Reductil Information

Reductil (sibutramine) is a powerful weight loss medication that is available on prescription only. Sibutramine is known as Meridia in the United States and Canada. Reductil works in a way which allows patients being treated with it to feel satisfied with less food. Reductil is centrally acting so it has a lot of potential side effects. We have listed most of the identified side effects below. Most people do not get side effects but care must be taken to ensure that this is an appropriate medication for you so, as with any medical consultation, we require a full disclosure of your medical details in order to determine if Reductil or any other weight loss medication is safe and in your best interests. The combination of Reductil and certain other medications can have disastrous consequences.

The information set out below is derived from the authorised patient information leaflet and it is intended to be as comprehensive as possible. If you have any questions about Reductil after our doctor has offered to prescribe this medication, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We cannot give you the prices of any prescription medication before you have a consultation with our doctor but we guarantee to beat the price of any other UK website offering the same service if we can verify that they are a bone fide operator, prescribing genuine Reductil.

Description of Reductil

Reductil is designed for people who need to lose weight. Reductil will make you feel satisfied with less food but you may still get hungry, you will simply eat less. Reductil has been shown to help people to lose weight even if they have been unable to do so before.

Reductil should be taken as an adjunct to diet and exercise. Reductil is essentially designed to help you make changes to your life which can be continued after you come off Reductil. Every initial prescription for Reductil comes with an enrolment pack for the Change for Life programme, which provides you with online assistance with your weight loss programme.

Is Reductil suitable for you?

When you register with The Online Clinic or with any doctors’ practice, you should make a full disclosure about your entire medical history so that the healthcare professional who has been assigned to you is able to make an informed judgment as to what might be an appropriate treatment. A failure to disclose any information may pose a threat to your health.

Reductil is a powerful medication and can have very serious consequences for your wellbeing if it is not appropriate for you. If any of the following apply and you have not disclosed this information to the doctor who reviewed your consultation, do not take Reductil before you speak to him or her:

• You are allergic to sibutramine, or to any of the other ingredients of Reductil. A full list of ingredients is at the bottom of this page;
• You have high blood pressure, or a history of heart problems, hardening of the arteries or if you have ever had a stroke;
• You have liver or kidney problems or if you have problems with your prostate or thyroid glands or growths on the adrenal glands;
• You are over 65;
• You have a history of psychiatric illness or have taken medicines to treat depression or psychiatric illness;
• You have taken tryptophan for disturbed sleep, or any other weight loss medication recently (in the last month);
• You have the eye disease, glaucoma or if there is a family history of this condition, whether it is open angle or closed angle;
• You have a history of drug or alcohol problems;
• You have Gilles de Tourette syndrome;
• You have an intolerance to some sugars;
• You have epilepsy;
• You have a family history of tics – movements or speech that you can’t control;
• You have a medical condition which means that you are predisposed to bleeding, including heavy periods, bleeding from the stomach or bowels, bleeding from the gums or bruising.

Pregnancy and Breast-Feeding

You must not take Reductil if you are pregnant or if you are breast-feeding. The action of sibutramine (the active ingredient in Reductil) will be harmful to the baby in both circumstances. If there is any danger that you can become pregnant while on Reductil, we strongly recommend that you take contraceptive precautions.

Checking your blood pressure

It is essential that you have your blood pressure checked regularly while on Reductil. The Online Clinic recommends that patients have their blood pressure and heart rate monitored every two weeks for the first three months while taking Reductil and monthly thereafter. Some patients choose to buy a home monitor to save them the fortnightly trip to the GP practice. Most gyms also have blood pressure monitors. If you use the blood pressure monitor at the gym, please ensure that you take your blood pressure before your work out rather than after the work out. We require you to report back your blood pressure and heart rate at regular intervals using a secure update form. An e-mail reminder will be sent to you to make sure that you do not forget to login and provide this necessary information. Only around 10% of Reductil patients experience a rise in blood pressure. A rise in blood pressure can be very dangerous so it is important that all Reductil patients adhere to this requirement.

Reductil and alcohol

It is best not to drink alcohol during your weight loss programme with Reductil. The alcohol will not interact with Reductil but alcohol is a source of dead calories which will only lead to weight gain, thereby making it harder for you to reach your target!

Driving and using machines

It is possible that Reductil will affect your judgement skills so it is better that you do not drive or use machinery if you find that Reductil has had this effect on you.

Taking Reductil with other medicines

We expect you to make a full disclosure to us about any medications that you are taking when you register with The Online Clinic. If you have forgotten to mention any medication, or if you have been prescribed a medication after you registered, please contact us to make sure that it is compatible with any medication that we have prescribed. This list is not exhaustive but here are some medications which are not compatible with Reductil:

• certain antibiotics, such as rifampicin, erythromycin and clarithromycin;
• certain “over the counter” cough, cold, allergy and decongestant medicines, as these can raise blood pressure;
• epilepsy medicines, such as carbamazepine, phenobarbital (phenobarbitone), phenytoin;
• antifungal medicines, such as ketoconazole or itraconazole;
• migraine medicines, such as sumatriptan and dihydroergotamine;
• opioid pain-killers, such as fentanyl, pentazocine, pethidine, dextromethorphan.
• steroid drugs and drugs which affect the immune system, such as cyclosporin, dexamethasone;
• anti-coagulants, such as heparin, warfarin, clopidogrel.

Do not take Reductil with anti-depressants under any circumstances.

Taking Reductil

Take 1 capsule every morning.
Swallow it whole, with a glass of water.
Do not increase your dose without speaking to your doctor first.
You can take Reductil with or without food.

It is unusual to get withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking Reductil. On rare occasions, some people may get headaches or have increased appetites once they stop taking the capsules.

Potential side effects

Some people taking Reductil get side effects. Most people do not, however. Most people who get side effects get them early on (in the first four weeks) and find they wear off over time. Generally, side effects are mild enough for people to decide to carry on taking Reductil.

The most common side effects

• Loss of appetite
• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Problems sleeping

Other common side effects

• Fast heartbeats
• Palpitations
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Raised blood pressure
• Hot flushes
• Feeling sick
• Making haemorrhoids worse
• Sweating
• Sensing odd tastes
• Light-headedness
• Pins and needles
• Headaches
• Feeling anxious

Uncommon side effects

• Kidney problems
• Raised levels of liver enzymes in tests
• Purple rash on legs
• Bruising
• Seizures
• Blurred vision,
• Depression,
• Suicidal thoughts
• Feeling restless
• Hair loss
• Short term memory loss
• Bleeding from the stomach or bowels
• Impotence
• Menstrual disorders.

If you get any of these uncommon effects, stop taking Reductil and talk to a doctor straight away.

Other precautions

If you get breathing problems, chest pains or swollen ankles while you’re taking the capsules, stop taking Reductil and talk to a doctor straight away.

Allergic reactions including rashes have been reported. In very rare cases difficulty in breathing, fainting and swelling of the face and throat can occur which may need emergency treatment. These symptoms can be accompanied by sickness, headache and fever. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop taking Reductil and talk to a doctor straightaway.

Ingredients

The active substance in Reductil is sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate.
Other ingredients: dimeticone, iron oxides and hydroxides (E172), gelatin, colloidal anhydrous silica, indigo carmine (E132), lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium lauryl sulphate, shellac, soybean lecithin (E322), titanium dioxide (E171). Reductil 10 mg also contains quinoline yellow (E104).

Do not take Reductil if you are allergic to any of these ingredients.