• Tachycardia (erratic heart beat)
• Elevation of blood pressure
• Restlessness
• Dizziness and tremors
• Insomnia
• Euphoria
• Headache
• Psychotic episodes (occur rarely at recommended doses).

Therefore, the minimum effective dose of the drug should be used in every case. Other possible side effects include dryness of the mouth and unpleasant taste, diarrhea, constipation, skin allergy, changes in sex drive, and occassionally even impotence.

Long term therapy with Adipex, especially in combination with another class of appetite suppressants called SSRI’s (also used in depression) can lead to permanent alterations in the blood vessels of the lung and the inner lining of the heart. This can cause abnormal functioning of the heart valves.

Awareness of this possibility is essential and any deterioration in tolerance for exercise (heavy breathing, etc) should be immediately reported. Treatment will need to be discontinued if new, unexplained symptoms like breathing difficulty, chest pain, episodes of unconsciousness or lower limb swelling should occur. For the same reason Adipex must be avoided in people with existing defects in blood flow through the lungs and abnormally functioning heart valves.

The potential of drug abuse needs to be kept in mind for physicians prescribing Adipex. Regular monitoring for signs of insomnia, irritability, hyperactivity, personality changes and signs of “drug seek” behavior is essential. The most severe manifestation of chronic abuse is psychosis, often differing very little from full-blown schizophrenia.

Abrupt cessation following a prolonged period of treatment may result in extreme fatigue, mental depression, and changes in sleep patterns. This drug should be tapered off gradually.

An overdose of Adipex diet pills may result in restlessness, tremor, rapid respiration, confusion, aggressiveness, hallucinations and panic states. It may also result in irregular heart beats, hypertension or hypotension, even circulatory collapse. Gastrointestinal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Fatigue and depression usually follow this state of over-stimulation.

Fatal poisoning usually terminates in convulsions and coma.

In the event of a suspected overdose, medical attention needs to be sought. Depending on the severity of the reaction, admission for observation, sedation and intravenous therapy for elevated blood pressure may be required.

How does Adipex work?

Adipex diet pills are said to mimic the action of sympathetic nervous system. This property has been found to be useful in the management of obesity. However, this appetite suppressing action of these drugs in treating obesity may not be the only explanation for their action. Other central nervous system actions, or metabolic effects, may be involved.

Adipex may be prescibed by a physician if a patient has failed to make progress on a conventional diet and exercise program over a period of 6 months. What’s “failure”, you ask? It’s usually described as the inability to lose about 1 lbs. per week of weight.

Therapy begins with 30 mg of the Adipex diet pill taken two hours before breakfast. This dosage is effective for suppression of appetite for a period of 12-14 hours. This effectively covers the period of the day in which food intake is most likely to occur. It’s a good idea to take Adipex in the morning, because taking it later in the day can lead to possible sleep disturbances. It’s stimulatory effect will go mostly unnoticed during the day and therefore, late evening administration of the drug is avoided.

The FDA recommends therapy for a duration of no longer than three months with Adipex diet pills. Natural mechanisms of the body to maintain a baseline environment cause an adaptation to the stimulatory actions of the drug. This leads to a tolerance and a gradual ineffectiveness of the drug as an appetite suppressant. Additionally, the absence of data relating to safety and efficacy of the drug after three months of therapy also is a factor for the short duration of prescription.

After therapy with Adipex diet pills for 3 months, it is unlikely that further increase in dose would bring about any continued weight loss and it is important not to increase the dose in anticipation of such an effect. Deviating from a previously tolerated dose is one of the major reasons for complications when using Adipex to support weight loss.

Adipex precautions:

The drug is not advisable for patients with co-existing diseases like advanced arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, moderate to severe hypertension, hyperthyroidism, glaucoma and known allergy to sympathomimetic drugs.

Adipex, when taken with antidepressants or with 14 days of them, may lead to very high blood-pressure. Adipex diet pills may elevate blood pressure and hence should be avoided even in mild hypertension.They may also decrease the efficacy of some antihypertensive drugs. The insulin requirements in diabetic patients who are on adipex will require modification as well.

Adipex diet pills should be taken by pregnant women only if it is decided that the benefits to the mother outweighs the risk to the fetus. In view of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, mothers taking Adipex must not breast feed their child. The drug is not meant to be used in patients below the age of 16.

Adipex 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.

One set of side effects are a result of its stimulatory action on the sympathetic nervous system. These include restlessness, sleeplessness, tremors, headaches, dizziness, blurring of vision. This may result in elevated blood pressure and an increased heart rate. If that weren’t enough, there are other related side effects as well. These include dryness of the mouth, nausea, diarrhea constipation, stomach pain, increased urination and changes in sexual drive. .

The second mechanism that results in Bontril side effects is the hypersensitivity that some patients have to this drug. Such an allergic reaction can manifest itself as itching, rash, blebs or swelling of the lips and eyelids. Such symptoms warrant an immediate termination of drug therapy. Continued therapy in such an individual experiencing such side effects can lead to anaphylactic shock and respiratory arrest.

Drug abuse:

Abuse of amphetamines and related drugs like Bontril may be associated with intense psychological dependence and severe social dysfunction. Signs suggestive of abuse include skin changes, irritability, hyperactivity, aggressiveness and personality changes. Prolonged use of Bontril diet pills at doses much higher than therapeutic recommendations have led to psychosis not unlike that seen in Schizophrenia.

Overdose:

An acute overdosae of the drug will result in symptoms like: unusual restlessness, confusion, belligerence, hallucinations, and panic states. Fatigue and depression usually follow the central stimulation. It may also result in…

i) very low blood pressure or very high blood pressure

ii) nausea

iii) vomiting

iv) diarrhea

v) abdominal cramps.

Poisoning may result in convulsions, coma, and death. The management of a Bontrol overdose is largely symptomatic. It includes hospitalization with intravenous sedation. If hypertension is marked, the use of a powerful anti-hypertensive may be administered under cardiovascular monitoring. There is no specific antidote or modality available to remove the drug from the system.

How does Bontril work?

The action of Bontril diet pills is very similar to that of amphetamines, which act upon the brain to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. It is believed that the appetite suppression seen with this type of drug results from a combination of this central action and other unknown effects on metabolism. Because of its ability to surpress appetite, Bontril is known as an “anorexiant.”

Bontril may be prescibed by a physician if a patient has failed to make progress on a conventional diet and exercise program, and the cause of obesity has been determined to be exogenous (related to eating behavior) with no underlying hormonal or metabolic abnormality.

Bontril treatment guidelines:

Bontril diet pills are prescribed in 35 mg increments, distributed over 12 hours. The maximum permissible dose is 70 mg three times a day. The drug should be taken 1 or 2 hours prior to a meal. Late evening dosing should be avoided for fear of causing insomnia at night. The lowest possible amount of drug should be prescribed since this class of drug has a very narrow safety margin.

Therapy with Bontril diet pills should be re-evaluated at the end of 4 week period.If the patient has lost less than 2 kg/4.5 lbs., then Bontril may not be the ideal treatment — either the dose should be increased or a different drug should be used.

This drug should not be used beyond a 3 month period for two reasons…

One, the body develops tolerance to its appetite suppressing effects and would fail to respond even to increased doses. The other is the absence of clear documentation regarding effectiveness and safety of the drug beyond a 12 week period.

Contraindications:

Bontril diet pills are not to be used in people…

i) with known allergic reactions to this class of drugs (the sympathomimetics).

ii) suffering from advanced arteriosclerosis, heart disease, moderate to severe hypertension, thyroid abnormalities & glaucoma

iii) with a past history of drug dependence or abuse (as with all centrally acting stimulants, Bontril diet pills have a potential for abuse)

iv) who use drugs that act on the brain or the heart and blood vessels. Such combinations may can alter the magnitude of each individual drug’s response and can also aggravate the underlying disease.

v) under 12 years of age.

Precautions:

As Bontril diet pills can elevate the blood pressure, caution is has to be exercised in prescribing for patients with even mild hypertension. It may also interfere with the action of other anti-hypertensive medications — Guanethidine is a good example.

In patients with diabetes, the insulin requirements and the concomitant dietary regimen may be altered in association with the use of the drug.

Bontril diet pills are not be taken by women who are, or may become pregnant. The exception to this? If the opinion of the physician is that the potential benefits outweight the possible hazards.

The body develops tolerance to the weight loss effects of Bontril diet pills within a few weeks. The recommended dosage should never be exceeded in an attempt to increase the effect. Instead, drug therapy needs to be stopped. Increasing the dose at this point will only broaden the spectrum of its side effects.

Abrupt cessation following high-dosage administration results in extreme fatigue and mental depression; changes are also noted on the sleep pattern. It is recommended therefore, that the dosage be “tapered off” over time.

Patients on this drug are to be cautioned against operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle.

Side effects of Ionamine diet pills are significant. On the one hand, the stimulatory action of the drug can cause complications. Then there are issues related to allergic reactions, drug interactions, overdose and drug abuse. All relevant guidelines need to be kept in mind and therapy should be closely monitored by a qualified physician.

Ionamin’s excitation of the sympathetic nervous system affects almost every organ in the human body.

At doses bordering on tolerance levels, hyper-stimulation of the cardiovascular system can produce uneasy and discomforting heart rhythms or heart rates, and high blood pressure. At higher dosages, side effects include restlessness, sleeplessness, irritability, tremors and headache. The normal motility of the gut and the urinary bladder can also be disrupted. This can lead to diarrhea, constipation, urinary frequency, painful urination and changes in libido.

Ionamine diet pills should only be used after accounting for all the possible interactions with the other drugs that a person might be taking. Unnecessary side effects arising out of drug incompatibility and interactions can thus be prevented.

The efficacy of anti-hypertensive drugs can be reduced, while the effect of diabetic drugs is enhanced while on Ionamine therapy. Appropriate dose adjustments may be necessary. Other drugs that act on the brain can cuase problems when taken in conjunction with Ionamine. Being a central nervous stimulant, Ionamine can enhance the effects of other stimulants and anti-depressants.

Simultaneous use with anti-depressants called SSRI’s is not recommended as host of cardiovascular side effects can result. For unknown reasons, this combination of drugs makes the blood vessels in the lungs and the inner lining of the heart very stiff. The blood circulation in the lungs and the flow through the heart is disrupted, leading to inefficient blood distribution through both these organs.

Another group of centrally acting drugs that interact with Ionamine are Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MOA). These should never be taken together, or within 14 days of each other.

The third type of problem that arises with Ionamine is the rare but serious hypersensitivity to the drug. Symptoms start with itching, rash, transient blebs, swelling of the lips and eyelids.

Discontinuation of therapy and symptomatic treatment should be resorted to in such cases.

The last consideration is the potential for drug dependence. This is a complex problem. Due consideration should be given to any psychological, social and past medical history that indicates any potential for abuse prior to starting therapy. Ionamine diet pills are also unsuitable for persons with suspected eating disorders (i.e., Bulimia and Anorexia nervosa), where there are pre-existing problems of starvation and malnourishment.

Keeping this discussion in mind, Ionamine diet pills should be taken under medical supervision, and only if the appropriate clinical indications and situations exist for their use. Suitable adjustments must be made for any pre-existing medical condition — like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, drug abuse, anxiety and current medications.