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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. Tel
l 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
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If you experience any of the following symptoms, cal
l your doctor immediately:
- itching
- redness of skin
- skin rash or hives
- swelling
- chest pain
- difficulty breathing
- fever
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Possible food and drug interactions when taking this medication
If Xenical is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Xenical with the fo
llowing:
- Cyclosporine (Neoral and Sandimmune)
- Warfarin (Coumadin)
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Description
Xenical blocks absorption of dietary fat into the bloodstream, thereby reducing the number of calories you get from a meal. At the usual dosage level, it cuts fat absorption by almost one-third. Combi
ned with a low-calorie diet, it is used to promote weight loss and discourage the return of unwanted pounds.
The drug is prescribed for the frankly obese and for merely overweight people who
have other health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol levels. Your weight status is determined by your body mass index (BMI), a comparison of height to weight.
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Other medical problems
Before taking Xenical,
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); vitami
ns 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.
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Cautions
.For patients with diabetes: Weight loss may result in an improvement in your condition, and your doctor may need to change your dose of oral diabetes medicine or insulin.
Visit your doctor
on a regular basis to check your progressto make sure that this medicine is working properly and to check for unwanted effects
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How should this medicine be used?
Take a capsule of Xenical during, or up to 1 hour after, each main meal. You should follow a nutritionally balanced, low-calorie diet that provides no more than 30 percent of its calories from fat. If
you miss a meal, or the meal contains no fat, you can skip the accompanying dose of Xenical.
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