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Drug Interactions |
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Phentermine should not be
taken with drugs called monoamine oxidase inhibitors such as
selegiline (Eldepryl), tranylcypromine (Parnate), and
phenelzine (Nardil) that are used to treat depression and
Parkinsons disease. You should not take Phentermine with
other prescription weight loss drugs like sibutramine (Meridia).
Consult your physician before taking Phentermine with other
over-the-counter or herbal weight loss drugs.
It is important to inform your doctor about all other
medications being taken prior to taking Phentermine. Your
doctor may conclude that Phentermine should not be taken while
using a particular medication, or may decide to alter the
dosage of either Phentermine or the other medication when the
two are taken together. Certain medications may cause
complications when taken at the same time as Phentermine.
These include:
Amantadine (example - Symmetrel)
Amphetamines
Caffeine (example - cold medications)
Chlophedianol (example - Ulone)
Cocaine
Asthma and other breathing medications
Cold, sinus and allergy medications
Methylphenidate (example - Ritalin)
Nabilone (example - Cesamet)
Pemoline (example - Cylert)
Appetite suppressants (example - other diet pills)
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (example -
citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox),
paroxetine
(Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft)
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor activity (example -
isocarboxazid (Marplan), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil),
procarbazine (Matulane), selegiline (Eldepryl),
tranylcypromine (Parnate)
Tricyclic antidepressants (example - amitriptyline (Elavil),
amoxapine (Asendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Pertofrane),
doxepin (Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Aventyl),
protriptyline (Vivactil), trimipramine (Surmontil)
Do not take Phentermine if you've previously experienced an
allergic reaction to Phentermine or any other sympathomimetic
appetite suppressant. Inform your doctor, prior to taking
Phentermine, if you have had allergic reactions to any of the
following drugs: amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, ephedrine,
epinephrine, isoproterenol, norepinephrine, phenylephrine,
metaproterenol, methamphetamine, phenylpropanolamine,
pseudoephedrine, or terbutaline.
Whenever two or more drugs are taken concurrently, there is a
chance that there will be an interaction among the drugs. The
interaction may increase or decrease the effectiveness and/or
the side effects of the drugs. It also may result in a new
side effect, that is, a side effect not seen with the use of
any one drug alone. The likelihood of drug interactions
increases as the number of drugs being taken by a patient
increases. Therefore, people who take several medications are
at the greatest risk for interactions. Drug interactions
contribute to the cost of healthcare because of the medical
care costs that are required to treat them. Interactions can
also lead to pain and suffering that could be avoided. This
month's topic discusses the issue of drug interactions and
several ways to avoid them. |
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