Xenical: An Effective Drug Against Obesity
Xenical is an anti-obesity drug whose active substance is orlistat. This active principle exerts its effect by reducing 30% of the absorption of fat you eat during your meals.
How does Xenical work?
Xenical is a drug that works by absorbing fats from foods. However, it does not affect appetite, as other medications indicated to treat obesity do.
Your body dissolves the fat you eat during your meals using enzymes called lipases. This drug exerts its effect on them and prevents the absorption of fat. As a consequence of this action, 30% of the fat you ingest in your meals is eliminated without metabolizing in the stool.
Due to the mechanism of action, Xenical helps people to lose weight and keep the weight off for a long time. It can also improve some cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high glucose levels.
Indications of Xenical
This medicine is indicated for obese people with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30 kg / m2. However, it is also an alternative for overweight patients with a BMI equal to or greater than 28 kg / m2, provided that in addition to being overweight they have associated risk factors.
If the patient does not lose at least 5% of their original weight after three months of Xenical treatment, they must stop treatment.
How to take Xenical
The usual dose for adults is 120 mg. They must take it immediately before, during or up to one hour after each main meal.
According to studies, the most important route of elimination is fecal excretion. Almost 100% of the dose is eliminated in the stool, unchanged. The effect of this drug causes a large increase in fecal fat after 24-48 hours.
When starting treatment with this medicine , you should also follow a balanced, low-calorie diet. Your diet must include a daily intake of fats, carbohydrates and proteins, divided into today’s three main meals.
Contraindications to this drug
Like all medicines, Xenical has some contraindications, including the following:
- Allergy – you can not take this drug if you are allergic to it or any of the components of the drug.
- Malabsorption syndrome
- Children
- Breastfeeding women
There are no studies on the effects of this medicine in obese patients who also have liver and / or kidney disease, as well as in the elderly and children.
Does it interfere with other medications?
Xenical interacts with other medicines, due to the fact that it alters the absorption of certain active ingredients, which may alter the effect.
Very rarely, hypothyroidism with thyroid abnormalities may occur. This effect may occur as a consequence of the fact that this medicine reduces the absorption of iodine salts or levothyroxine.
In addition , Xenical reduces the absorption of antiepileptic drugs, which can lead to seizures. It also reduces the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin E and beta-carotene. When taking this medicine, your doctor may advise you to take a vitamin supplement. However, it is important to follow a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
On the other hand , Xenical enhances the effect of some medications used to lower blood cholesterol levels. Therefore, patients may need to adjust the dose of cholesterol treatment they are taking.
If you are taking birth control pills, your doctor will recommend that you use barrier contraceptives to prevent possible accidents that may occur if you suffer from severe diarrhea due to Xenical.
Conclusion
Xenical helps you lose weight and keep it off. In addition, it helps you improve your cholesterol levels and reduce other cardiovascular risk factors.
However, it is important to follow a low-calorie diet during treatment and exercise regularly. If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
