How does it work?

Orlistat is a medicine that is used to aid weight loss in overweight people. Orlistat is not absorbed into the bloodstream, but works in the stomach and small intestine, where it prevents the action of two compounds found in the digestive juices. These compounds (known as enzymes) are called gastric and pancreatic lipases, and normally break down dietary fats into smaller molecules. The fats we consume in our diets are molecules that are too large to be absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream. They need to be broken down into smaller molecules during the process of digestion, in order to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Gastric and pancreatic lipases are the compounds in the gut that carry out this function. Orlistat works by preventing gastric and pancreatic lipases from working. This means that fats consumed are not broken down in the stomach and intestines, and so cannot be absorbed by the body. Orlistat is taken at mealtimes to prevent fat that is eaten in the meals from being absorbed. The body cannot then use this dietary fat as a source of energy, or convert it to fat tissue, which helps weight loss. Orlistat is prescribed to treat obese people with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30kg/m². It is also prescribed to overweight people with a BMI greater than or equal to 28kg/m² if they have other risk factors for disease. Orlistat should only be used in conjunction with a low calorie diet. Your doctor may ask you to stop taking orlistat if you have been unable to lose at least five per cent of your body weight after 12 weeks of treatment.

What is it used for?

Obesity

Warning!

This medicine may potentially impair the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K) from the gut. To ensure you receive adequate nutrition, your diet should be rich in fruit and vegetables, and your doctor may recommend a multivitamin supplement. If you do take a multivitamin supplement, it should be taken at least 2 hours after your orlistat dose, or at bedtime.

This medicine should be taken immediately before, during, or up to one hour after each main meal. If a meal is missed, or contains no fat, the dose should be omitted. This is because the medicine will have no effect if no fat has been consumed.

While taking this medicine you should be eating a nutritionally balanced diet with approximately 30 per cent of your calories obtained from fat. You are more likely to experience digestive side effects from this medicine if you take it with a meal very high in fat, so your daily intake of fat should be spread evenly over the three main meals.

This medicine should not be used for longer than two years.

Use with caution in

Diabetes

Not to be used in

Breastfeeding

Children

Failure of normal bile flow to the intestine (cholestasis)

Long term inability of the gut to absorb sufficient nutrients (chronic malabsorption syndrome)

This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.

The safety of this medicine in pregnancy has not been established. It should therefore be used with caution during pregnancy, and only if the benefits to the mother outweigh any risks to the foetus. Seek medical advice from your doctor.

There is no information available about the safety of this medicine during breastfeeding. For this reason, the manufacturer states that it should not be used during breastfeeding. Seek medical advice from your doctor.

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

Headache

Diarrhoea

Fatigue

Irregular menstrual cycle

Anxiety

Faecal incontinence

Urinary tract infection

Oily or fatty stools

Oily spotting from the rectum

Flatulence (wind) with discharge

Urgent or increased need to open the bowels

Infections of the airways

Pain or discomfort in the rectum

Abdominal pain or discomfort

Hypersensitivity reactions such as rash, itching, hives or swelling of the lips and face

Low blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia) in people with diabetes

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

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