Update: Meridia Banned from U.S. Market
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested that Abbott Laboratories remove the diet pill Meridia from the market. The company issued a voluntary recall October 8, 2010 after study results showed a connection between the diet pill and some severe cardiac side effects and death.
If you or a loved one has suffered a heart attack, stroke or other cardiac problem while taking Meridia, you may qualify to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for your suffering. Find out more information by contacting a Meridia diet drug lawyer today.
Call 800-297-1796 and schedule a FREE case evaluation.
Meridia Diet Drug Side Effects Information
The Meridia diet drug was first approved in 1997, one
year after the FDA advisory committee voted 5-4 that the benefits
of Meridia did not outweigh the risks. Meridia had received
a review from an FDA medical officer concluding that a non-approval
was recommended due to the significant increase in blood pressure
and heart rate in many people.
Meridia Diet Drug Adverse Effects
Meridia weight loss pills have been associated to potentially
fatal and serious conditions. Abbott Laboratories’ patient
information warns Meridia patients of primary pulmonary hypertension
(PPH), which has no known cause but is a rare and sometimes
fatal disease.
Typically, the most common Meridia weight loss pill adverse
effects include:
- headache
- dry mouth
- anorexia
- constipation
- insomnia.
More side effects include:
- Stroke
- Seizures
- Increase in blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Increase in heart rate
- Mental impairments
- Increased sweating
Meridia Diet Drug FAQ's
1. What is Meridia?
Meridia (sibutramine) is an oral prescription medication that
is used to manage obesity through weight loss and the maintenance
of weight loss. Meridia is the first orally administered serotonin
and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) that has been
used for the management of obesity.
2. How does Meridia work?
Sibutramine is supposed to aid weight loss by affecting appetite
control centers in the brain to reduce food intake by increasing
satiety.
3. What are Meridia side effects?
Meridia is under FDA review in response to the petition filed
by consumer advocacy group Public Citizen to immediately ban
the sales of sibutramine. This action was prompted by the
29 deaths and hundreds of serious Meridia side effects that
have been reported. The side effects that Meridia weight loss
pills have been associated to are serious and deadly. In Meridia’s
patient information it warns patients about pulmonary hypertension
(PPH), which is a rare and sometimes fatal disease. PPH causes
high blood pressure in the lungs that leads to a feeling of
constant breathlessness with minimal exertion, fatigue, dizzy
spells, fainting, and chest pain, and there is no known cause
of PPH.
Cardiac valve dysfunction, or heart valve disease may also
be a Meridia side effect risk. Heart valve disease causes
the valves in the heart to allow blood flow backwards through
them. The most common Meridia side effects include, headache,
dry mouth, anorexia, constipation, insomnia, increase in blood
pressure, increase in heart rate, mental impairments, heart
disease, stroke, seizures, and increased sweating.
4. Why has a petition been filed to the FDA to ban Meridia?
Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen submitted a petition
to the FDA on March 19, 2002. The request comes after the
29 deaths and hundreds of serious Meridia side effects that
have been reported which have led Public Citizen to find the
risks of Meridia to outweigh the benefits. The FDA first approved
Meridia despite their advisory board voting against it. Public
Citizen also thinks that the FDA must raise the standard for
approval of diet drugs and require drug makers to show an
actual health benefit instead of relying on short-term studies.
5. Who is the Public Citizen?
Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy
organization founded by Ralph Nader in 1971 to represent consumer
interests in Congress, the executive branch and the courts.
So far, Public Citizen has petitioned for the removal of four
other FDA approved drugs since 1996 and three of the drugs
ended up being banned and one severely restricted. Public
Citizen finds the Meridia side effects to be just as dangerous
to individuals.
6. What is the FDA’s response to Public Citizen’s
petition?
The FDA will now be considering Public Citizen’s petition
and determine if the Meridia side effects are acceptable or
if the safety issues outweigh the benefits. There is a Europe
wide investigation on the safety of diet drug Meridia, and
most recently and investigation in Canada has also been launched.
7. Do I have any rights if I have been injured taking
Meridia?
Anyone who has taken Meridia and has suffered the adverse
health effects associated to the weight loss pill please contact
us.
8. What potential claims may I file?
Most cases involving a prescription drug, such as Meridia,
that have dangerous side effects undisclosed will claim for
negligence. Other claims may include strict liability for
a defective product or for failure to warn, a breach of express
warranty, or a breach of implied warranty and unjust enrichment.
If
you would like to speak to an expert Meridian diet drug attorney,
contact us.
Contact a Meridia Diet Drug Lawyer
Meridia Resource provides you with Meridia information and
puts you in contact with a Meridia lawyer. To contact an Meridia
lawyer please click
here to receive your free consultation.
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