$Unique_ID{BRK02011}
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$Title{MAZINDOL}
$Subject{Mazanor (Wyeth)
Sanorex (Sandoz)}
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Copyright (C) 1991 Publications International, Ltd.


MAZINDOL
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BRAND NAMES (Manufacturers):
     Mazanor (Wyeth)
     Sanorex (Sandoz)
TYPE OF DRUG:
     Anorectic (appetite suppressant)
INGREDIENT:
     mazindol
DOSAGE FORM:
     Tablets (1 mg and 2 mg)
STORAGE:
     Mazindol should be stored at room temperature in a tightly closed
container.

USES

     Mazindol 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

     Mazindol can be taken with a full glass of water one hour before meals
(unless your doctor directs you to do otherwise).
     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.
     In order to avoid difficulty in falling asleep, the last dose of this
medication each day should be taken four to six hours before bedtime (for the
1-mg tablet) or ten to 14 hours before bedtime (for the 2-mg tablet).

SIDE EFFECTS

     Minor.

     Constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, false sense of well-being,
fatigue, insomnia, irritability, nausea, nervousness, restlessness, stomach
pain, sweating, tremors, unpleasant taste in the mouth, or vomiting.  These
side effects should disappear as your body adjusts to the drug.
     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 directs you to do
otherwise).

     Major.

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

INTERACTIONS

     Mazindol interacts with several other types of medications:
     1. Use of this medication within 14 days of a monoamine oxidase (MAO)
inhibitor (such as isocarboxazid, pargyline, phenelzine, and tranylcypromine)
can result in high blood pressure and other side effects.
     2. Barbiturate medications and phenothiazine tranquilizers (especially
chlorpromazine) can antagonize (act against) the appetite-suppressant activity
of this medication.
     3. Mazindol 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, over-the-counter (nonprescription) appetite suppressants or sinus,
cough, cold, asthma, and allergy preparations, may be increased by the
concurrent use of this medication.
     Before starting to take mazindol, 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 mazindol or other appetite suppressants (such
as benzphetamine, phendimetrazine, diethylpropion, fenfluramine,
phenmetrazine, 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 have
ever had angina, diabetes mellitus, emotional disturbances, glaucoma, heart or
cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or thyroid disease.
     * Mazindol 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 any other medical or dental treatment, be sure
to tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking this medication.
     * Mazindol is related to amphetamine and may be habit-forming when taken
for long periods of time (both physical and psychological dependence can
occur).  Therefore, you should not increase the dosage of this medication or
take it for longer than 12 weeks unless you first consult your doctor.  It is
also important that you not stop taking this medication abruptly.  Fatigue,
sleep disorders, mental depression, nausea or vomiting, or stomach cramps or
pain can occur while your body adjusts to discontinuation of this medication.
Your doctor may want to decrease the dosage gradually in order to prevent
these side effects.
     * Mazindol should not be used in children less than 12 years of age.
     * There is no specific information about the use of appetite suppressants
such as this medication in the elderly.
     * Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant.  Although studies in
humans have not been conducted, it is known that some of the appetite
suppressants cause side effects in the offspring of animals that receive large
doses of these drugs during pregnancy.  Also, tell your doctor if you are
breast-feeding an infant.  It is not known whether this medication passes into
breast milk.

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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.
