What is Orligal (Orlistat) used for?

Orligal contains the active ingredient orlistat. When combined with healthy diet and exercise, Orlistat helps people lose weight, maintain a steady weight and prevent weight gain. Orlistat helps decrease weight by preventing the absorption of dietary fat into the body. Orlistat is not an appetite suppressant.

How should I use Orligal (Orlistat)?

Orligal is packaged as a pack of 84 capsules, each containing 120mg or orlistat.

The standard dose of Orligal (Orlistat) is one capsule taken three times daily (with each of main meal). The capsules must be taken with a meal to work properly.

Swallow each capsule whole with a glass of water.

Healthy diet and an exercise program should be included as part of your overall weight loss plan.

What are the side effects of Orligal (Orlistat)?

Orlistat can cause some severe adverse reactions in some people including:

• allergic reaction (hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat)
• severe pain in your lower back
• blood in your urine, painful or difficult urination
• kidney problems such as little or no urinating; swelling in your feet or ankles; feeling tired or short of breath
• liver problems such as nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, tired feeling, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)

If you experience any of the above side effects of orlistat, stop taking the capsules and contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Other side effects more commonly reported include:

• oily or fatty stools
• oily spotting in your undergarments
• orange or brown colored oil in your stool
• gas and oily discharge
• loose stools, or an urgent need to go to the bathroom, inability to control bowel movements
• an increased number of bowel movements
• stomach pain, nausea, rectal pain

The above side effects indicate that Orligal is working as intended. Contact your doctor if you are concerned about these.

Please Note

Orligal is contraindicated in:

• people who are allergic to orlistat
• people with chronic malabsorption syndrome (an inability to absorb food and nutrients properly)
• pregnant women

Before taking Orligal (Orlistat), tell your doctor if:

• you have or have had liver disease
• you have or have had kidney disease
• you have a history of gallstones or kidney stones
• you have or have thyroid conditions
• you have a history of pancreatitis
• you have or have diabetes (type 1 or type 2)
• you have an eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia)

Orlistat can have a negative interaction with other medicines:

• Cyclosporine: do not within three hours before or after taking orlistat.
• Levothyroxine: do not within four hours before or after taking orlistat.