Xenical general information

What is Xenical used for?

Xenical 120mg capsules are used to help with weight control in adults who are significantly obese to lose weight, maintain a normal body weight and prevent weight regain. Obesity is defined as anyone with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more and can lead to serious illness, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and blocked arteries. Xenical 120mg capsules help reduce risk of obesity-related diseases by reducing cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar as a long-term treatment for obesity management, along with a low-fat, calorie-controlled diet and healthy lifestyle with lots of exercise. 

How does Xenical work?

Xenical 120mg capsules contain orlistat which inhibits the action of the enzyme, gastrointestinal lipase that normally breaks down fat in your diet. Dietary fat consists mainly of large triglycerides which are hydrolysed (broken down) by GL into smaller fatty acids, which can then be absorbed in the small intestine. Triglycerides cannot be absorbed and therefore the action of Xenical 120mg capsules results in up to 30% of the fat in your diet passing through your system and being excreted without being absorbed. This means that there is up to 30% less dietary fat available to your body to be used as energy, so you will use your own body fat stores for energy first, and there will be fewer excess fat calories from your food to be stored as body fat. 

What does Xenical contain?

Xenical 120mg capsules contain orlistat a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor that blocks the break down and absorption of fat in your diet. Xenical 120mg capsules also contain microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycollate, povidone, sodium lauryl sulphate and talc. The capsule shell contains gelatine, indigo carmine, titanium dioxide and traces of black printing ink.

Treating obesity with Xenical

Xenical 120mg capsules are used to help with weight control in the treatment of significant obesity, which is defined as anyone with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, and can lead to serious illness, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and blocked arteries. Xenical 120mg capsules contain orlistat which is a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor and works by blocking the break down and absorption of dietary fat so that it cannot be used by your body for energy or stored as body fat. Using Xenical 120mg capsules, along with a low-fat, calorie-controlled diet and healthy lifestyle with lots of exercise, you should be able to lose weight and maintain weight loss to treat obesity and reduce the associated health risks. 

Using Xenical for weight loss

Xenical 120mg capsules can help you lose weight as they contain orlistat which is a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor and works by blocking the break down and absorption of dietary fat so that it cannot be used by your body for energy or stored as body fat. If you keep to a low-fat, calorie-controlled diet and healthy lifestyle with lots of exercise, you should be able to lose weight and maintain weight loss which will also reduce the associated health risks of obesity.

What is the difference between Xenical and appetite suppressants?

Xenical 120mg capsules work by targeting the digestion and absorption of dietary fat in your body rather than suppressing your appetite. Xenical 120mg capsules contain orlistat a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor that blocks the break down and absorption of fat in your diet, allowing up to 30% of the fat in your diet to pass through your system and be excreted without being absorbed. Unlike appetite suppressants, Xenical is not absorbed into the blood but acts locally by binding to gastrointestinal lipase in your stomach. 

What are the side effects of Xenical?

The most common side effects of taking Xenical 120mg capsules are generally mild and transient and relate to the effect on you digestive system, including, increased flatulence (wind), abdominal pain, urgent need to defaecate and need to defaecate more often, oily, fatty, soft or liquid stools, oily discharge from anus and rectal pain or discomfort. You may experience these side effects within 24-48 hours of taking Xenical 120mg capsules and the higher the fat content in your diet the more likely you will experience these side effects. Other less frequent side effects include hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) associated symptoms like sweating, weakness, hunger, dizziness, trembling, headache, flushing or paleness, numbness, fast pounding heart. 

When should Xenical not be used?

You should not use Xenical if you:

• have chronic malabsorption syndrome or cholestasis (blockage in the bile duct)
• are allergic to orlistat or any of the other ingredients in Xenical 120mg capsules
• are taking other medications that may interfere with Xenical, including, cyclosporin (for preventing transplant rejection) warfarin, an anticoagulant, amiodarone (for treating irregular heartbeat), Acarbose (antidiabetic)
• taking vitamin supplements containing fat soluble vitamins like vitamins D or E, or betacarotene, you should take them least 2 hours after you have taken XENICAL, or at bedtime

How should Xenical be taken?

Take one Xenical 120mg capsules with a glass of water at meal times, immediately before, during or up to one hour after a meal, according to your doctor’s instructions (usually 3 times a day). Your meal should be well-balanced that is rich in fruit and vegetables and contains an average of 30% calories from fat. Since Xenical 120mg capsules work on preventing the absorption of dietary fat, avoid eating food high in fat between meals, such as biscuits, chocolate or savoury snacks, when you are not taking a capsule and will therefore absorb the fat. 

How long should you take Xenical?

Xenical 120mg capsules are a long-term treatment and you should take them for as long as your doctor recommends, which may be for several months. If after 12 weeks you have been unable to lose at least 5 % of your body weight, as measured when you started taking Xenical 120mg capsules, your doctor may discontinue treatment. 

Missed dose of Xenical

If you miss a dose of Xenical at one meal time, do not take it between meals, but wait until the next meal and then take a capsule. Do not take a double dose. 

How should Xenical be stored?

You should keep your Xenical 120mg capsules in their blister packs until use and store below 25°C in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight.