Xenical is a weight control medication for the management of significant obesity. Xenical targets the absorption of fat in your body rather than suppressing your appetite. Dietary fats are large molecules, which need to be broken down by enzymes called lipases before they can be absorbed into the body. When taken with a meal, Xenical interferes with the activity of these enzymes. This allows about 30% of the fat eaten in the meal to pass through the gut undigested. Your body therefore cannot convert these excess calories to fatty tissue or use them as a source of energy. This will therefore help you to reduce your weight,maintain your lower weight and minimise any weight regain.
Xenical is a prescription weight-control medication useful for the long-term treatment of significant obesity. Xenical can also help to improve risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar which, if not treated, could lead to other diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
Which substances may interact with Xenical?
Before starting treatment, make sure your doctor knows if you are taking other medicines (including those not prescribed by your doctor). This is important as using more than one medicine at the same time can strengthen or weaken the effects of the medicines. Xenical does not affect most commonly prescribed medicines. However, it increases the effect of some lipid lowering medicines and therefore your doctor may change your dose of this medicine. Xenical reduces the absorption of supplements of some fat-soluble nutrients, particularly beta-carotene and vitamin E. You should therefore follow your doctor's advice in taking a well balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables.
Can Xenical be taken during pregnancy or while breast-feeding?
You must tell your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of taking Xenical during pregnancy. You should not breast-feed your infant during treatment with Xenical as it is not known whether Xenical is secreted in human milk.
How should Xenical be taken?
Follow the directions for using this medicine provided by your doctor, otherwise you will not fully benefit from Xenical. The recommended dose of Xenical is one 120mg capsule taken with each of the three main meals per day. It can be taken during the meal or up to one hour after the meal is consumed.
Xenical should be taken with a well balanced, calorie controlled diet that is rich in fruit and vegetables and contains an average of 30% of the calories from fat. Your daily intake of fat, carbohydrate and protein should be distributed over three meals. This means you will usually take one capsule at breakfast time, one capsule at lunchtime and one capsule at dinnertime. To gain optimal benefit, avoid the intake of food containing fat between meals, such as biscuits, chocolate and savoury snacks.
Xenical only works in the presence of dietary fat. If you miss a main meal or if you have a meal containing no fat, you do not need to take that particular dose of Xenical. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have not taken your medicine exactly as prescribed. Otherwise, your doctor may think that it was not effective or well tolerated and may change your treatment unnecessarily.
Method and route of administration
Your medicine should be swallowed with water.
When and how does treatment with Xenical end?
Xenical is suitable for long-term treatment or as instructed by your doctor.
Weight loss normally starts within 2 weeks and continues for 6 to 12 months on Xenical treatment. Xenical will then help you to maintain this new lower weight and also help prevent weight being put on again. Losing even small amounts of weight and keeping it off produces additional health benefits for you especially when you are at risk from other diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The improvement in risk factors (such as reduction in high blood pressure, normalising blood sugar levels and lowering cholesterol levels) is usually noticed within one month of starting therapy and should be maintained during the course of Xenical treatment.
What if I miss a dose?
If you forget to take your medicine at any time, take it as soon as you remember provided this is within one hour of your last meal, then continue to take it at the usual times. Do not take a double dose. If you have missed several doses, please inform your doctor and follow the advice given to you. Do not change the prescribed dose yourself unless your doctor tells you to.
What are the possible unwanted effects of Xenical?
Along with its desired effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Xenical. The majority of unwanted effects related to the use of Xenical result from its local action in your digestive system. These commonly include:
- urgent or increased need to open the bowels
- flatulence (wind) with discharge
- oily discharge and oily or fatty stools
These symptoms are generally mild, occur at the beginning of treatment, go away after a short period of time and are particularly experienced after meals containing high levels of fat. Normally, these symptoms disappear if you continue treatment and keep to your recommended diet. If you are concerned about these you should inform your doctor or pharmacist about it.
For more information on Xenical please view our Xenical data sheet
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