Side effects experienced by users of orlistat

 

Whenever you experience any allergic reaction after using orlistat such as hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat, you should immediately seek medical help. Medical help may also be necessary when you experience severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, and rapid heart rate. All these signs could be indicating pancreatitis.

 

The side effects generally show that the medicine is working on your body. They appear as effects of the medicine's fat blocking action. The side effects are temporary and they reduce after some time.

 

The most common side effects seen after using orlistat:

 

•  oily spotting in your undergarments;

•  oily or fatty stools;

•  orange or brown colored oil in your stool;

•  gas with discharge, an oily discharge;

•  loose stools;

•  inability to control bowel movements;

•  an increased number of bowel movements;

•  stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rectal pain; or

•  weakness;

•  dark urine, clay-colored stools;

•  itching, loss of appetite;

•  Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Some other side effects that may appear:

•  problems with your teeth or gums;

•  cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, cough;

•  fever, chills, sore throat, flu symptoms;

•  headache, back pain; or

•  Mild skin rash.

 

Other medicines that may affect orlistat

 

When you are using any of the following medicines, you should tell your doctor about it

 

•  insulin or diabetes medications that are taken orally;

•  cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);

•  digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);

•  levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid); or

•  a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin).

 

Warnings

 

You should not use the medicine

 

if you use cyclosporine

if you having any problems absorbing food

if you are not overweight

 

If you ever had any of the following problems, you should ask your doctor before you start using orlistat

 

gallbladder problems

kidney stones

pancreatitis

 

If you use any of the following medicine, you should consult a doctor or pharmacist before you start using orlistat

 

Warfarin (blood thinning medicine), or medicine for diabetes or thyroid disease. In that case, you will need adjusted dose of orlistat. T

Other weight loss medicines and products.

 

Whenyou are using orlistat

 

You should use a multivitamin once a day. You can take the medicine at bedtime. It is necessary because orlistat made reduce the availability of some vitamins.

 

Strictly follow a balanced, reduced-calorie, low-fat diet.

 

Orlistat prevents absorption of some of the fat present in your food. The unabsorbed fat is eliminated from the body, and so you may experience some bowel changes. You may get:

 

gas with oily spotting

 

loose stools

 

more frequent stools that may be hard to control

 

You should eat a low-fat diet because it will reduce the chances of having such bowel changes.

 

Orlistat can help you lose 2-3 pounds for every 5 pounds you lose from diet alone.