medication is
thought to relieve hunger by altering nerve impulses to the appetite control
center in the brain.  Its effectiveness lasts only for short periods (three to
12 weeks), however.

TREATMENT

     You can take phendimetrazine with a full glass of water one hour before
meals (unless your doctor directs otherwise).
     The sustained-release form of this medication should be swallowed whole.
Breaking, chewing, or crushing these capsules destroys their sustained-release
activity and may increase the side effects.
     In order to avoid difficulty in falling asleep, the last dose of this
medication each day should be taken four to six hours (regular tablets) or ten
to 14 hours (sustained-release capsules) before bedtime.
     If you miss a dose of this medication, take the missed dose as soon as
possible, unless it is almost time for your next dose.  In that case, do not
take the missed dose at all; just return to your regular dosing schedule.  Do
not double the next dose.

SIDE EFFECTS

     Minor.

     Blurred vision, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, false sense
of well-being, fatigue, insomnia, irritability, nausea, nervousness,
restlessness, stomach pain, sweating, unpleasant taste in the mouth, or
vomiting.  These side effects should disappear as your body adjusts to the
medication.
     Dry mouth can be relieved by sucking on ice chips or a piece of hard
candy or by chewing sugarless gum.
     In order to prevent constipation, increase the amount of fiber in your
diet (fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, bran, and whole-grain breads),
exercise, and drink more water (unless your doctor tells you not to do so).

     Major.

     Tell your doctor about any side effects that are persistent or
particularly bothersome.  IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about
changes in sexual desire, chest pain, difficulty in urinating, enlarged
breasts (in either sex), fever, hair loss, headaches, impotence, menstrual
irregularities, mental depression, mood changes, mouth sores, muscle pains,
palpitations, rash, sore throat, tremors, or unusual bleeding or bruising.

INTERACTIONS

     Phendimetrazine interacts with several other types of drugs:
     1. Use of it within 14 days of a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor
(isocarboxazid, pargyline, phenelzine, tranylcypromine) can result in high
blood pressure and other side effects.
     2. Phenothiazine tranquilizers (especially chlorpromazine) can antagonize
(act against) the appetite-suppressant activity of this medication.
     3. Phendimetrazine can decrease the blood-pressure-lowering effects of
antihypertensive medications (especially guanethidine) and may alter insulin
and oral antidiabetic medication dosage requirements in diabetic patients.
     4. The side effects of other central nervous system stimulants, such as
caffeine and over-the-counter (nonprescription) cough, allergy, asthma, sinus,
diet, or cold preparations, may be increased by this medication.
     Before starting to take phendimetrazine, BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR
about any medications you are currently taking, especially any of those listed
above.

WARNINGS

     * Tell your doctor about unusual or allergic reactions you have had to
any medications, especially to phendimetrazine or other appetite suppressants
(such as benzphetamine, phenmetrazine, diethylpropion, fenfluramine, mazindol,
and phentermine) or to epinephrine, norepinephrine, ephedrine, amphetamines,
dextroamphetamine, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrine,
albuterol, metaproterenol, or terbutaline.
     * Tell your doctor if you have a history of drug abuse or if you now have
or have ever had angina, diabetes mellitus, emotional disturbances, glaucoma,
heart or cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or thyroid disease.
     * Phendimetrazine can mask the symptoms of extreme fatigue and can cause
dizziness or light-headedness.  Your ability to perform tasks that require
alertness, such as driving a car or operating potentially dangerous machinery,
may be decreased.  Appropriate caution should, therefore, be taken.
     * Before having surgery or other medical or dental treatment, tell your
doctor or dentist you are taking this drug.
     * Phendimetrazine is related to amphetamine and may be habit-forming when
taken for long periods of time (both physical and psychological dependence can
occur).  You should not increase the dosage of this medication or take it for
longer than 12 weeks without first consulting your doctor.  It is also
important that you not stop taking this medication abruptly--fatigue, sleep
disorders, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, or stomach cramps or pain
could occur.  Your doctor may, therefore, want to decrease your dosage
gradually.
     * Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant.  Although studies of
phendimetrazine in humans have not been conducted, some of the appetite
suppressants have been shown to cause side effects in the fetuses of animals
that received large doses during pregnancy.  Also, tell your doctor if you are
breast-feeding an infant.  It is not known whether this medication passes into
breast milk.

----------------

The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
