Active ingredient:
Orlistat
Xenical is an appetite suppressant used along with diet, exercise
and behavior therapy for the short-term management of obesity.
It is an FDA approved prescription drug that prevents fat
from being digested and absorbed into the body. Xenical attaches
itself to natural digestive enzymes and prevents them from
breaking down fat. Xenical has the ability to block up to
one third of fat from being digested.
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. Each xenical capsule contains 120 mg of the
active substance orlistat which acts as a lipase inhibitor.
This medicine can cause changes in your bowel habits, such
as fatty or oily stools, due to the elimination of undigested
fat in your stool. Along with dietary fat, Xenical decreases
the absorption of some fat-soluble vitamins and beta-carotene.
To compensate, you should take a multivitamin containing vitamins
A, E, D, and K once a day, at least 2 hours before or 2 hours
after taking Xenical and you should also follow your doctor's
advice in taking a well balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables.
Notes:
Your doctor will test your thyroid function before starting
you on Xenical to make sure that your weight problem is not
due to an under-active thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Xenical
is not an appropriate remedy for this problem.
Xenical increases the likelihood of kidney stones. Use it
with caution if you have a history of this problem.
If you have diabetes, weight-loss is likely to reduce your
blood sugar levels. If you're taking an oral diabetes medication
or insulin, your dose may have to be reduced.
Xenical is an effective form of therapy for the patient who
needs to lose weight, to decrease risk of diseases associated
with significant obesity. The magnitude of the weight loss
will depend on the degree of caloric restriction and the use
of exercise.
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