Orlistat Update: Does it damage your liver?
Orlistat is a drug designed to treat obesity and is marketed under the trade name Xenical.
It is also sold over the counter as Alli. Alli is the first FDA-approved diet pill to be sold over the counter and has half the dosage of Xenical. Its purpose is to prevent the absorption of fats from the human diet, thus reducing caloric intake.
Alli sells for $69.99/bottle of 120 capsules, which is very expensive given that the recommended dosage is 1 pill with each meal containing fat, without exceeding 3 pills per day.
How it Works
Orlistat works as an inhibitor of an enzyme that breaks down fat. It works in the intestines by preventing absorption of some of the fat in foods eaten. This unabsorbed fat is then removed from the body in the stool. Because Orlistat’s main function is to prevent dietary fat from being absorbed, the fat is excreted unchanged in the feces and so the stool may become loose or oily.
Taking the typical prescription dose of 120 mg three times daily before meals, Orlistat inhibits about 30% of dietary fat from being absorbed, and about 25% at the standard over-the-counter dose of 60 mg. Higher doses do not deliver stronger effects.
Scientific Evidence
Clinical studies have shown that the amount of weight loss attained with Orlistat is varied, but most studies have proven that Orlistat consumed with a proper diet promotes clinically significant weight loss and decreases weight regain in obese patients over a two-year period. It is important to note, however, that the use of Orlistat beyond two years needs careful observation with regard to efficacy and adverse effects.
Side Effects
The main side effects of this drug are GI-related. Side effects are most serious when starting therapy and lessen in frequency with time; research shows that nearly half of the side effects lasted less than a week, but some may continue for over six months. They include:
To decrease these effects, foods with high-fat content should be not be eaten. The producer of this drug directs consumers to adhere to a low-fat, reduced-calorie diet, and a multivitamin containing vitamins beta-carotene, A, D, E, and K should be taken once a day, at least 2 hours before or after taking the drug because absorption of fat-soluble vitamins is inhibited when taking Orlistat.
Consumer Feedback
“I tried Alli because I was laid up from foot surgery and couldn’t go to the gym. I took it and found that it didn’t really matter what I ate I was plagued with the oily stools with awful gas and to make bad matters worse I lost NO weight. In my opinion this product is a total rip off.”
--Rita G on September 6, 2007
“I have lost a significant amount of weight for the first time in my life. It is very easy to use.”
--Streganonna on October 10, 2007
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlistat
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a601244.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&uid=9683204&cmd=showdetailview&indexed=google
http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drugreview-17218-Xenical+Oral.aspx?drugid=17218&drugname=Xenical+Oral
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