What is Xenical?

Xenical weight loss tablets - when combined with a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle changes - are designed to help you lose weight.

The medicine contains an active ingredient called orlistat which is also the name of the unbranded (generic) version. Orlistat is suitable for people who are medically overweight, helping them work towards a healthier weight.

How does Xenical work?

Xenical works by connecting with specific digestive enzymes called lipases, effectively blocking them from processing around one-third of the fat you consume during meals.

This unprocessed fat naturally passes through your system rather than being stored, supporting your weight loss goals.

To get the best results from Xenical:

• Take the medicine at mealtimes
• Follow a well-balanced, calorie-controlled diet
• Stay active through regular exercise
• Skip your dose if you skip a meal or if your meal does not contain fat

Focus on making achievable, realistic changes to your eating habits and activity levels that you can keep up long-term.

How effective is Xenical for weight loss?

For people who are obese or significantly overweight, Xenical is an effective treatment to help them lose weight. The medicine needs to be taken consistently alongside a carefully planned low-calorie, low-fat diet where fat makes up an average of 30% of your daily calories (as fat is needed for Xenical to work).

Keep in mind that eating too much fat or too many calories can reduce any weight loss effect (as it can with any weight-loss program).

Key points to consider:

• 60% of people taking Xenical lost at least 5% of their body weight after 12 weeks of treatment.
• Most people start to notice changes in how their body processes fat within one to two days.
• If you haven't seen results after three months of regular use, Xenical probably isn't the right treatment for you.
• It's important to understand that Xenical won't work unless you combine it with a weight-reducing diet and regular exercise.
  

Who can take Xenical?

Xenical is designed for people who are overweight, but it needs to be part of a complete weight management approach to be effective.

Our clinicians can prescribe Xenical, as long as:

• Your BMI is over 30 (or over 28 if you have risk factors like diabetes).
• You're not pregnant or breastfeeding.
• You don't have medical conditions that would make it unsafe for you.
• You're honest about your health history during your online consultation.
  

How to take Xenical for best results

When you’re using Xenical, it’s important to always follow the guidance in your patient information leaflet. Here's how to take the medicine to get the best, most effective results:

• Take one 120mg capsule either one hour before or one hour after each main meal, up to three times daily.
• Swallow the whole capsule with a glass of water.
• Skip the dose if you don't eat a meal, or it doesn’t contain any fat.
  

Another important point is to not take extra capsules. The medicine won't work any faster or more effectively if you do. Make sure you:

• Keep to your normal schedule
• Follow a well-balanced calorie-controlled diet
• Stay active with regular exercise

We're here to help you with other advice and tips, including feeling good about your body while you lose weight.

What to do if you miss a dose of Xenical

If you miss a dose of Xenical:

• Take it as soon as you remember, but only if you've eaten in the last hour.
• If you haven't eaten in the last hour, skip that dose then take the next one as usual.
• Don't take a double dose.

If you've lost your tablets, or simply forgotten to take them, you should speak to your doctor. If you're using our online doctor service, you can send us a message in your account.

Xenical side effects

As with any medicine, Xenical can have side effects that you should be aware of:

Very common side effects, which affect more than 1 in 10 people:

• Headaches
• Abdominal pain or discomfort
• Flatulence (wind) with discharge
• Oily discharge
• Oily or fatty stools
• Liquid stools
• Urgent or increased need to open your bowels 

Common side effects (affects 1 to 10 people in 100):

• Rectal pain/discomfort
• Soft stools
• Incontinence (stools)
• Bloating
• Tooth/gum disorder
• Irregular periods
• Tiredness

You can reduce the risk of diarrhoea by spreading your daily fat intake evenly across your meals and avoiding high-fat foods.
Make sure you read the complete patient information leaflet that comes with the medication. If any side effects concern you, speak to your doctor.

Managing Xenical side effects

Most people experience some side effects when taking Xenical, but these usually get better with time and following a low-fat diet helps manage them. 

About Xenical Tablets

• Can I buy Xenical over the counter?

  No, you can’t buy Xenical 120mg over the counter at pharmacies as it’s only available on prescription. If you would like to request Xenical from us, you can start an online consultation.

  One of our clinicians can then assess whether the medicine is appropriate for you and safe to prescribe.

  There is an alternative weight loss treatment called Alli that you can buy from pharmacies. However, it’s half the strength of Xenical.
  

• Can you lose weight on Xenical without dieting?

  In Xenical’s patient information leaflet it’s recommended that you take the treatment in conjunction with a low calorie intake diet.

  Remember, the medicine only blocks the absorption of fat by around 33%, so it can’t do all the work on its own. That’s why you'll need to start eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly before starting treatment with the medicine. 

  You’ll also have to continue this during treatment and after you stop taking Xenical. 

  Bear in mind too that orlistat will usually only be recommended if you've made a significant effort to lose weight through diet, exercise or changing your lifestyle.
  

• What not to eat on Xenical

  Foods that have more than 30% fat can make it more likely that you will have side effects from Xenical, so it’s important to avoid them.
   
  The general rule is to choose foods that have less than 5g per 100g of fat when you read food labels and make sure you don’t have more than 15g of fat intake in any one meal.
   
  Here’s a useful guide to the foods and drinks it’s best to avoid:
  

  High Fat Meats
  

  • Meat with visible fat, meat with skin on, crackling
  • Fatty meats including sausages, black pudding, luncheon meat, belly pork, faggots, pork pie, salami, duck, goose
  • Pate, sausage rolls, pasties
  • Fried meat (bacon should be grilled instead)
    

  Fish and eggs

  • Fish canned in oil (kippers, pilchards, sardines, tuna)
  • Fried fish, fish in batter or breadcrumbs
  • Fried eggs and scotch eggs

  Dairy products

  • Whole milk, cream, cream alternatives, evaporated milk, ice cream
  • Full fat coffee whitener, thick and creamy yoghurt
  • Greek yoghurt (unless low fat), crème fraiche (unless low fat)
  • Full fat cheese, cream cheese
    

  Cooking fats and oils

  • Lard, suet, dripping, vegetable oils, butter or margarine

  All fried foods

  • Avoid all fried foods (deep or shallow fried)

  High-fat snacks and processed foods

  • Chips, roast potatoes, crisps (including reduced fat crisps), oven chips, potato waffles
  • Avocado, olives, nuts
  • Chocolate, cakes, biscuits, pastry, shortbread
  • Mayonnaise, cream-based dressings (Thousand Island, Blue Cheese)
  • Deep fried vegetables (tempura)
  • High sugar foods and snacks
    

  Restaurant and takeaway foods

  • Take away meals
  • Foods prepared with added fat when dining out
  • Burgers, fried chicken, and some curries or Chinese dishes
    

• How long does Xenical take to work?

  Xenical starts to affect how you digest fat within 1 to 2 days and studies show that the medicine assisted 37% of participants with losing at least 5% of their body weight after twelve weeks.  

  Remember, the medicine works by stopping your body absorbing around 33% of the fat in foods you eat and you'll need to make some lifestyle changes for Xenical to be effective too.

  It’s important to be aware that the medicine doesn’t burn existing fat from your body.
  

• Safety: Xenical interactions with other medications

  Many medications can interact with each other and cause serious reactions. When you complete your online consultation for Xenical, it’s important to give our clinicians a complete list of all the medicines you're currently taking.

  If you start taking any new medication while you’re using Xenical, you’ll also need to let us know.

  There’s another important point to remember too. If the medicine causes diarrhoea while you’re using it, it can make the oral contraceptive pill less effective.

  That’s because diarrhoea can prevent your body from absorbing the pill properly. So if you do have sex, it’s best to use condoms.
  

• Alternative weight loss treatments

  There is an alternative weight loss treatment called Alli that's half the strength of Xenical and you can buy over the counter from pharmacies. There are other weight loss treatments available too, such as dietary supplements, pills and even surgical options.

  Always remember though that if you have a healthy, nutritious diet and do regular exercise, this is still an effective way to lose weight. It can also help improve your health long-term.
  

References

https://www.hpra.ie/img/uploaded/swedocuments/Licence_PA1887-004-001_20112020092558.pdf
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/2592/smpc#gref
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/xenical-epar-product-information_en.pdf