Mazindol is a prescription medication used as a dietary supplement for the purpose of losing weight. It is thus classified as an anorexic or anorectic drug, which battles against obesity. Mazindol is also referred to as Mazanor or Sanorex.
The mazindol drug is usually manufactured as a 1- or 2-milligram tablet. It belongs to the tetracyclic chemical class of compounds, which means that it contains four rings of atoms. This places it in a category of tetracyclic antidepressants that began to appear by the mid-1960s. Other examples of these pharmaceuticals include mirtazapine, also known as Remeron, Avanza or Zispin; and Setiptiline, also known as Tecipul. These two medications are primarily used for the treatment of depression.
Mazindol is similar to mirtazapine and setiptiline in that it works as a stimulant drug, or a psychoactive agent that elevates the physical condition of the person ingesting it. It does so by simulating the central nervous system, particularly the brain and nerves, to achieve two things: increase the person’s blood pressure and heart rate, and decrease the appetite. This in turn results in the reduction of food intake, thus inducing weight loss.
This method also likens mazindol to a sort of sympathomimetic anime or drug. These are substances that imitate certain hormones and neurotransmitters of the sympathetic nervous system—the part of the nervous system responsible for the body’s fight-or-flight response—to raise blood pressure and the heart rate. Examples of the mimicked chemicals include epinephrine, better known as adrenaline; and norepinephrine, or noradrenaline.
It should be noted, however, that mazindol is not a permanent cure for obesity. It is designed as a temporary improvement in physical health, and people who take the drug should still exercise to achieve the best results. Also, this particular dietary supplement can encourage dependency on the drug, with the perilous possibility of overdose. Patients are advised to talk to their doctors concerning the gradual halt of ingestion, as some people experience feelings of withdrawal when they stop taking mazindol after weeks of uninterrupted use.
People with a history of heart disease and high blood pressure are forbidden from taking mazindol. Other conditions that prohibit people from the medication include arteriosclerosis, which is hardening of the arteries; and the eye disorder glaucoma. A history of drug or alcohol abuse is especially detrimental to mazindol candidates, considering the addictive nature of the medication. Also, taking it with other types of antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), which include isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil) and tranylcypromine (Parnate), is never advisable. Symptoms of mazindol include dizziness, restlessness and aggressiveness, blurred vision, seizures and irregular heartbeat.