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How should you take this medication?
Orlistat prevents the absorption of some of the fat you eat. Therefore, you should take it during the meal or within 1 hour of eating. If you occasionally miss a meal or eat a meal that contains no fa
t, you should skip the dose of orlistat.
Because orlistat may decrease the amount of some vitamins that your body can absorb from food, you will need to take a multivitamin supplement once a
day. Take the vitamin supplement at least 2 hours before or after taking orlistat
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What is this Drug
Orlistat is used with a low-calorie diet to help you lose weight and to maintain your weight after weight loss. Orlistat is used in patients with a certain weight who may also have high blood pressure
, diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart disease.
- Orlistat 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 abs
orbed and disgested. This undigested fat is then removed in your bowel movements (BM).
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Possible food and drug interactions when taking this medication
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to c
hange the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking orlistat, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking the following:
- Warf
arin¡XOrlistat may decrease the absorption of vitamin K and may change your bleeding time
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Cautions
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 orlistat, 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.
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Before Using This Medicine
Breast-feeding¡XIt is not known whether orlistat passes into breast milk. Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers
ho are taking this medicine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor.
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What side effects can this medication cause?
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention. Check with your doctor as
soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
- Bodyache; chills; cough; fever; headache; nasal congestion; runny nose; sneezing; sore throat
- Tightness in
chest; tooth or gum problems ; troubled breathing; wheezing
- Bloody or cloudy urine; change in hearing ; contagious diarrhea; difficult or painful urination; earache; frequent ur
ge to urinate; pain in ear
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