Adults who are overweight or obese and have health issues related to their weight can use lorcaserin to help them lose weight and prevent gaining it again. A low-calorie diet and an exercise regimen are required to be utilised with lorcaserin. The drug lorcaserin belongs to the group of drugs known as serotonin receptor agonists. It functions by boosting sensations of fullness to encourage consumption of less food.

Both a tablet and an extended-release (long-acting) tablet are available for oral administration of lorcaserin. The tablets are often taken twice daily, with or without food. The extended-release tablets are typically taken once day, either with or without food. Take lorcaserin every day at roughly the same time. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the prescription for lorcaserin strictly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Do not split, chew, or crush the extended-release pills; instead, swallow them whole.

Potentially habit-forming is lorcaserin. Don’t take the medication in excess of what your doctor has suggested in terms of dosage, frequency, or duration.

It is unlikely that taking lorcaserin will help you if you do not lose a particular amount of weight in the first 12 weeks of your treatment. If you do not lose enough weight in the first 12 weeks of treatment, your doctor can advise you to discontinue taking lorcaserin.

Only if you keep taking lorcaserin will it help you manage your weight. Without consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking lorcaserin.

For a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking lorcaserin,

• If you have an allergy to lorcaserin, any other medications, or any of the substances in lorcaserin tablets or extended-release tablets, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. For a list of the ingredients, consult the patient information or speak with your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, and vitamin medications you are now taking or intend to take. Incorporate any of the following: cabergoline; codeine (in some painkillers and cough medicines); dextromethorphan (in cough and cold medicines); bupropion (Aplenzin, Forfivo, Wellbutrin, Zyban); medication for erectile dysfunction or mental illness; flecainide (Tambocor); insulin and other diabetes medications; linezolid (Zyvox); lithium (Lithobid); medication for migraine headaches such as almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpax), frovatriptan (Frova), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Imitrex), and zolmitriptan (Zomig); metoprolol (Toprol), mexiletine, monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), linezolid (Zyvox), methylene blue, phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate), ondansetron (Zofran), and propafenone; tamoxifen (Soltamox); selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor); selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, in Symbyax); amitriptyline, amoxapine, clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil), and trimipramine (Surmontil) are tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), as are timolol (Blocadren), tramadol (Conzip, Ultram, Ryzolt). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects. Tell your doctor about all of your current medications, even those not on this list, as many additional drugs may interact with lorcaserin.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, let your doctor know. Most likely, your doctor will advise against taking lorcaserin. In the event that you conceive while taking lorcaserin, contact your physician right away. Your unborn child could suffer from lorcaserin.
• A condition that affects the shape of the penis, such as angulation, cavernosal fibrosis, or Peyronie’s disease; diabetes; heart failure, slow or irregular heartbeat, or other heart problems; liver or kidney disease; and blood cell issues, such as sickle cell anaemia (a disease of the red blood cells), multiple myeloma (cancer of the plasma cells), or leukaemia (cancer of the white blood cells), should be disclosed to your doctor.
• while using lorcaserin, refrain from breastfeeding.
• You should let your doctor or dentist know that you are taking lorcaserin if you are having surgery, including dental surgery.
• You should be aware that lorcaserin may make you drowsy and make it harder for you to focus or recall information. Prior to understanding how this drug affects you, avoid using machinery or driving a car.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

There may be adverse effects from lorcaserin. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Constipation
• Mouth ache
• Extreme fatigue
• Ache in the muscles or back
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Difficulty Sleeping or remaining asleep
• Anxiety
• Frequent, painful, or challenging urinating
• Cough
• Toothache
• Eyesight alterations such as haziness
• Wet eyes

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if you encounter any of these symptoms, or seek emergency care:

• Agitation
• Confusion
• Hallucinations (seeing objects or hearing sounds that are not there)
• Having trouble coordinating
• Muscle twitching, stiffness, or spasms
• Restlessness
• Irregular, rapid, or sluggish heartbeat
• Sweating
• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Having trouble breathing
• Hands, arms, feet, or legs swelling
• Having trouble focusing or recalling information
• Depression
• Considering, planning, or attempting to injure or kill oneself
• Feeling euphoric or extremely joyful
• Feeling as if your body is not your own
• Longer than four-hour erection
• Fluid coming from the breast
• Male breast enlargement

Other adverse effects of lorcaserin are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Store it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Overdose signs could include the following:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Dizziness
• Feeling euphoric or extremely joyful
• Mood shifts
• Hallucinations (seeing objects or hearing voices that do not exist)

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To determine how well your body is responding to lorcaserin, your doctor may request specific lab tests.

No one else should take your medication. The drug lorcaserin is under strict monitoring. Only a limited amount of refills are permitted for prescriptions; if you have any doubts, speak with your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.