Xenical (Orlistat)
BRAND:
Order Xenical 120 mg - 90 Caps
Xenical is used with a low-calorie diet to help you lose
weight and to maintain your weight after weight loss. Xenical
is used in patients with a certain weight who may also have
high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart
disease.
Xenical is in a class of drugs called lipase inhibitors. It
works in your intestines, where it blocks some of the fat you
eat from being absorbed and disgested. This undigested fat is
then removed in your bowel movements (BM).
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask
your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
How should this medicine be used?
Xenical comes as a capsule to take by mouth. It is usually
taken three times a day with each main meal that contains fat.
Each time you take Xenical, your meal should contain no more
than about 30% of calories from fat. Take Xenical during or up
to 1 hour after a meal. If a meal is missed or does not have
fat, you may skip your dose. Follow the directions on your
prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist
to explain any part you do not understand. Take Xenical exactly
as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more
often than prescribed by your doctor.
What special precautions should I
follow?
Before taking Xenical,
• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to
Xenical or any other drugs.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and
nonprescription drugs you are taking, especially anticoagulants
(''blood thinners'') such as warfarin (Coumadin); medications
for diabetes, such as glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide
(DiaBeta, Dynase, Micronase), metformin (Glucophage), and
insulin; other medications for weight loss; pravastatin
(Pravachol); vitamins such as beta-carotene and vitamins A, E,
and K; and herbal products. If you are taking cyclosporine
(Neoral, Sandimmune), take it 2 hours before or 2 hours after
Xenical.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had anorexia
nervosa or bulimia, gallstones, thyroid disease, diabetes,
kidney problems, or if you consistently have problems absorbing
food (malabsorption syndrome).
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become
pregnant, or are breast-feeding.
What special dietary instructions should I follow?
Follow the diet program your doctor has given you. You should
evenly divide your daily intake of fat, carbohydrates, and
protein over three main meals. If Xenical is taken with a meal
very high in fat (30% total daily calories from fat), you may
experience more side effects from the medication.
Xenical blocks your body's uptake of some fat-soluble vitamins
and beta carotene. Therefore, when you use Xenical you should
take a daily multivitamin supplement that contains vitamins A,
E, K, and beta-carotene. Take the vitamin once a day, 2 hours
before or 2 hours after taking Xenical, or take the vitamin at
bedtime.
To help you get started on reducing the fat in your diet to
about 30%, read the labels on all the foods you buy. While you
are taking Xenical, you should avoid foods that have more than
30% fat. When eating meat, poultry (chicken) or fish, eat only
2 or 3 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards). Choose lean
cuts of meat and remove the skin from poultry. Fill up your
meal plate with more grains, fruits, and vegetables. Replace
whole-milk products with nonfat or 1% milk and reduced- or
low-fat dairy items. Cook with less fat. Use vegetable oil
spray when cooking. Salad dressings; many baked items; and
prepackaged, processed, and fast foods are usually high in fat.
Use the low- or non-fat versions of these foods and/or cut back
on serving sizes. When dining out, ask how foods are prepared
and request that they be prepared with little or no added
fat.
What should I do if I forget a
dose? Take the missed dose as soon as you remember
it unless it is more than 1 hour since you ate a main meal. If
it is longer than 1 hour since you ate a main meal, skip the
missed dose and continue on your regular dosing schedule. Do
not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
What side effects can this medication
cause?
The most common side effect of Xenical is changes in bowel
movement (BM) habits. This generally occurs during the first
weeks of treatment; however, it may continue throughout your
use of Xenical. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are
severe or do not go away:
• oily, spotting BMs
• gas with discharge
• urgent need to have a BM
• oily or fatty stools
• an oily discharge
• increased number of BMs
• inability to control BMs
• orange or brown color of a BM
• stomach pain
• irregular menstrual periods
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your
doctor immediately:
• itching
• redness of skin
• skin rash or hives
• swelling
• chest pain
• difficulty breathing
• fever.
What storage conditions are needed for this
medication?
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly
closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room
temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the
bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no
longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper
disposal of your medication.
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