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Questions & Answers
Side Effects & Adverse Reactions
Phentermine hydrochloride tablets are indicated only as short-term monotherapy for the management of exogenous obesity. The safety and efficacy of combination therapy with phentermine and any other drug products for weight loss, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine, paroxetine), have not been established. Therefore, coadministration of these drug products for weight loss is not recommended.
Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) - a rare, frequently fatal disease of the lungs – has been reported to occur in patients receiving a combination of phentermine with fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine. The possibility of an association between PPH and the use of phentermine alone cannot be ruled out; there have been rare cases of PPH in patients who reportedly have taken phentermine alone. The initial symptoms of PPH is usually dyspnea. Other initial symptoms include: angina pectoris, syncope or lower extremity edema. Patients should be advised to report immediately any deterioration in exercise tolerance. Treatment should be discontinued in patients who develop new, unexplained symptoms of dyspnea, angina pectoris, syncope or lower extremity edema.
Valvular Heart Disease: Serious regurgitant cardiac valvular disease, primarily affecting the mitral, aortic and/or tricuspid valves, has been reported in otherwise healthy persons who had taken a combination of phentermine with fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine for weight loss. The etiology of these valvulopathies has not been established and their course in individuals after the drugs are stopped is not known. The possibility of an association between valvular heart disease and the use of phentermine alone cannot be ruled out; there have been rare cases of valvular heart disease in patients who reportedly have taken phentermine alone.
Tolerance to the anorectic effect usually develops within a few weeks. When this occurs, the recommended dose should not be exceeded in an attempt to increase the effect; rather, the drug should be discontinued.
Phentermine hydrochloride may impair the ability of the patient to engage in potentially hazardous activities such as operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle; the patient should therefore be cautioned accordingly.
Usage With Alcohol: Concomitant use of alcohol with phentermine hydrochloride may result in an adverse drug interaction.
Legal Issues
There is currently no legal information available for this drug.
FDA Safety Alerts
There are currently no FDA safety alerts available for this drug.
Manufacturer Warnings
There is currently no manufacturer warning information available for this drug.
FDA Labeling Changes
There are currently no FDA labeling changes available for this drug.
Uses
Phentermine hydrochloride is indicated as a short-term (a few weeks) adjunct in a regimen of weight reduction based on exercise, behavioral modification and caloric restriction in the management of exogenous obesity for patients with an initial body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2, or
≥ 27 kg/m2 in the presence of other risk factors (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia).
Below is a chart of Body Mass Index (BMI) based on various heights and weights.
BMI is calculated by taking the patient’s weight, in kilograms (kg), divided by the patient’s height, in meters (m), squared. Metric conversions are as follows:
pounds ÷ 2.2 = kg; inches x 0.0254 = meters.
Weight (pounds) | 5’0” | 5’3” | 5’6” | 5’9” | 6’0” | 6’3” |
140 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 18 |
150 | 29 | 27 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 19 |
160 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 |
170 | 33 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 23 | 21 |
180 | 35 | 32 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 23 |
190 | 37 | 34 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 24 |
200 | 39 | 36 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 25 |
210 | 41 | 37 | 34 | 31 | 29 | 26 |
220 | 43 | 39 | 36 | 33 | 30 | 28 |
230 | 45 | 41 | 37 | 34 | 31 | 29 |
240 | 47 | 43 | 39 | 36 | 33 | 30 |
250 | 49 | 44 | 40 | 37 | 34 | 31 |
The limited usefulness of agents of this class (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY) should be measured against possible risk factors inherent in their use such as those described below.
History
There is currently no drug history available for this drug.
Other Information
Phentermine hydrochloride USP has the chemical name of α,α-Dimethylphenethylamine hydrochloride. The structural formula is as follows:
C10H15N∙HCl M.W. 185.7
Phentermine hydrochloride is a white, odorless, hygroscopic, crystalline powder which is soluble in water and lower alcohols, slightly soluble in chloroform and insoluble in ether.
Phentermine hydrochloride, an anorectic agent for oral administration, is available as a tablet containing 37.5 mg of phentermine hydrochloride (equivalent to 30 mg phentermine base).
In addition, each tablet contains the following inactive ingredients: citric acid, corn starch, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, and stearic acid.
Sources
Phentermine Manufacturers
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Actavis Elizabeth Llc
Phentermine | Actavis Elizabeth Llc
Exogenous Obesity: Dosage should be individualized to obtain an adequate response with the lowest effective dose.
The usual adult dose is one tablet (37.5 mg) daily, administered before breakfast or 1 to 2 hours after breakfast. The dosage may be adjusted to the patient’s need. For some patients 1/2 tablet (18.75 mg) daily may be adequate, while in some cases it may be desirable to give 1/2 tablet (18.75 mg) two times a day.
Late evening medication should be avoided because of the possibility of resulting insomnia.
Phentermine is not recommended for use in patients sixteen (16) years of age and under.
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