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Are there any drug interactions with Meridia?

Meridia (brand name for sibutramine) is an appetite suppressant drug that’s prescribed for weight loss. Meridia should not be taken with drugs called monoamine oxidase inhibitors such as Eldepryl (selegiline), Parnate (tranylcypromine), and Nardil (phenelzine), that are used to treat depression and Parkinson’s Disease. You should not take Meridia with other prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal weight loss drugs. Do not combine Meridia with drugs that may increase levels of serotonin, a chemical in the brain. Drugs that increase serotonin include antidepressants such as Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Luvox (fluvoxamine), Celexa (citalopram), Paxil (paroxetine), and Effexor (venlafaxine) and medicines for migraines such as including Imitrex (sumatriptan), Zomig (zolmitriptan) and Migranal (dihydroergotamine). This is not a complete list of possible drug interactions. If you are currently taking other medications it is very important that you tell your doctor and pharmacist about them before taking Meridia.

Sources:
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2006.
Drug Facts and Comparisons, Facts & Comparisons, 2006.
Meridia product information. Abbott Laboratories, Inc.,2006.
Bray GA . “Medicinal Strategies in the Treatment of Obesity”, Nature, 404 (2000).

This answer prepared 6/12/2000.
This information updated 11/30/2006.