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Sibutramine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of sibutramine include headache, dizziness, and nausea, based on 1,348 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 9.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Sibutramine side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for sibutramine.

1
Drug Ineffective9.6%130
2
Headache6.1%82
3
Dizziness5.3%71
4
Nausea4.3%58
5
Weight Increased4.2%57
6
Dyspnoea3.9%53
7
Insomnia3.7%50
8
Blood Pressure Increased3.7%50
9
Palpitations3.7%50
10
Chest Pain3.1%42
11
Heart Rate Increased2.9%39
12
Hypertension2.8%38
13
Anxiety2.7%37
14
Weight Loss Poor2.6%35
15
Fatigue2.4%33

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that sibutramine caused these reactions.

Report severity

55.8%Serious752 reports
25.1%Hospitalizations338 reports
5.1%Fatal69 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Sibutramine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside sibutramine. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Ethinyl-estradiol3.6%48
2
Drospirenone2.9%39
3
Fluoxetine-hydrochloride2.3%31
4
Sildenafil-citrate2.1%28
5
Rofecoxib1.6%21
6
Hydrochlorothiazide1.3%17
7
Orlistat1.2%16
8
Exenatide-synthetic1.1%15
9
Esomeprazole1.1%15
10
Chlorpheniramine1.0%14
11
Quetiapine-fumarate1.0%14
12
Metformin1.0%13
13
Omeprazole1.0%13
14
Acetaminophen0.9%12
15
Bisacodyl0.8%11

Taken alongside

1
Levothyroxine-sodium8.4%113
2
Acetaminophen7.3%99
3
Metformin7.2%97
4
Aspirin5.7%77
5
Hydrochlorothiazide5.7%77
6
Simvastatin5.3%71
7
Furosemide4.7%64
8
Atorvastatin-calcium4.4%59
9
Ibuprofen4.3%58
10
Insulin3.7%50
11
Hydrocodone3.6%49
12
Albuterol3.6%48
13
Omeprazole3.3%45
14
Lisinopril3.3%45
15
Atenolol3.0%40

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports sibutramine side effects

77.8% of sibutramine adverse event reports involve female patients and 15.3% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 89%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female77.8%
Male15.3%
Unknown6.9%

Age group

< 20.6%
2–110.2%
12–172.1%
18–6489.1%
65+8.0%

What is sibutramine used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking sibutramine when the adverse event was reported.

Antidepressant TherapyAnxietyAppetite DisorderAstheniaAttention Deficit/hyperactivity DisorderAppetite DisorderBinge EatingBlood CholesterolBlood Cholesterol DecreasedBody Dysmorphic DisorderContraceptionDecreased AppetiteDepressionDiabetes MellitusDrug Exposure During Pregnancy

Showing 15 of 55 indications

Sibutramine brand names and reporting trend

Sibutramine is sold under the brand name Meridia.

Brand names

Meridia388

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking sibutramine with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.