Description
Orlistat, sold under the brand name Xenical among others, is a medication used to treat obesity. Its primary function is preventing the absorption of fats from the human diet by acting as a lipase inhibitor, thereby reducing caloric intake. It is intended for use in conjunction with a healthcare provider-supervised reduced-calorie diet.
Dosage:
Adults and teenagers: 120 milligrams (mg) three times a day with meals containing fat.
Orlistat prevents the absorption of some of the fat you eat. You should take it with liquids during the meal or up to 1 hour after eating. If you occasionally miss a meal or eat a meal that contains no fat, you should skip the dose of orlistat. Because orlistat may decrease the amount of some vitamins that your body absorbs from food, you will need to take a multivitamin supplement once a day. Take the vitamin supplement at least 2 hours before or after taking orlistat. You may also take your multivitamin supplement at bedtime.
How to use:
When using orlistat, your diet should contain no more than 30% of calories as fat. More fat in your diet will increase the side effects of this medicine. Your diet should be nutritionally balanced, and your daily intake of fat, carbohydrates, and protein should be distributed over three main meals.
If you are using cyclosporine (Gengraf®, Neoral®, Sandimmune®) and levothyroxine (Levothroid®, Synthroid®), do not take them at the same time that you take this medicine. It is best to take cyclosporine at least 3 hours before or 3 hours after taking orlistat. Levothyroxine must be used at least 4 hours before or 4 hours after you take orlistat.
