Xenical

What is Xenical?

Xenical is a medicine used to help treat obesity, and should be taken while following a low calorie diet. The active ingredient is called Orlistat.

How does Xenical work?

The active ingredient in Xenical is called Orlistat. It works by attaching itself to enzymes in your digestive system (known as lipases). It then stops the enzymes from breaking down approximately a third of the fat you eat during a meal. This fat is passed with the stools.

This means that as your body is unable to take in some of the fat in the diet, it’s harder for you to gain weight.

How do you take Xenical?

Xenical should always be taken exactly as it’s been prescribed by your GP or pharmacist. It typically comes in capsule rather than pill form. The typical dosage of Xenical is one 120mg capsule taken with water either before, during or after each of the day’s three main meals. Xenical should be taken in conjunction with a calorie controlled balanced diet which is rich in fruit and vegetables. If you haven’t lost at least 5% of your body weight after taking Xenical for 12 weeks, your doctor will stop the treatment.

If you miss or forget to take Xenical, take it as soon as you remember as long as it’s within an hour of your last meal. If you’ve missed several doses, please speak to your doctor.

Are Xenical weight loss capsules effective?

Data from clinical trials showed that 37% of patients taking Xenical for 12 weeks lost at least 5% of their body weight, and 20% of patients taking it for a year lost at least 10% of their body weight. A study involving type 2 diabetics showed that 60% of patients lost at least 5% of their body weight after 12 weeks, and 41% lost at least 10% of their body weight after a year.

The effectiveness of Xenical is also dependent on patients adopting a diet plan which reduces the daily calorie intake.

How long does Xenical take to work?

Xenical works with each meal it’s taken with; so if you eat a meal that contains no fat (or if you miss a meal), there’s no need to take one. Always take Xenical as per your doctor’s instructions. The treatment will be stopped if you haven’t lost more than 5% of your body weight after taking Xenical for 12 weeks.

What are Xenical’s potential side effects?

All medicines carry the risk of side effects, although not everybody will experience them. If you experience any side effects, tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as you can. The majority of side effects experienced when taking Xenical are related to how it works in the digestive system.

Very common side effects include headaches, abdominal pain or discomfort, an urgent or increased need to open the bowels, flatulence with discharge, oily discharge, oily or fatty stools and liquid stools. Low blood sugar levels can be experienced by some people with type 2 diabetes, so diabetes treatments need to be carefully monitored.

Xenical is not suitable for women who are breast-feeding, or people with cholestasis or chronic malabsorption syndrome Read the leaflet carefully before starting a course of treatment.