There’s an interesting fact about Orlistat and it is kind of funny too. Though this is the name of a drug that helps people lose weight, when you search for it, you will never find one. And that is because, Orlistat is actually sold by two different names – when you are buying it with a prescription what you will get is Xenical, and when you do not have a prescription, what you need is Alli. Xenical is sold by Roche and Alli is sold by GlaxoSmithKline, both very renowned drug makers.
Orlistat for weight loss – who needs it, how does it work, and are there any side effects? Read on to learn more about these issues.
Who needs Orlistat?
No matter what name you use while referring to this drug, its function remains the same. Like so many other drugs, Orlistat too helps obese people lose those extra pounds that they have accumulated over the years. However there is a difference in the way this medication works and thus naturally, it is meant for a specific group of people.
Losing fat is often a very difficult job because it entails a very strict diet regimen – at least this is what is implied by most of the “lose weight plans”. But here is a drug that is somewhat different. Orlistat will not ask you to stay off the foods that you cannot stay away from. For example, if you are a butter-a-holic, or in other words, if you love fatty foods such as butter and others like this, then this medication will allow you to indulge to some extent. The drug will just not let your body absorb the fat and this is precisely why, those who love the good things of life (read, want to splurge a bit on their platter), simply adore this drug.
How does Orlistat work?
In the stomach we have an enzyme that is known as lipase. Its work is to break down the fat in small molecules which are then absorbed by the digestive tract. When a person takes this medication (which is recommended three times a day with the food), the function of this enzyme is blocked, and as a result, the body is unable to absorb the fat.
Orlistat side effects
Though most people have no side effects at all, in some cases at least, these are the most common ones that are observed…
• Stomach pain
• Itching
• Kidney stones
• Disease in the gall bladder
• Problems in swallowing or breathing
Alli effects
The side effects connected with Alli and Xenical, which seem to be much more serious than indicated on the labeling, such as liver damage, are frightening. It’s such a shame that in an attempt to lose weight, one can end up suffering serious harm. I just ran across an interesting site on the Alli and Zenical issue at alli-liver-damage-lawyer.com/, which gives some good information and advice on the the issue.