Xenical Q&A

Xenical Questions and Answers

What is Xenical?

Each capsule of Xenical contains 120 mg of the active substance orlistat.

What is Xenical used for?

Xenical - drug for Weight Loss

Xenical is a drug for weight loss in severe obesity. Xenical acts on the absorption of fat in the body rather than suppressing your appetite. Fats, coming with food, are large molecules that need to be split into enzymes called lipases before they will be absorbed by the body. Being taken with meals, Xenical interferes with the activity of these enzymes. This leads to the fact that approximately 30% of the fat that comes with the food passes through the gut is undigested. Your body, therefore, is not be able to transform this excessive amount of calories in adipose tissue or use them as a source of energy. Thus, Xenical will help you lose weight, keep it at the right level and to minimize the risk of repeated weight gain.

Xenical is a drug that is given in some countries by prescription, and used for weight control over a long period of time in case of excessive weight problem. Xenical can also help to cope with risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar, which, if not cured, can lead to other diseases such as hypertension or diabetes.

Can I use Xenical during pregnancy or breast-feeding?

You must tell your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. The doctor should discuss with you the risks and the positive results that you get from the use of orlistat during pregnancy.

You should not breastfeed while taking Xenical (or should abandon the drug), as it is unknown whether it passes into the human milk.

Can I eat everything I want during the Xenical therapy?

Because of the principle of Xenical, to prevent unwanted side effects, it is important to decrease intakes of food with high fat content.

If I start losing weight, do I need to take 3 capsules a day anyways?

Clinical trials have shown that the most effective schedule for Xenical capsules (120 mg) is 3 times a day with each main meal.

Can I take alcohol with Xenical?

Remember that alcohol contains calories, though free from fat. Therefore, any weight loss program recommends to limit intake of alcohol. If you regularly drink alcohol, it is best to consult with your doctor on this matter.

What should I do if I take oral contraceptives?

Even if taking Xenical together with oral contraceptives is absolutely safe, there remains a chance that Xenical may cause diarrhea (mainly when you eat fatty foods). In this case, the absorption of oral contraceptives may be compromised. If you have diarrhea, you should use other methods of contraception.