Orlistat, aka Xenical or Alli

ORLISTAT is a drug for the treatment of obesity, marketed under the brand name Xenical by Roche, and under the name Alli by GlaxoSmithKline. The names generally differ according to the country in which they are marketed or the manufacturer.

This product has been the subject of much debate, with controversial opinions creating controversy between supporters and opponents.

Some say it’s the one and only weight loss supplement that really works.

Others say it’s a dangerous drug and suggest avoiding it altogether.

And in between these two clans are doctors who continue to prescribe the drug, but strongly insist on the need for associated medical follow-up.

So, what’s really going on with this famous weight-loss drug?

Is Orlistat effective for weight loss?

Is it safe to take?

You’ll find the answers to all these questions in our Orlistat survey.

Presentation of Orlistat

Orlistat is a drug to be used in conjunction with a personalized, low-fat, hypocaloric diet (low-calorie diet) and physical exercise for effective and satisfactory weight loss.

Prescription Orlistat is used by overweight people who also suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol or heart disease. These are just examples; other health complications may need to be considered before taking Orlistat.

It is also used by people who have already succeeded in losing weight and wish to maintain their new weight.

Orlistat belongs to a class of drugs known as lipase inhibitors.

Its mechanism of action is based on inhibition of the absorption of part of the fat ingested with food. Unabsorbed fat is then eliminated naturally in the stool.

For the record, pancreatic lipase is considered the most important enzyme in the triglyceride digestion process, and the process of lipase inhibition has proved to be the most effective means of combating obesity.

A comparative study between a group of patients given Orlistat and another group given a placebo showed that when taken with an appropriate diet, Orlistat promoted clinically significant weight loss and reduced weight regain in obese patients over a 2-year period (weight regain is the yo-yo effect that scares all dieters).

The same study also emphasized that the use of Orlistat requires close medical supervision to assess its efficacy and control its adverse effects. In other words, you must not take this drug without your doctor’s consent, and its use must be monitored by your GP. Self-medication is out of the question.

To consult the progress and conclusions of the study, follow this link:
(Source: NCBI. Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden. Sjöström L., Rissanen A., Andersen T., Boldrin M., Golay A., Koppeschaar HP., Krempf M. Lancet. 1998 Jul 18; 352(9123): 167-72).

Orlistat is a drug (not a dietary supplement for weight loss) intended for the treatment of obesity (which is considered a disease, and therefore should not be used for cosmetic purposes), marketed under the brand name Xenical by Roche and Alli by GlaxoSmithKline.

How to take Orlistat?

Orlistat is marketed both as a prescription drug and over-the-counter without a prescription (provided it is taken in lower doses).

When taking Orlistat by prescription, it is imperative to follow your doctor’s instructions to the letter. Overdosing can be risky, which is why it’s best to follow the advice of a professional practitioner.

As for over-the-counter orlistat-based slimming pills (e.g. Alli, read the test), you generally need to take 3 pills a day with each main meal containing fat.

The pill should be taken with the meal, or at the latest 1 hour afterwards. If you skip a meal, or if your meal does not contain fat, you may not take the pill.

Always follow the instructions on the bottle or box, and don’t hesitate to ask your pharmacist for advice if you don’t understand something or are unsure about an indication. This type of medication should never be taken lightly.

Precautions when taking Orlistat

Before taking Orlistat, you should :

• Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you suffer from any allergies;
• Tell your doctor if you are taking immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporine. He or she will tell you if and when you can take Orlistat;
• Tell your doctor or pharmacist about any prescription or non-prescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements or herbal products you are taking or intend to take, to avoid risky interactions;
• Don’t forget to mention anti-coagulants (such as warfarin), anti-diabetics (including insulin), anti-hypertensive drugs, drugs for the treatment of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, or any weight-loss supplements;
• Don’t forget to tell your doctor or pharmacist if you’ve had an organ transplant, or if you suffer from cholestasis (a condition in which the flow of bile is blocked) or malabsorption syndrome.

  If you suffer from any of these complications, you should not take Orlistat;

• If you have ever been diagnosed with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia; if you have kidney stones; or if you suffer from a pancreatic or thyroid problem, you must not take Orlistat without consulting a doctor;
• If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, do not take Orlistat.

It’s very important to follow these instructions for your own safety.

Diet diet associated with Orlistat

As mentioned above, Orlistat must be taken in conjunction with a strict hypocaloric diet.

The hypocaloric diet consists of taking in fewer calories than you expend. The daily diet must be adapted to the physical activities you engage in. The end result is undernutrition, without reaching the stage of malnutrition. The most famous low-calorie diet, and the most popular with Internet users, is that of Dr. Cohen.

You should also divide the amount of fat, carbohydrates and protein evenly between the three main meals of the day.

If you take Orlistat with a high-fat diet (where the percentage of fat is greater than 30% of the overall intake of your meal), you may experience side effects.

When taking Orlistat, you should avoid foods containing more than 30% fat.

Read the information on the packaging of the foods you are taking to verify this information.

For example, if you want to eat meat, chicken or fish, consume 55 to 85 grams per meal.

Choose lean meats and remove the skin from chicken.

Eat grains, fruit and vegetables.

Replace whole milk with 0% fat milk.

Use vegetable oil to prepare your meals.

Avoid pre-packaged, processed foods and, above all, avoid fast food.

In short, go on a diet!

Note that Orlistat blocks the absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins and beta-carotene. To compensate for this, you need to take multivitamins containing mainly vitamins A, D, E and K and beta-carotene while you’re taking Orlistat, so you can avoid any deficiency of these vital substances needed for your body to function properly.

Take these supplements once a day, 2 hours before or after taking Orlistat.

Side effects of Orlistat

Unfortunately, Orlistat can cause a number of side effects.

The most common of these is a change in bowel habits. This usually occurs during the first few weeks of treatment, but may persist throughout the entire period of Orlistat use.

Here are a few symptoms which may be more or less severe, and which may last or disappear after a while, depending on the individual case:

• Oily stains in underwear ;
• Gas emissions with oily spotting;
• Increased number of bowel movements;
• Difficulty holding one’s bowels;
• Pain or discomfort in the rectum;
• Epigastric (stomach) pain;
• Irregular menstruation in women;
• Migraines;
• Anxiety.

ATTENTION : Some symptoms may be more severe.

If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop taking Orlistat and consult a physician immediately:

• Urticaria (redness and swelling of the skin);
• Rash;
• Itching;
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing;
• Continuous stomach pain;
• Continued fatigue and weakness;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Loss of appetite;
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes;
• Dark-colored urine;
• Pale stools.

Our Opinion on Orlistat

This is probably an effective weight-loss drug, but it’s far from a safe and harmless supplement that everyone can use without risk.

Just reading the list of adverse effects, precautions and warnings associated with it, we find ourselves obliged to recommend vigilance and insist on the role of the physician in any treatment with this product.

Our readers certainly want to lose weight, but not by resorting to a product so dangerous and so likely to cause serious damage to their health.

Worse still, to lose weight with Orlistat, you have to submit to a strict and frustrating low-calorie diet. But that’s what you’re trying to avoid in the first place by taking a weight loss supplement, isn’t it? So why go through all the trouble and side effects?

Our principle has always been clear: lose weight naturally, gently, without taking drastic measures and, above all, without exposing yourself to any danger.

Orlistat strays completely from this principle, and we are forced to classify it among the weight-loss pills we reject.