Benzphetamine, Oral

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KEY POINTS

• This medicine is taken by mouth to control your appetite. Take it exactly as directed.
• Keep all appointments for tests to see how this medicine affects you.
• This medicine may cause pulmonary hypertension or other unwanted side effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that are serious, continue, or get worse.
• This medicine may cause life-threatening problems if you take this medicine with certain other medicines. Tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take.

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What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: appetite suppressant

Generic and brand names: benzphetamine, oral; Regimex

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is taken by mouth to control your appetite. Along with a sensible diet and exercise plan, it can help you lose weight.

This medicine should be used only for a short time (a few weeks).

This medicine may be used to treat other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• An allergic reaction to any medicine
• A stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• Diabetes
• Glaucoma
• Hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis)
• Heart problems, angina, or high blood pressure
• High blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension)
• Kidney disease
• Mental health problems such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, or depression
• Problems with alcohol or drug abuse
• Seizures
• Thyroid problems
• Tourette's syndrome

Also, tell your provider if you have taken any other weight loss or appetite suppressant medicine in the last year, including prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies.

Do not take this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor within 14 days of starting or stopping this medicine. You may have serious side effects. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if you take an MAO inhibitor.

Females of childbearing age: Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant. This medicine has been reported to cause birth defects. Stop taking this medicine at the first sign that you may be pregnant and contact your healthcare provider right away. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine.

How do I take it?

Check the label on the medicine for directions about your specific dose. Take this medicine exactly as your healthcare provider prescribes. Do not increase the dosage without your healthcare provider's approval. It may be habit-forming. If you take this medicine for a long time, do not stop taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval. You may have to reduce your dose gradually.

Check with your healthcare provider before using this medicine in children under age 12.

If your healthcare provider prescribes a single daily dose of this medicine, it is best to take it in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon. If you take this medicine late in the day, it may cause trouble sleeping.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your healthcare provider.

What if I overdose?

If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.

Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: restlessness, tremors, muscle pain or weakness, fast breathing, confusion, hallucinations, panic, aggressiveness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, fainting, fast or irregular heartbeat, seizures.

What should I watch out for?

This medicine should be used only for short-term weight control. You will need regular checkups to see how this medicine affects you. Keep all appointments. Follow your healthcare provider's advice about diet, eating habits, and exercise to maintain weight loss.

This medicine may cause a rare, but serious lung problem called pulmonary hypertension. If you have problems with exercise, trouble breathing, sudden chest pain, swelling in your lower legs, or fainting, contact your healthcare provider.

Do not start or stop any medicine or supplement unless you check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist. This medicine may cause a life-threatening problem called serotonin syndrome if you take it with certain other medicines, such as antidepressants, migraine medicines, pain medicines, some cough medicines, and St. John’s wort. Make sure that your providers know ALL of the medicines that you take. Contact your healthcare provider right away if you have:

• Restlessness
• Loss of coordination
• Fast heart beat
• Rapid changes in blood pressure
• Increased body temperature
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea

This medicine may make you dizzy, drowsy, or lightheaded. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.

Adults over the age of 65 may be at greater risk for side effects. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine while taking this medicine.

This medicine is a controlled substance. It is illegal for you to give it to anyone else.

If you have diabetes, your dosage of insulin or other diabetes medicine may need to be changed when taking this medicine because you will be eating fewer calories. Talk with your provider about this.

If you need emergency care, surgery, lab tests, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you are taking this medicine.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help.): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; chest pain or tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat); sudden weakness, numbness, or tingling, especially on one side of your body; sudden or severe headache; sudden trouble with vision, speech, balance, or walking.

Serious (Report these to your healthcare provider right away.): Fast or irregular heartbeat; sudden or worsening breathing with exertion; chest pain; trouble breathing; severe dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting; unexplained swelling; increased body temperature; severe nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea; changes in urination; confusion; loss of coordination; severe restlessness; unusual thoughts or behavior; new or worsening anxiety or depression; rash; hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there); seizures.

Other: Nervousness; restlessness; dizziness; tremors; trouble sleeping; irritability; constipation; vomiting; nausea; diarrhea; dry mouth; change in sense of taste; itching; sweating; headache; changes in sexual ability or desire.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• ACE inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril, enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril, lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), quinapril (Accupril), and ramipril (Altace)
• Alpha blockers such as alfuzosin (Uroxatral), doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), silodosin (Rapaflo), and terazosin
• Antibiotics such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), linezolid (Zyvox), rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifadin), rifapentine (Priftin), tedizolid (Sivextro), and telithromycin (Ketek)
• Antidepressants such as amitriptyline, citalopram (Celexa), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Tofranil), levomilnacipran (Fetzima), nefazodone, nortriptyline (Pamelor), sertraline (Zoloft), trazodone, venlafaxine (Effexor), vilazodone (Viibryd), and vortioxetine (Trintellix)
• Antifungal medicines such as itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), posaconazole (Noxafil), and voriconazole (Vfend)
• Antipsychotic medicines such as chlorpromazine, perphenazine, pimozide (Orap), prochlorperazine (Compro), thioridazine, and trifluoperazine
• Antiseizure medicines such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, Tegretol), phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek), and primidone (Mysoline)
• Atomoxetine (Strattera)
• Beta blockers such as acebutolol (Sectral), atenolol (Tenormin), bisoprolol (Zebeta), carvedilol (Coreg), labetalol (Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), nadolol (Corgard), nebivolol (Bystolic), pindolol, and sotalol (Betapace, Sorine)
• Bosentan (Tracleer)
• Bromocriptine (Cycloset, Parlodel)
• Bupropion (Aplenzin, Forfivo, Wellbutrin, Buproban, Zyban)
• Cabergoline
• Caffeine
• Calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine (Norvasc), amlodipine/atorvastatin (Caduet), diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia, Tiazac), felodipine, isradipine (DynaCirc), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat CC, Procardia), nisoldipine (Sular), and verapamil (Calan, Covera, Verelan)
• Cancer medicines such as ceritinib (Zykadia), dabrafenib (Tafinlar), enzalutamide (Xtandi), imatinib (Gleevec), mitotane (Lysodren), and procarbazine (Matulane)
• Conivaptan (Vaprisol)
• Cyclobenzaprine (Amrix)
• Decongestants such as oxymetazoline (Afrin, Dristan), phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine, Sudafed PE), and pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
• Dextromethorphan, an ingredient in many cough, cold, or allergy medicines such as Robitussin-DM
• Diabetes medicines such as glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Glynase), insulin, metformin (Fortamet, Glucophage, Riomet), pioglitazone (Actos), repaglinide (Prandin), and rosiglitazone (Avandia)
• Diuretics (water pills) such as amiloride, bumetanide, chlorothiazide (Diuril), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide), spironolactone (Aldactone), torsemide (Demadex), and triamterene (Dyrenium)
• Doxepin (Silenor)
• Ephedrine
• Epinephrine (Adrenalin, Asthmanefrin, Auvi-Q, EpiPen)
• Heart medicines such as amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone) and dronedarone (Multaq)
• HIV medicines such as atazanavir (Reyataz), darunavir (Prezista), delavirdine (Rescriptor), elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir (Stribild), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra), nelfinavir (Viracept), nevirapine (Viramune), ritonavir (Norvir), and saquinavir (Invirase)
• Lithium (Lithobid)
• Lorcaserin (Belviq)
• Lumacaftor/ivacaftor (Orkambi)
• MAO inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate) (Do not take this medicine and an MAO inhibitor within 14 days of each other.)
• Medicines that change your urine such as potassium citrate (Urocit-K), potassium citrate/citric acid (Cytra-K), sodium bicarbonate, and sodium citrate/citric acid (Oracit)
• Medicines to treat breathing or lung problems such as albuterol (ProAir, Proventil, Ventolin), arformoterol (Brovana), levalbuterol (Xopenex), pirbuterol (Maxair), salmeterol (Serevent), and theophylline
• Midodrine
• Migraine medicines such as almotriptan (Axert), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal), eletriptan (Relpax), ergotamine (Ergomar), frovatriptan (Frova), methylergonovine, naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Alsuma, Imitrex, Sumavel), and zolmitriptan (Zomig)
• Natural remedies such as green tea, guarana, SAMe, St. John's wort, and tryptophan
• Pain medicines such as fentanyl (Abstral, Actiq, Duragesic, Fentora, Sublimaze), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Dolophine, Methadose), tapentadol (Nucynta), and tramadol (ConZip, Ultram)
• Paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil, Pexeva)
• Products that contain methylene blue (Hyophen, Prosed DS, Urophen, Uta)
• Promethazine
• Propranolol (Hemangeol, Inderal, InnoPran)
• Rasagiline (Azilect)
• Stimulants such as armodafinil (Nuvigil), dexmethylphenidate (Focalin), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), methamphetamine (Desoxyn), methylphenidate (Concerta, Daytrana, Metadate, Ritalin), and modafinil (Provigil)
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) or products that contain vitamin C

Do not drink alcohol while taking this medicine unless your healthcare provider approves.

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

How should I store this medicine?

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

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This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.