Xenical

Active Ingredients: Orlistat

Typical Brand Names: Xenical, Orlistat

What Is It Used For?
Unlike other weight-loss drugs that act in the brain or central nervous system to suppress appetite or to speed up metabolism, XENICAL works in your digestive system to block fat from being digested.

Enzymes in your digestive system, called lipases, help digest (or break down) fat. Xenical attaches to the lipases and blocks them from breaking down some of the fat you have eaten.
The undigested fat can't be absorbed and is eliminated in your bowel movements. By working this way, Xenical helps block about one-third of the fat in the foods you eat from being absorbed by your body.

XENICAL may be right for you if you have a Body Mass Index of 30 or greater, or have a BMI of 27 or greater and have other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease or diabetes. Click here to calculate your BMI and find out if you might be a candidate for XENICAL.

How Is It Used?
The recommended dose is one 120-mg capsule by mouth with liquid at each main meal that contains fat. You should take Xenical up to three times a day in combination with a reduced-calorie diet.
Each time you take Xenical, your meal should contain no more than about 30% of calories from fat. You should evenly divide your daily intake of fat, carbohydrates and protein over your three main meals.

You can take Xenical during meals or up to 1 hour after a meal. If you occasionally miss a meal or have a meal without fat, you can omit your dose of XENICAL. Doses above 120-mg three times daily have not been shown to provide an additional weight-loss benefit.

Are There Possible Side Effects?
Because Xenical works by blocking the absorption of dietary fat, it is likely that you will experience some changes in bowel habits. These bowel changes are a natural effect of blocking the fat from being absorbed.
They generally occur during the first weeks of treatment; however, for some people they may continue for 6 months or longer while on XENICAL. These changes may include gas with oily discharge, an increased number of bowel movements, an urgent need to have them, and an inability to control them, particularly after meals containing higher amounts of fat than are recommended.

People taking Pravastatin® should take it at night to avoid a drug interaction with Xenical®.

Is It Safe?
Xenical is for people who are considerably overweight (have a body mass index of 30 or greater) and for people who are overweight (have a body mass index of 27 or greater) and also have other risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease or diabetes.
Xenical should be taken with a nutritionally sound reduced-calorie diet containing no more than 30% of calories from fat.

XENICAL shouldn't be taken if you are pregnant, nursing, have food absorption problems or reduced bile flow. It also reduces the absorption of vitamins, therefore, a daily multivitamin is recommended.

What About Interactions With Other Drugs?
If you are taking cyclosporine, speak to your doctor before taking Xenical.

What If I Miss A Dose?
If you occasionally miss a meal or have a meal without fat, you can omit your dose of Xenical. Doses above 120-mg three times daily have not been shown to provide an additional weight-loss benefit. If you miss a dose, you simply lose the benefit of Xenical in blocking one-third of the fat in the food you eat at that meal. Simply resume taking XENICAL at your next meal containing fat. In clinical trials, taking additional doses of Xenical did not improve weight loss.

How Should It Be Stored?
Store this medication at room temperature and out of the reach of children. Protect from moisture. Keep container tightly closed. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.

Anything Else I Should Know?
Xenical is unlike other prescription medicines that are based on amphetamine-style appetite suppressants, those types of medications typically have many side effects Some prescription pills like Redux and Pondimin have also been associated with damaged lung and heart tissue in some people who took them.


Xenical is currently the only drug that alters fat metabolism. Xenical's greatest advantage is that it works exactly where it is needed -- in the intestinal tract. It does not affect the heart. It does not affect the brain. Not even 1% of Xenical is absorbed by the bloodstream, which makes it by far the safest prescription diet drug on the market.

You should take a multivitamin once a day while on Xenical because it keeps you from absorbing certain essential vitamins. This vitamin should not be taken at the same time as Xenical (needs to be separated by 2 hours). The easiest way to achieve this is to take your multivitamin at bedtime.

Obesity is sometimes the result of other disease states, such as hypothyroidism. It is extremely important that you have regular yearly checkup with your primary care physician!

Do not share this medication with anyone.

NOTE: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It should not be construed to indicate that the use of the product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. Consult your healthcare professional before taking the product.