Xenical

Product Description

What XENICAL is & what it is used for Xenical is a medicine used to treat obesity. It works in your digestive system to block about one-thirdof the fat in the food you eat from being digested. Xenical attaches to the enzymes in your digestive system (lipases) & blocks them from breakingdown some of the fat you have eaten during your meal. The undigested fat cannot be absorbed & iseliminated by your body. Xenical is indicated in the treatment of obesity in conjunction with a low calorie intake diet. What you need to know before you take XENICALDo not take XENICAL• if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to orlistat or to any of the other ingredients of Xenical, • if you have chronic malabsorption syndrome (insufficient absorption of nutrients fromalimentary tract), • if you have cholestasis (liver disorder)• if you are breast-feeding Warnings & precautions Weight loss may also affect the dose of medicines taken for other conditions (e.g. high cholesterol ordiabetes). Be sure to discuss these & other medicines you may be taking with your doctor. Losingweight may mean you need adjustments to the dose of these medicines. To gain the maximum benefit from Xenical you should follow the nutrition program recommended toyou by your doctor. As with any weight-control program, over-consumption of fat & calories mayreduce any weight loss effect. This medicine can cause harmless changes in your bowel habits, such as fatty or oily stools, due to theelimination of undigested fat in your faeces. The possibility of this happening may increase if Xenicalis taken with a diet high in fat. In addition your daily intake of fat should be distributed evenly overthree main meals because if Xenical is taken with a meal very high in fat, the possibility ofgastrointestinal effects may increase. The use of an additional contraceptive method is recommended to prevent possible failure of oralcontraception that could occur in case of severe diarrhoea. The use of orlistat may be associated with renal stones in patients suffering from chronic kidneydisease. Inform your doctor whether you suffer from problems with your kidney. Children Xenical is not intended to be used in children. Other medicines & Xenical Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, even those not prescribed. This is important as using more than one medicine at the same time can strengthen or weaken theeffects of the medicines. Xenical may modify the activity of• Anticoagulant drugs (e.g. warfarin). Your doctor may need to monitor your blood coagulation.• Ciclosporin. Co-administration with ciclosporin is not recommended. Your doctor may need tomonitor your ciclosporin blood levels more frequently than usual.• Iodine salts and/or levothyroxine. Cases of hypothyroidism and/or reduced control ofhypothyroidism may occur.• Amiodarone. You may ask your doctor for advice.• Medicines to treat HIV.• Medicines for depression, psychiatric disorders or anxiousness Xenical reduces the absorption of supplements of some fat soluble nutrients, particularly beta-caroteneand vitamin E. You should therefore follow your doctor’s advice in taking a well balanced diet rich infruit & vegetables. Your doctor may suggest you take a multivitamin supplement. Orlistat may unbalance an anticonvulsivant treatment, by decreasing the absorption of antiepilepticdrugs, thus leading to convulsions. Please contact your doctor if you think that the frequency and/orseverity of the convulsions have changed when taking Xenical together with antiepileptic drugs. Xenical is not recommended for people taking acarbose (an anti-diabetic drug used to treat type 2diabetes mellitus). Xenical with food & drink Xenical can be taken immediately before, during a meal or up to one hour after a meal. The capsuleshould be swallowed with water. Pregnancy & breast-feeding Taking Xenical during pregnancy is not recommended. You must not breast-feed your infant during treatment with Xenical as it is not known whether Xenicalpasses into human milk. Driving & using machines Xenical has no known effect on your ability to drive a car or operate machinery.