Suprenza

Suprenza is a prescription medicine used for weight loss.  It is taken for a limited amount of time by overweight adults, along with exercise and a low-fat diet. Suprenza belongs to a group of drugs called anorectics. It works by decreasing appetite.

Suprenza is available as an orally disintegrating tablet and is usually taken in the morning, with or without food.

Common side effects of Suprenza include dry mouth, fast heart beat, insomnia, and dizziness.

Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Suprenza affects you.

Suprenza is a prescription medicine used to help adults lose weight.  It is taken for a limited amount of time by overweight people who are exercising and eating a low-calorie diet.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends will be individualized to obtain an adequate response with the lowest effective dose.

The typical adult dose is one tablet in the morning, with or without food.

Suprenza is available as 15 mg, 30 mg, or 37.5 mg orally disintegrating tablets.

Serious side effects have been reported with Suprenza including the following:

• Primary pulmonary hypertension. This is a condition when there is high blood pressure in the arteries to your lungs. Your doctor may stop treatment with Suprenza if you develop this complication. Symptoms include
  • shortness of breath during routine activity, such as climbing two flights of stairs
  • tiredness
  • chest pain
  • a racing heartbeat
  • pain on the upper right side of the abdomen
  • decreased appetite
• Development of Tolerance. Suprenza is a controlled substance. There is a potential for developing tolerance. Tolerance to the anorectic effect usually develops within a few weeks. When tolerance to the Suprenza develops, the recommended dose should not be exceeded in an attempt to increase the effect. Instead Suprenza should be discontinued.

• Effect on the Ability to Engage in Potentially Hazardous Tasks.  Suprenza may impair the ability of the patient to drive or operate heavy machinery. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Suprenza affects you.

• Risk of Abuse and Dependence. Suprenza should not be stopped all of a sudden especially if Suprenza dose is high. This can lead to serious problems.

• Valvular heart disease.

• Use in Patients with Hypertension. Patients with even mild hypertension (high blood pressure) are at risk of an increase in blood pressure if taking Suprenza.

• Risk of Allergic Reactions due to Tartrazine. Suprenza 15 mg and 30 mg ODT contains FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), which may cause allergic-type reactions (including bronchial asthma) in certain susceptible individuals. Although the overall incidence of FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) sensitivity in the general population is low, it is frequently seen in patients who also have aspirin hypersensitivity.

You should not take Suprenza if you have:

• are allergic to Suprenza or to any of its ingredients
• heart disease
• lung disease
• hyperthyroidism
• glaucoma
• a history of drug abuse or dependence
• agitated state
• depression being treated with certain antidepressant medications called MAOI inhibitors

Suprenza should not be used during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Suprenza can cause primary pulmonary hypertension, a rare but serious and sometimes fatal side effect. This is a condition where the pressure of the arteries in your lungs increases, causing more pressure on your heart which can lead to heart failure and death. The first symptoms is often shortness of breath or lightheadedness during activity. Other symptoms include:

• Ankle and leg swelling
• Bluish color of the lips or skin 
• Chest pain or pressure, usually in the front of the chest
• Dizziness or fainting spells
• Tiredness
• Increased abdomen size
• Weakness

Common side effects include:

• High blood pressure
• fast heart beats
• insomnia
• dizziness
• rash
• diarrhea
• tremors
• constipation

This is not a complete list of Suprenza side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• fluoxetine (Prozac)
• fluvoxamine (Luvox) 
• guanethidine
• oral hypoglycemic medications for diabetes
• insulin (you may need to increase your dose of insulin while taking Suprenza)
• medications for weight loss and depression
• paroxetine (Paxil)
• sertraline (Zoloft)
• monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar) and tranylcypromine (Parnate)

This is not a complete list of Suprenza drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Suprenza falls into category X. Suprenza should not be used during pregnancy because weight loss offers no potential benefit to a pregnant woman and may result in fetal harm. There are no situations where the benefits of the medication for the mother outweigh the risks of harm to the baby. These medicines should never be used by pregnant women.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Suprenza crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Suprenza.

Try not to take phentermine in the late evening, so you do not have trouble falling asleep.

Phentermine should only be used for short-term (a few weeks).

Phentermine is a controlled substance. There is a potential for developing tolerance.