Xenical 120mg Weight Loss Capsules

What is Xenical?

Xenical 120mg Weight Loss Capsules is a weight loss medication that must be prescribed by a doctor. It can accelerate weight loss in certain groups of people in whom dietary changes and exercise have not proven effective. Its main active ingredient is the drug Orlistat. Xenical is the brand name given to the medication by its manufacturer, the pharmaceutical company Roche.

What is Xenical used for?

Xenical 120mg Weight Loss Capsules capsules are used by people who are looking to lose weight if diet and exercise alone have been unsuccessful.

Xenical can be prescribed to patients with a BMI of more than 30. It can also be prescribed if your BMI is greater than 28 in the presence of other risk factors such as type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure or raised cholesterol.

How does Xenical work?

The active ingredient in Xenical is orlistat, orlistat works by blocking the action of the enzyme lipase which is produced by the pancreas and in the stomach.

Lipase usually breaks down fats into their constituent parts so that they can be more easily absorbed by the gut. If this action is prevented, it makes fats harder to digest, so that they pass straight through the gut and are excreted in the stools. Digesting less fat from the diet should, hopefully over time, result in weight loss.

Do I need to make any other lifestyle adjustments?

Patients taking Xenical should be on a reduced-calorie diet, with a daily intake of fats carbohydrates and proteins being equally distributed over three main meals. Ideally, only 30% of total calories should come from fats.

Even if the treatment is a success, it’s important to continue making sensible dietary choices and exercise regularly. It is not recommended to continue Xenical indefinitely and implementing healthy lifestyle changes should hopefully help to keep the weight off.

Alternatives to Xenical

Alternative Xenical weight loss aids include:

• Orlistat 120mg capsules – this is the generic version of the brand Xenical.
• Alli 60mg tablets – half the strength of Xenical tablets but Alli is available over the counter without a prescription.
• Orlos 60mg capsules – like Alli, Orlos is half the strength of Xenical and is available to purchase without a prescription.

You may also want to consider these weight loss aids that have a slightly different function than Xenical. These weight loss aids work by making you feel fuller for longer and reducing your appetite:

• Mysimba tablets
• Mounjaro injection pen
• Wegovy injection pen

How to use Xenical?

Always take Xenical exactly as your doctor has told you.

You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. The usual dose of Xenical is one 120 mg capsule taken with each of the three main meals per day.

It can be taken immediately before, during a meal or up to one hour after a meal. The capsule should be swallowed with water.

Xenical 120mg Weight Loss Capsules should be taken with a well-balanced, calorie-controlled diet rich in fruit and vegetables and containing an average of 30 % of the calories from fat. Your daily intake of fat, carbohydrate and protein should be distributed over three meals.

This means you will usually take one capsule at breakfast time, one capsule at lunchtime and one capsule at dinner time.

To gain optimal benefit, avoid the intake of food containing fat between meals, such as biscuits, chocolate and savoury snacks. Xenical only works in the presence of dietary fat. Therefore, if you miss a main meal or if you have a meal containing no fat, Xenical need not be taken.

How often should it be taken?

The recommended dose of Xenical is one 120 mg capsule taken with water immediately before, during or up to one hour after each main meal. If a meal is missed or contains no fat, the dose of Xenical should be missed.

Side effects of Xenical

The majority of effects are gastrointestinal and mild. However, flatulence, diarrhoea, flatus with discharge and faecal incontinence are potentially embarrassing yet common. As are oily stools, increased stool frequency, and abdominal pain.

Other common side effects can include anxiety, headache, respiratory tract and urinary tract infections, low blood sugar, irregular periods and fatigue.

Rarely, an allergic reaction may occur which could be associated with a rash, tongue swelling, and difficulty breathing. This is a medical emergency and requires an immediate assessment by emergency medical services.

Other rare side effects include:

• Liver failure, frequency rare, discussed in an earlier section.
• Kidney failure: due to increased oxalate levels in the urine, frequency not known.
• Diverticulitis, pancreatitis, gallstones, rectal bleeding and skin reactions, are other rare potential side effects, frequency not known.