Weight Loss

Effective dosage

Xenical is taken with each meal (three times daily). Your daily fat intake should be divided equally between these three meals so you will benefit from Xenical's actions. Your medicine should be swallowed with water.

Side effects

Loose stools and increased gas or flatulence. These symptoms are generally mild, occur at the beginning of treatment, go away after a short period of time and are particularly experienced after meals containing high levels of fat. Normally, these symptoms disappear if you continue treatment and keep to your recommended diet.

Additional Info:

Allergy to Xenical or chronic malabsorption syndromes such as sprue or steatorrhea.

Xenical is not intended to be used in children or pregnant and nursing women.

Xenical Description

Xenical is a prescription weight-control medication useful for the long-term treatment of significant obesity. This medication can also help to improve risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar which, if not treated, could lead to other diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Each Xenical capsule contains 120 mg of the active substance orlistat, which acts as a lipase inhibitor. Xenical is a weight loss medication that targets the absorption of fat in your body rather than suppressing your appetite. It is useful for long term use and has been shown to be effective for 1-2 years.

Dietary fats are inhibited from being absorbed and this allows about 30% of the fat eaten in the meal to pass through the gut undigested. This helps you to reduce and maintain your weight, as well as to minimize any weight regain.

Enzymes in your intestinal tract, called lipases, help digest (break down) fat. When you take Xenical with meals, Xenical attaches to the lipases and blocks them from breaking down some of the fat you have eaten. Xenical reduced the body's ability to absorb fat by approximately 30 percent. While fat is an important component of a balanced diet, the consumption of excess fat in your daily diet, contributes to body weight. In most cases, weight loss is gradual. Obese patients treated with Xenical and a reduced-calorie diet for one year lost an average of 13.4 pounds while those on a reduced calorie diet alone, lost 5.8 pounds.