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Xenical (Orlistat) is a new drug to treat obesity and is the first in a new class of lipase inhibitors. Xenical targets the absorbtion of fat in your body rather than merely suppressing your appetite, reducing fat absorbtion by about 30 percent. Xenical can help you reduce weight, maintain lower weight and lessen weight regain.
| What is Xenical ? |
XENICAL is a weight control medication for the management of significant obesity. XENICAL targets the absorption of fat in your body rather than suppressing your appetite. Dietary fats are large molecules which need to be broken down by enzymes called lipases before they can be absorbed into the body. When taken with a meal, XENICAL interferes with the activity of these enzymes. This allows about 30% of the fat eaten in the meal to pass through the gut undigested. Your body therefore cannot convert these excess calories to fatty tissue or use them as a source of energy. This will therefore help you to reduce your weight, maintain your lower weight and minimize any weight regain. XENICAL is a prescription weight-control medication useful for the long-term treatment of significant obesity. XENICAL 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. |
| When should XENICAL not be used? | You should not take XENICAL if you are allergic to orlistat or to any of the other substances the capsule contains. Also, you should not use XENICAL if your doctor has diagnosed that your uptake of essential nutrients is lower than it should be such as with tropical sprue and idiopathic steatorrhea. |
| What are the precautions while taking XENICAL? | XENICAL is
not intended to be used in children. Inform your doctor before starting treatment with XENICAL if you:Suffer from chronic malabsorption syndrome;Are allergic to other medicines, foods or dyes;Are taking other medicines, including those you have obtained without a prescription. XENICAL may also affect the dose of medication taken for conditions such as high cholesterol or diabetes. Be sure to discuss these and other medicines you may be taking with your doctor. Losing weight may mean you need adjustments to these medications. To gain the maximum benefit from XENICAL you should follow the nutrition program recommended to you by your doctor. As with any weight-control program, over-consumption of fat and calories may reduce the effect of any weight loss program. This medicine can cause harmless changes in your bowel habits, such as fatty or oily stools, due to the elimination of undigested fat in your faeces. The possibility of this happening may increase if XENICAL is taken with a diet high in fat. In addition, your daily intake of fat should be distributed evenly over three main meals because, if XENICAL is taken with any one meal very high in fat, the possibility of gastrointestinal effects may increase. XENICAL has no known effect on your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. |
| Which substances may interact with XENICAL? | Before starting treatment, make sure your doctor knows if you are taking other medicines (including those not prescribed by your doctor). This is important as using more than one medicine at the same time can strengthen or weaken the effects of the medicines. XENICAL does not affect most commonly prescribed medicines. However, it increases the effect of some lipid lowering medicines and therefore your doctor may change your dose of this medicine. XENICAL reduces the absorption of supplements of some fat soluble nutrients, particularly beta-carotene and vitamin E. You should therefore follow your doctor's advice in taking a well balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables. |
| May XENICAL be taken during pregnancy or while breast-feeding? | You must tell your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of taking XENICAL during pregnancy. You should not breast-feed your infant during treatment with XENICAL as it is not known whether XENICAL is secreted in human milk. |
| Recommended dosage and proper time to take Xenical? | The
recommended dose of XENICAL is one 120 mg capsule taken with each of the
three main meals per day. It can be taken during the meal or up to one
hour after the meal is consumed.
XENICAL should be taken with a well-balanced, calorie controlled diet that is rich in fruit and vegetables and contains 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 lunch time and one capsule at dinner time. To gain optimal benefit, avoid the intake of food containing fat between meals, such as biscuits, chocolate and savory snacks. XENICAL only works in the presence of dietary fat. If you miss a main meal or if you have a meal containing no fat, you do not need to take that particular dose of XENICAL . Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have not taken your medicine exactly as prescribed. Otherwise, your doctor may think that it was not effective or well tolerated and may change your treatment unnecessarily. |
| When and how does treatment with XENICAL end? | XENICAL is
suitable for long-term treatment or as instructed by your doctor.
Weight loss normally starts within 2 weeks and continues for 6 to 12 months on XENICAL treatment. XENICAL will then help you to maintain this new lower weight and also help prevent weight being put on again. Losing even small amounts of weight and keeping it off produces additional health benefits for you especially when you are at risk from other diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The improvement in risk factors (such as reduction in high blood pressure, normalizing blood sugar levels and lowering cholesterol levels) is usually noticed within one month of starting therapy and should be maintained during the course of XENICAL treatment. |
| Actions to be taken in case of Xenical overdose. | If you take more Xenical capsules than you have been told to take, or if someone else takes your medicine, contact a doctor, pharmacist or hospital as you may need medical attention. |
| Active ingredients of Xenical | Each capsule contains 120 mg of the active substance orlistat. The capsule also contains the additional substances microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycollate, povidone, sodium lauryl sulphate and talc. The capsule shell consists of gelatine, indigo carmine (E132) and titanium dioxide (E171). |
| Diet plan and Xenical: | Plan your meals - aim for less than 40 to 50 grams of fat per day and choose a well-balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains (pasta, rice, breads and cereals). Fish, skinned poultry and lean low fat meats.If you can't get by without a snack, try a piece of fresh fruit. Alcohol stimulates the storage of fat and is also high in calories.Eat at least three well planned meals every day including breakfast.Drink plenty of water - 5 or more glasses daily.A low fat soup or salad at the beginning of a meal will fill you up.Watch how much you eat and avoid second portions! It takes time for your brain to recognize that your stomach is full.Eat slowly - don't rush your food. |
| Exercise plan and Xenical: | Increased
physical activity is an important component of losing weight.
Stop thinking about exercise and start thinking about being active. Try these ideas:Get out of your chair and go for a walk for ten minutes - do that two or three times a day.Take the stairs instead of the lift.Go for a walk for 20 minutes, do some gardening or something enjoyable which involves physical activity every day.Start at a level you can manage and build up your level of physical activity over time.Being physically active will help increase energy and reduce weight. As your weight is reduced it's easier and makes life more enjoyable to be active. |
| What are the possible unwanted effects of XENICAL? | Along with
its desired effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Tell your
doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you
are taking XENICAL. The majority of unwanted effects related to the use of
XENICAL result from its local action in your digestive system. These
commonly include:urgent or increased need to open the bowelsflatulence
(wind) with discharge,oily discharge and oily or fatty stools.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.
If you are concerned about these you should inform your doctor or pharmacist about it. |
| What if I miss a dose? | If you forget to take your medicine at any time, take it as soon as you remember provided this is within one hour of your last meal, then continue to take it at the usual times. Do not take a double dose. If you have missed several doses, please inform your doctor and follow the advice given to you. Do not change the prescribed dose yourself unless your doctor tells you to. |
