$Unique_ID{BRK02085}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{PHENMETRAZINE}
$Subject{Preludin Endurets (Boehringer Ingelheim)}
$Volume{}
$Log{}

Copyright (C) 1991 Publications International, Ltd.


PHENMETRAZINE
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BRAND NAME (Manufacturer):
     Preludin Endurets (Boehringer Ingelheim)
TYPE OF DRUG:
     Anorectic
INGREDIENT:
     phenmetrazine
DOSAGE FORM:
     Sustained-release tablets (75 mg)
STORAGE:
     Phenmetrazine should be stored at room temperature in tightly closed,
       light-resistant containers.

USES

     Phenmetrazine 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 phenmetrazine with a full glass of water one hour before
meals (unless your doctor directs you to do otherwise).
     This medication should be swallowed whole.  Breaking, chewing, or
crushing these tablets 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 ten to 14 hours 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
drug.
     If you experience mouth dryness, try sucking on ice chips or a piece of
hard candy or 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 both sexes), 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

     Phenmetrazine 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. Tricyclic antidepressants and phenothiazine tranquilizers (especially
chlorpromazine) can antagonize (act against) the appetite-suppressant activity
of this medication.
     3. Phenmetrazine 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 or over-the-counter (nonprescription) diet, cough, cold, sinus,
asthma, or allergy preparations, may be increased by this medication.
     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 phenmetrazine or other appetite suppressants
(such as benzphetamine, phendimetrazine, 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.
     * Phenmetrazine 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.
     * Phenmetrazine 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 your 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 could occur.  Your doctor may, therefore, want to decrease the dosage
gradually in order to prevent or minimize these side effects.
     * Phenmetrazine 75-mg sustained-release tablets contain the color
additive FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), which can cause allergic-type
reactions (fainting, shortness of breath, or rash) in certain susceptible
individuals.
     * Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant.  Although studies of
phenmetrazine 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.

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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.
