Contraindications And Precautions For Sibutramine
Introduction
As for taking any drug there are some contraindications and precautions for Sibutramine that you should be aware of. A contraindication is simply an existing and known factor in a patient’s condition that would knowingly make it unwise to pursue a course of treatment with a particular drug. Whilst you might have a pre-existing condition that may mean your physician is unable to prescribe Sibutramine; he or she will also be able to make the judgment between the possible impact of the precaution giving concern compared to the positive health benefits of you losing weight, as an obese or overweight person.
Establishing contraindications and precautions for drugs
Reductil (Sibutramine) should be taken with care
Before a drug such as Sibutramine, the appetite suppressant for obese people, is released for sale it has to have undergone both laboratory and clinical studies to ensure that it is ‘fit for purpose’. These trials and studies will establish if the treatment is suitable for all or, as is usually the case, if certain groups of people should avoid a particular treatment. The complexity of modern medicine often means that some groups of people are recommended to avoid certain types of medication. As a simple and common example, those with sensitive stomachs are advised to avoid aspirin. So, if you have any of the following pre-existing conditions, or suspect that you might have them, it is important that you discuss them with your physician before embarking on a course of Sibutramine treatment to help you lose weight.
Who should avoid Sibutramine?
The following are some of the groups of people that should avoid taking Sibutramine. If you are taking certain types of anti-depressants known as MOA inhibitors you may well not be able to have Sibutramine at the same time. The reason for this is that Sibutramine is a centrally-acting serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and, unfortunately, MOA inhibitors themselves work on serotonin and norepinephrine; meaning that taking Sibutramine concurrently with an MOA inhibitor needs to be avoided. Unless there is some other known medical contraindication this should not present a major problem to your physician, who may be able to prescribe you an alternative anti-depressant instead. Particular MOA inhibitors to be avoided are Moclobemide, Phenelzine, Selegiline and Tranylcypromine. Other anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs to be avoided if taking Sibutramine include: Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine, Paroxetine, Sertaline, Venlafaxine and Haloperidol. Unfortunately taking herbal supplements as a remedy for depression when using Sibutramine, instead of one of the above listed drugs, is also to be avoided.
St John’s Wort in particular is to be avoided, but so too are herbal supplements like Valerian. Indeed, ideally you should avoid taking any herbal remedies whilst using Sibutramine, unless it has been approved by your physician. If you should already be taking any other weight loss pills or diet pills you would have to cease taking them before starting your course of Sibutramine treatment. Needless to say, once started on the Sibutramine treatment you should not then take any other appetite suppressants. It is frequently the case that overweight or obese people have hyper-tension, high blood pressure. If your hypertension is not yet under control you should not start a course of weight loss with Sibutramine. Instead get your physician to prescribe the appropriate drugs to control the hypertension, then when your blood pressure is under control you can start to lose weight with the Sibutramine. If you already have your hypertension under control, then you can start your course of Sibutramine treatment immediately.
Anyone who has had coronary problems may also be excluded form using Sibutramine. Apart from anyone who has suffered a heart attack, congestive heart failure, those with coronary artery disease, an abnormal heart rhythm, transient ischemic attacks or a stroke must consult with their physician first. Needless to say it is feasible that just about anyone could suffer an allergic reaction to just about any new drug that they start to take, and the same is true for Sibutramine. In this respect your physician, based on previously known records especially those arising from blood tests, might be able to predict a possible allergic reaction to you from taking Sibutramine.
Anorexics and Sibutramine
Sibutramine is a highly effective weight loss aid and, as such, can be sought by anorexics. As is well documented anorexia is a serious condition that needs specialist treatment to cure the sufferer from believing that they constantly/obsessively need to lose weight. Therefore, anyone with the precondition of anorexia should not be allowed to take Sibutramine.