Xenical® 120mg 21s

What is the medication used for?

Xenical® (Orlistat) is used together with dietary changes to treat obesity. It works by reducing the body’s absorption of fats. 

How much weight can I lose with Xenical (Orlistat)?

Taken in a dose of 120 mg three times a day with meals, approximately 30% of oral fat intake is excreted in the stool. A mean weight loss of 2.9–3.4% is observed after one year of orlistat.

Dosage and How to Use

• Do not stop taking your medication or exceed the prescribed dose without checking with your healthcare professional.
• Take the medication with water immediately before, during or up to one hour after each main meal that contains fat. If you miss a meal or your meal does not contain any fat, you do not have to take the medication.     

What to do if I missed a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember if it is within one hour after your last main meal that contains fat. Take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses to make up for the missed dose.

What are the possible side effects of the medicines?​

• Oily stool and/or leaking of oil from the anus. This is due to how the medication works.
• Abdominal distention (enlarged or swollen abdomen), stomach pain and bloating. You may consider reducing your fat intake to reduce these side effects.
• Other common side effects of orlistat include headaches, flu-like symptoms such as cough and runny nose, low blood sugar level (which may include symptoms of shakiness, dizziness, sweating), sudden or increased number of bowel movements, tiredness or irregular menstrual periods in women.

Consult your healthcare professional if the symptoms do not go away or become bothersome.

What precautions should I take?

Inform your healthcare professional if: 

• You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
• You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding 
• You are taking any other medications, including supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies. 
• You have liver or kidney problems.
• You have chronic malabsorption syndrome, a condition where you have problems absorbing nutrients from food.
• You have cholestasis, a condition where the flow of bile from the liver is blocked.
• You have diabetes.     

This medication may reduce the absorption of fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and can cause low vitamin levels in rare cases, if taken continuously for a long time. You can take vitamin supplements that contain vitamin A, D, E and K to make sure you get enough nutrition. 

You should eat a well-balanced diet and split your fat intake evenly over your three main meals. To find out more about planning a well-balanced diet, talk to your healthcare professional or dietitian. 

Taking orlistat with a meal that contains a lot of fat may increase your chance of experiencing side effects such as bloating or oily, fatty stools. Avoid taking fatty food between meals. 

What other medications and foods should I avoid when taking Xenical®?

If you are taking any multivitamin supplement, space orlistat at least two hours before or after taking the supplement.

Inform your healthcare professional if you are taking the following medication: 

• Anti-retroviral medications used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or hepatitis B infection. 
• Medications for seizures
• Medications for diabetes such as Acarbose
• Other medication such as Cyclosporin and Warfarin.

Handling and storage

• ​Keep your medicines in the original container or packaging, tightly closed or sealed in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight.
• Keep the medicine out of reach of children.
• Throw away all expired medicines.

The above information answers some common questions about this medicine. It does not contain all the available information. It also does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

References

https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/medications/322/Orlistat