Orlistat is a drug for the treatment of obesity. It is a peripherally acting drug that affects the absorption of fat. The medicine can be purchased without a prescription. It is recommended to consult your doctor before starting treatment to avoid negative reactions of the body and to achieve the desired result.
What does Orlistat use for? (Orlistat: para qué sirve)
Orlistat (Mexico) is a medicine that works by slowing down the absorption of fat. The gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor has proven its effectiveness in practice during studies conducted over several years on different groups of patients. Based on the results, scientists concluded that the drug helps lose at least 5% of total body weight during the first weeks of treatment. Over the course of a year, patients continue to lose excess weight systematically by taking 120 mg. Four studies lasting one year looked in detail at how the drug worked for patients with type 2 diabetes. The drug helped to lose an average of 3 kg more compared to the group that did not take Orlistate. The drug is practically not absorbed into the blood. Its metabolism occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. The drug is excreted with the feces.
Your health care provider may prescribe the drug to patients who have a body mass index of more than 30 kg/m2 or more than 28 kg/m2. A dietitian may prescribe the drug to obese patients, patients who are significantly overweight, which may cause concomitant diseases: diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
If after 12 weeks of treatment, weight has not decreased by at least 5%, the use of Orlistate and the accompanying diet should be reconsidered.
Orlistat: diet
The drug is taken according to the following regimen:
- one tablet during a meal containing fats;
- take the drug after one hour, with a meal or not later than one hour after the meal;
- if there are no fats in the meal or skipped meals, the drug may not be taken.
To get results from taking it, be sure to follow a diet with a minimum of calories. In the diet, only 30% of the products may contain fat. It is desirable to enrich the diet with vegetables and fruits, which are rich in fiber and improve digestion. It is important in each case to calculate the daily number of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates and divide it into 3 main meals. A balanced diet should be combined with moderate physical activity.
The best solution is to form an individual weight loss program, in which the reception of Orlistat (Mexico) is combined with a balanced diet and sports. It is significant to consult a doctor before starting to take it, who will help to make a scheme and determine the effectiveness of the treatment. A visit to the doctor is mandatory for those patients who already have diseases caused by obesity. They need to be especially careful with their diet in order not to cause a worsening of the disease.
Excessive consumption of sugar should be avoided. Replace sweets with nuts and fruits. Use cereals. Avoid fried foods and fast food. Prefer steamed foods. Take sweet drinks out of your diet. Drink enough fluids throughout the day. Limit the salt intake.
Orlistat: interactions
Do not combine the drug with Cyclosporine. Orlistat reduces the effects of the drug on the body. If concomitant administration cannot be avoided, the amount of the drug in the blood plasma should be monitored.
Do not take the drug concomitantly with Acarbose. Monitor the condition and treatment efficacy when concomitant administration with anticoagulants. The drug may decrease the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. When concomitant administration of the drug with amiodarone, the plasma concentration of the antihypertensive drug may decrease. When treating patients with type 2 diabetes, the effect may be less pronounced. The patient's condition should be monitored and the effect of the drug should be monitored to reduce blood sugar levels.
Orlistate: side effects
The list below shows the side effects reported during post-marketing use as well as during placebo-controlled clinical trials:
- Stomach pain.
- Headache
- Urinary tract infections
- Hyperglycemia
- Dysmenorrhea
- Anxiety
Orlistate should not be used if the patient has a history of malabsorption syndrome. The drug should not be used to treat patients who have cholestasis or have individual intolerance to individual components of the drug. It is contraindicated during breastfeeding. There are no studies on the effect of the drug on children, so it is not used for this category of patients. Before starting treatment, you should be fully examined to exclude the presence of chronic diseases. Patients with a history of the gastrointestinal disease should be especially careful. It is possible to avoid any adverse reactions if you take the drug under the supervision of a doctor.
