Phentermine (fen-ter-mean)
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about Metermine. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist. If you need any more information about Metermine please ask your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risk of you taking Metermine against the benefits it can have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may need to read it again.
Your medicine
The name of your medicine is Metermine. Metermine capsules contain the active ingredient, phentermine. Phentermine is combined with a resin which slowly releases the phentermine so the effect of Metermine lasts all day.
What Metermine is used for
This medicine is used to reduce body weight in obese or overweight patients. Your doctor will determine if you are overweight enough to use Metermine. Metermine works by directly affecting the area of the brain that controls your appetite making you feel less hungry.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
Metermine should be used as a part of an overall weight management plan which should include a medically controlled diet and exercise program.
Metermine is available only with a doctor’s prescription.
Do not give it to anyone else even if their condition is the same as yours.
Your doctor may prescribe Metermine for another purpose. If you are not sure why you are taking this medicine ask your doctor.
Before you take Metermine
When you must not take it
Do not take Metermine if you have an allergy to:
any medicine containing phentermine
any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
any other similar medicines used to reduce weight.
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
shortness of breath
wheezing or difficulty breathing
swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
rash, itching or hives on the skin
Do not give this medicine to a child under the age of 12 years.
Safety and effectiveness in children younger than 12 years have not been established.
Do not take this medicine if you have any of the following medical conditions.
very high blood pressure
high blood pressure in the lung
problems with the valves in your heart
disease related to blood vessels in the brain
severe heart disease including changes in the rhythm or rate of the heart beat
narrowing of the blood vessels due to thickening or hardening of the blood vessel wall
overactive thyroid gland
psychiatric illness including anorexia nervosa (loss of appetite) and depression
glaucoma (high pressure in the eye)
Do not use this medicine:
if you are currently taking, or have taken within the last 14 days, antidepressant medicines from the mono-amine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) class such as phenelzine (e.g. Nardil) or tranylcypromine (e.g. Parnate).
if you are allergic to Phentermine or to any of the ingredients listed under "Product Description"
if you have previously misused drugs or alcohol
Do not take this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breast-feeding.
Your doctor or pharmacist can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.
Tell your doctor if you:
have high blood pressure
have heart disease such as angina (chest pain)
have diabetes
have epilepsy
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start taking Metermine.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you get without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and Metermine may interfere with each other. These include:
any medicines for weight reduction
any medicines for depression or obsessive compulsive disorder such as fluoxetine (e.g. Prozac, Erocap, Lovan, Zactin); sertraline (e.g. Zoloft); paroxetine (e.g. Aropax); clomipramine (e.g. Anafranil, Placil)
ergot-like medicines for migraine such as ergotamine (e.g. Cafergot, Ergodryl, Migral)
any cough and cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine or phenylephrine
thyroid hormones
any medication for mental illness
medicines for lowering high blood pressure including clonidine, methyldopa or guanethidine.
These medicines may be affected by Metermine or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking this medicine.
How to take Metermine
Carefully follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the box, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
How much to take
In adults and adolescents over 12 years, the usual dose of Metermine is one capsule every day. However, your doctor will prescribe the right dose for you.
Follow your doctor’s instructions exactly and never change the dose yourself.
Increasing the dose may not necessarily make you lose more weight or make you lose weight faster. However you will most likely experience more side effects. Your doctor will tell you how long you are to take Metermine for.
How to take it
Swallow the capsules whole with plenty of water. Do not chew or open the capsules.
When to take it
Take Metermine first thing in the morning, at breakfast time so that it does not keep you awake at night.
Taking it at the same time each day will have the best effect. It will also help you remember when to take it.
It does not matter if you take this medicine before or after food.
Metermine is not recommended for elderly patients or for children younger than twelve years.
How long to take it
Take this medicine as long as your doctor tells you to.
If you forget to take it
If you forget to take your Metermine dose at breakfast take it no later than lunchtime. Alternatively, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose at the normal time on the next day. If you take Metermine any later than lunch-time you may have trouble sleeping at night.
Never take a double dose to make up for a dose you have missed.
If you have trouble remembering when to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you take too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor orgo to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Metermine. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent attention.
While you are using Metermine
Things you must do
If you are about to be started on any new medicine remind your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking Metermine.
Tell any other doctors, dentists, and pharmacists who treat you that you are taking this medicine.
If you are going to have surgery, tell the surgeon or anaesthetist that you are taking this medicine.
If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, tell your doctor immediately.
If you are about to have any blood tests tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine.
It may interfere with the results of some tests.
Keep all of your doctor's appointments so that your progress can be checked.
Tell your doctor immediately if you experience sudden or rapid weight loss, difficulty breathing, chest pain, fainting, and swelling of the lower limbs and if you cannot exercise as much as you usually can.
Things you must not do
Do not take Metermine to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give your medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Metermine affects you.
DO NOT drink alcohol whilst taking Metermine.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start to take any cough or cold medication.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Metermine.
This medicine helps most people with a weight problem but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you experience:
heart attack
stroke
angina
myocardial infarction
The above list includes very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation. These side effects are rare.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
feeling more awake than usual
trouble sleeping
your heart seems to beat faster and harder
your blood pressure may be raised slightly
irregular heart beats
chest pain
feeling restless
feelings of extreme happiness followed by depression and tiredness
nervousness
tremor (shaking)
headache
dizziness
nausea
vomiting
diarrhoea or constipation
stomach cramps
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of the following:
sudden or rapid weight loss
difficulty breathing
chest pain
fainting
swelling of the lower limbs
or if you cannot exercise as much as you usually can
dry mouth or an unpleasant taste in your mouth
difficulty passing urine
skin rashes
impotence
changes in sexual drive
swelling of the face
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people.
After using Metermine
Storage
Keep your capsules in the blister-foil in the carton until it is time to take them.
If you take the capsules out of the pack they may not keep well.
Keep Metermine in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Do not store Metermine or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep them where children cannot reach them.
A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine or the expiry date has passed, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine that is left over.
Product description
What Metermine looks like
Metermine capsules are available in three strengths in packs of 30 capsules:
Grey and reddish brown and marked METERMINE 30
Grey and orange and marked METERMINE 40
Ingredients
Metermine capsules contain:
phentermine
lactose monohydrate
liquid paraffin
magnesium stearate
gelatin
titanium dioxide
iron oxide black (CI 77499)
In addition:
Metermine 15 mg contains:
brilliant blue FCF (CI 42090)
iron oxide yellow (CI 77492)
Metermine 30 mg contains:
iron oxide red (CI 77491)
Metermine 40 mg contains:
erythrosine (CI 45430)
sunset yellow FCF (CI 15985).
Metermine capsules are gluten-free.
