$Unique_ID{BRK01927}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{DIETHYLPROPION}
$Subject{diethylpropion hydrochloride (various manufacturers)
Tenuate (Lakeside Pharmaceutical)
Tenuate Dospan (Lakeside Pharmaceutical)
Tepanil (Riker)
Tepanil Ten-Tab (Riker)}
$Volume{}
$Log{}

Copyright (C) 1991 Publications International, Ltd.


DIETHYLPROPION
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BRAND NAMES (Manufacturers):
     diethylpropion hydrochloride (various manufacturers)
     Tenuate (Lakeside Pharmaceutical)
     Tenuate Dospan (Lakeside Pharmaceutical)
     Tepanil (Riker)
     Tepanil Ten-Tab (Riker)
TYPE OF DRUG:
     Anorectic
INGREDIENT:
     diethylpropion
DOSAGE FORMS:
     Tablets (25 mg)
     Sustained-release tablets (75 mg)
STORAGE:
     Diethylpropion tablets should be stored at room temperature in tightly
       closed, light-resistant containers.

USES

     Diethylpropion 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 diethylpropion with a full glass of water one hour before
meals (unless your doctor directs you to do otherwise).
     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 (regular
tablets) or ten to 14 hours before bedtime (sustained-release tablets).
     The sustained-release form of this medication should be swallowed whole.
Breaking, chewing, or crushing these tablets destroys their sustained-release
activity and may increase the side effects.
     If you miss a dose, 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;
just return to your regular dosing schedule.  Do not double the next dose.

SIDE EFFECTS

     Minor.

     Blurred vision, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, euphoria,
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 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 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
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,
nosebleeds, palpitations, rash, or sore throat.

INTERACTIONS

     Diethylpropion interacts with several other types of drugs:
     1. Use of diethylpropion within 14 days of use of a monoamine oxidase
(MAO) inhibitor (such as isocarboxazid, pargyline, phenelzine,
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, decreasing its effectiveness.
     3. Diethylpropion 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 nonprescription appetite suppressants and cough, allergy, asthma,
sinus, and cold preparations) may be increased by this medication.
     BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about any medications you are
currently taking, especially any listed above.

WARNINGS

     * Tell your doctor about unusual or allergic reactions you have had to
any medications, especially to diethylpropion or other appetite suppressants
(including benzphetamine, phendimetrazine, phenmetrazine, fenfluramine,
mazindol, and phentermine), or to epinephrine, norepinephrine, ephedrine,
amphetamine, 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, thyroid disease, or epilepsy.
     * Diethylpropion 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 equipment,
may be decreased.  Appropriate caution should, therefore, be taken.
     * Before surgery or other medical or dental treatment, tell your doctor
or dentist you are taking this drug.
     * Diethylpropion is related to amphetamine and may be habit-forming when
taken for long periods (both physical and psychological dependence can occur).
Therefore, you should not increase the dosage of this drug or take it for
longer than 12 weeks unless you first consult your doctor.  It is also
important that you not stop taking this drug abruptly if you have been taking
large doses for a long time.  Fatigue, sleep disorders, mental depression,
nausea or vomiting, or stomach cramps or pain could occur.  Your doctor may
want to decrease your dosage gradually.
     * Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant.  Although side effects
in humans have not been thoroughly studied, 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.
