Orlistat 120mg Capsules

Orlistat 120mg Capsules

Orlistat 120mg is a weight management medicine that reduces the amount of fat absorbed from food. It is taken with meals and is intended to be used alongside a reduced calorie diet and regular physical activity. It is a medicine that requires a clinician to assess whether it is suitable for you.

How it works

Fat in food has to be broken down by an enzyme called lipase before the body can absorb it. Orlistat blocks the action of that enzyme in the gut, so a proportion of the fat in a meal passes through undigested and is not taken in as energy. It works entirely within the digestive tract rather than acting on appetite or the brain, which is what distinguishes it from most other weight management medicines.

How to use it

Take a capsule with each main meal containing fat, either just before, during or up to an hour after eating. If a meal is missed or contains no fat, skip that dose. Spreading your daily fat allowance evenly across three meals makes the treatment far easier to tolerate, and a daily multivitamin at bedtime is usually advised because absorption of fat soluble vitamins is reduced.

Who it is for

At this strength it is generally for adults with a body mass index of 30 or more, or 28 to 30 where there are weight related health problems, as assessed by a clinician. It is not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding, for anyone with cholestasis or chronic malabsorption syndrome, or alongside ciclosporin. Tell your clinician if you take warfarin, amiodarone, thyroid medicine, or medicines for diabetes, epilepsy or HIV.

Safety and when to get advice

The most common effects follow directly from how it works: oily or fatty stools, wind with discharge, urgent or more frequent bowel movements, particularly after a higher fat meal. Keeping fat intake moderate reduces them considerably. Contact a clinician if effects are severe or persistent, and seek advice promptly for severe abdominal pain or signs of liver problems such as yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine or itching. Our UK pharmacy team can answer questions about this product before you buy.

Common questions

How is it different from the 60mg pharmacy version?
120mg is the higher strength assessed by a clinician. 60mg is the pharmacy strength for a different group.

Do I still have to change my diet?
Yes. Orlistat only works alongside a reduced calorie, lower fat eating pattern.

Why a multivitamin?
Less fat absorbed also means less absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K. Take it at bedtime, away from doses.

Always read the patient information leaflet supplied with the pack before use.