The use of chemical medicine in the treatment of diseases has an old history. For so many years, people have used medicine depending on its availability. However, development in technology has brought rapid progress in the field of medicine. Today, there are numerous medicines that are used to treat a wide range of conditions. One such condition is obesity.
Apart from the traditional methods of losing weight that include dieting and exercises, there are a number of medicines that also come in handy. Sibutramine Hydrochloride Monohydrate (Meridia) drug has been used in weight management. Of late, Meridia has sparked a lot of controversy. This has been brought about by the discovery of long term effects pertaining to the drug. This paper will attempt to look at the side effects against the advantages of the Meridia drug.
Meridia has been associated with cardiovascular problems. Investigations have revealed that there are high chances of increased heart beats amongst users of the drug. A sizeable number of users have developed hypertension. It could also be associated with dilution of blood that makes the pumping by the heart much easy.
This hence quickens the flow of blood in the body. The end result is death where corrective measures do not work. In fact, deaths have been registered among the users of Meridia drug. Stroke could also attack the patients and leave them immobilized hence unable to take care of themselves. It is not clear what causes these problems but definitely, there is the element of stimulating the body.
This could lead to increased metabolism accounting for the fast heart beat. This functioning of the drug comes closer to what rigorous activity does to the body. The medical arena has registered increased numbers of patients with heart related complications. Treating these conditions has posed challenges most of which have financial dimension. That is why some medics argue that they cannot afford to have drugs adding to these problems being administered.
Other problems associated with Meridia are hallucinations and confusion. Hallucinating persons see things which do not exist or are imagined. Getting confused is when a person looses focus and is not able to account on his/her actions. These are mental conditions that could take us closer home in terms of the devastating effects of the drug.
Based on the foregoing, it is clear that the brain is not spared. It defeats common logic that an obese person could end up with mental breakdown while trying to control weight. The cause for these conditions may have some connection to the increased or reduced heart beat. Increased heart rates could strain the blood vessels in the brain triggering the confusion.
Reduced heart beats have to do with lesser flow of blood into the brain. This means that oxygen supply in the brain is insufficient. Death of cells in this case is inevitable and the onset of serious brain damage real. The problems posed by the drug are in the group of symptoms that form ill mental health. It is worth noting that a drug affecting the brain to the level of hallucinating or getting confused is dangerous to use.
The benefits of Meridian when used as dieting drug are worthwhile. Studies have revealed that patients using the drug have potential to lose weight up to 4%. Some of them shed more weight than this percentage. This means that the drug is effective in weight management. It is truly a weapon against the obesity monster.
Its performance is outstanding when it is compared to other dieting drugs in the market. When we take a look at the existing non medicine methods of losing weight, it is clear that Meridia is a better option. Dieting calls for concerted efforts and many a times it fails. The patients experience high appetites that may become uncontrollable. One may skip a meal only to eat more than is expected in subsequent meals.
Dieting requires discipline but many loopholes are created and more often than not it does not work. Similar trends are experienced while excising. This leaves a clear choice for the use of Meridia. Taking the drugs is an easy routine to follow. As noted at the beginning of this paper, this drug can be seen as a product of the latest technology. It has really targeted the purpose for which it was developed.
In conclusion, it is apparent that the disadvantages for this drug surpass the advantages. The side effects discussed here are about 20% of the total. There are other symptoms which may not appear as serious as the ones discussed. This does not however mean that they could be overlooked. It is common knowledge that with progression of the symptoms, the patient is bound to face serious repercussions in the end. When a drug meant to control a condition end up causing death, it is only fair that it is withdrawn from the market.
The authorities should not sit back and watch as innocent people get harmed. There has been an ongoing debate by experts concerning the drug. The issue seems to have divided these experts into two. There is the group which has maintained that the drug should be withdrawn from the market all together based on its side effects.
The other group insists that there is no need to withdraw it. All of them seem to agree on the side effects with second group advising that the drug should be used on prescription by a physician. This advice is a manifestation of the fact that the drug is harmful. The role of the physician is to carry out examinations on the patient. If such a patient has a history of hypertension, then the usage of the drug is not recommended.
This is tantamount to going round the problem instead of facing it head on. It is also wrong to point fingers at the wrong causes of health problems among patients using the drug. On the other hand, the world today is faced by the ever increasing cases of obesity. Many children are becoming obese and the scientists have attributed this to poor feeding habits. Many other people and particularly those on drugs are experiencing obesity.
Curbing this menace hence becomes a priority. The drug in question has proofed its success and contains elements that are important when it comes to weight management. It would be prudent to identify the elements that cause the side effects so as to rebrand the drug. In the face of modern technology, improvement on the existing drug is possible. It would be an easier option to do adjustments to the drug as opposed to banning it.