Orlistat/Xenical Capsules

Orlistat is an established weight loss medication used by individuals whose BMI is higher than 28 and are suffering from weight related health conditions like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. It can be prescribed by doctors only after ensuring that diet and exercise alone did not prove to be effective. Orlistat shows significant results only when used alongside lifestyle modifications like consuming low-calorie food and an increased level of physical activity.

If you find difficulty in swallowing tablets or you experience side effects due to Orlistat tablets, then there are many other weight loss treatments available such as Wegovy, Mounjaro, Saxenda. Before switching from Orlistat to any one of those drugs, you must first consult with doctor to ensure it is safe and effective to use. A lot of weight loss medicines will have a grace period in between use (i.e. a four-week period between your last dose of Orlistat and your first dose of your new medicine). This is to ensure that Orlistat has completely left your system, and so no unnecessary interactions occur with different active ingredients present in your body.

While orlistat doesn't act as a laxative, still the side effects of using it can cause diarrhoea, oily stool or flatulence. This could be due to the unabsorbed fat in the intestine resulting in loose stool. This occurs especially when you eat fatty meals while on this weight loss medication, as Orlistat aims to separate a lot of the fat content out of your meals, so it is not absorbed and adding to your weight.

Xenical and Orlistat contains the same active ingredient. Both of these medicines are used for weight loss treatment. Xenical is the branded version of the drug Orlistat while Orlistat is the generic version of the same drug.

Orlistat can interact with other medicines which may cause untoward side effects or interfere with the efficiency of the drug. The few medications that could potentially interact with this weight loss medication has been listed below:

• Ciclosporin
• Levoketoconazole
• Mipomersen
• Pexidartinib
• Ketoconazole
• Teriflunomide
• Anti-epileptic medicines, Anti-coagulant drugs, and Antidepressants
• Triheptanoin
• Synthroid (Levothyroxine)
• HIV and Diabetic Medication
• Lamictal (Lamotrigine)

Orlistat helps patients to lose weight by preventing the absorption of dietary fats in your body. To achieve the best weight loss results, you need to follow a healthy lifestyle like having a balanced diet, drinking lots of water and non-sugary drinks and engaging in exercise every day. It is important to take Orlistat everyday as prescribed by your doctor and monitor your weight at regular intervals like once a week to notice any improvements or changes.

No, Orlistat doesn’t burn existing fat, but it inhibits the enzyme that will break down the dietary fat in the intestine which will be flushed out of your body later, meaning that it should largely stop you from gaining weight through a lack of fat absorption through a reduced calorie intake.