Xenical 120mg Capsules

Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure how to use this medicine.

The recommended dose for adults:

One capsule to be taken up to three times a day. Take with water immediately before, during or up to one hour after each main meal.

Orlistat only works in the presence of dietary fat, therefore, if a meal is missed or contains no fat, the scheduled dose should be omitted.

Orlistat 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 lunch time and one capsule at dinner time. To gain optimal benefit, avoid the intake of food containing fat between meals, such as biscuits, chocolate and savoury snacks.

Tell your prescriber if, for any reason, you have not taken your medicine exactly as prescribed. Otherwise, they may think that it was not effective or well tolerated and may change your treatment unnecessarily.

Your prescriber will review your weight loss in 12 weeks after starting, advising further treatment.

If you take more Orlistat than you should

If you take more capsules than you have been told to take, or if someone else accidentally takes your medicine, contact a doctor, pharmacist or hospital as you may need medical attention.

If you forget to take Orlistat

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.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Some of the side effects are temporary with continued treatment or disappeared when treatment is stopped.

Side Effects

Very Common

• Headache
• Abdominal pain/discomfort
• Urgent or increased need to open the bowels
• Flatulence (wind) with discharge, oily discharge, oily or fatty stools, liquid stools
• Low blood sugar levels (experienced by some people with type 2 diabetes)

Common 

• Rectal pain/discomfort
• Soft stools
• Incontinence (stools)
• Bloating (experienced by some people with type 2 diabetes)
• Tooth/gum disorder,
• Irregularity of menstrual cycle
• Tiredness

Frequency Not Known

• Diverticulitis
• Bleeding from the back passage
• Increases in the levels of some liver enzymes may be found in blood tests
• Gallstones
• Skin blistering (including blisters that burst)
• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
• Oxalate nephropathy (build up of calcium oxalate which may lead to kidney stones)
• Effects on clotting with anti-coagulants

Serious Side Effects

• Allergic reactions. The main symptoms are itching, rash, wheals (slightly elevated, itchy skin patches that are paler or redder than surrounding skin), severe difficulty in breathing, nausea, vomiting and feeling unwell
• Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver). Symptoms can include yellowing skin and eyes, itching, dark coloured urine, stomach pain and liver tenderness (indicated by pain under the front of the rib cage on your right hand side), sometimes with loss of appetite

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

Warning & Precautions

Do not take Orlistat:

• if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to orlistat or to any of the other ingredients of orlistat
• ifyou have chronic malabsorption syndrome (insufficient absorption of nutrients from alimentary tract)
• if you have cholestasis (liver disorder)
• if you are breast-feeding

Weight loss may also affect the dose of medicines taken for other conditions (e.g. high cholesterol or diabetes). Be sure to discuss these and other medicines you may be taking with your doctor. Losing weight may mean you need adjustments to the dose of these medicines.

To gain the maximum benefit from Orlistat you should follow the nutrition program recommended to you by your doctor. As with any weight-control program, over-consumption of fat and calories may reduce any weight loss effect.

This medicine can cause harmless changes in your bowel habits, such as fatty or oily stools, due to the elimination of undigested fat in your faeces. The possibility of this happening may increase if Orlistat is taken with a diet high in fat. In addition your daily intake of fat should be distributed evenly over three main meals because if orlistat is taken with a meal very high in fat, the possibility of gastrointestinal effects may increase.

The use of an additional contraceptive method is recommended to prevent possible failure of oral contraception that could occur in case of severe diarrhoea.

The use of orlistat may be associated with renal stones in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. Inform your doctor whether you suffer from problems with your kidney.

Age Restrictions

Orlistat is supplied to eligible patients aged 18 to 75 years, where treatment is considered clinically appropriate.

Other Medicines and Conditions

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 the effects of the medicines.

Orlistat 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 to monitor your ciclosporin blood levels more frequently than usual.
• Iodine salts and/or levothyroxine. Cases of hypothyroidism and/or reduced control of hypothyroidism may occur.
• Amiodarone.
• Medicines to treat HIV.
• Medicines for depression, psychiatric disorders or anxiousness
• Orlistat 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. Your doctor may suggest you take a multivitamin supplement.
• Orlistat may unbalance an anticonvulsant treatment, by decreasing the absorption of antiepileptic drugs, thus leading to convulsions. Please contact your doctor if you think that the frequency and/or severity of the convulsions have changed when taking Orlistat together with antiepileptic drugs.
• Orlistat is not recommended for people taking acarbose (an anti-diabetic drug used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus).

Orlistat with food and drink

Orlistsat can be taken immediately before, during a meal or up to one hour after a meal. The capsule should be swallowed with water.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

This medicine is not suitable for use in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Patient Information Leaflet

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.2592.pdf

Ingredients

• Active Ingredients: Orlistat
• Other Ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose (E460), sodium starch glycolate (type A), povidone (E1201), sodium laurilsulfate and talc. The capsule shell consists of gelatine, indigo carmine (E132), titanium dioxide (E171) and edible printing ink.

Product Information

• Brand Name: Xenical
• Route of Administration: Oral
• Legal Classification: Prescription Only Medication (POM)
• Strength: 120mg
• Dosage From: Capsule

Storage

Blister packs

• Do not use after the expiry date stated on the carton.
• Do not store above 25 °C.
• Store in original package and keep the blister in the outer carton in order to protect from light and moisture.

Glass bottles

• Do not use after the expiry date stated on the bottle.
• Do not store above 30 °C.
• Keep container tightly closed in order to protect from moisture.

Medicines should not be disposed via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help to protect the environment.

Advice & Helpful Links

It is vital that Orlistat is used as part of an integrated approach to weight management, with appropriate support, counselling, and behavioural strategies available to you. Orlistat should be used alongside a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle to support weight loss and overall wellbeing.

Diet and fat intake: You should follow a nutritionally balanced, mildly reduced-calorie diet. It is important to keep fat intake low and spread it evenly across meals, as high-fat meals can increase the likelihood of gastrointestinal side effects. Your diet should be rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.

Protein intake: Including enough protein in your diet may help maintain muscle mass and increase feelings of fullness. Protein-rich foods include lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, and plant-based alternatives.

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): Weight loss occurs when calorie intake is lower than energy expenditure. Understanding your estimated daily calorie needs can help with planning meals and managing portion sizes. Any calorie reduction should be safe and sustainable.

Water intake: Staying well hydrated is important. Aim for around 2–3 litres of water per day to support digestion and overall health.

Exercise: Gradually increase your level of physical activity. Regular exercise, including both cardio and resistance training, can support weight loss and improve overall health.

Vitamins and nutrition: Orlistat may reduce the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). A multivitamin supplement may be recommended, to be taken at bedtime or at least 2 hours before or after Orlistat.

Regular physical activity, adequate sleep, and consistent eating patterns can support weight management. Making gradual, sustainable lifestyle changes can help with long-term success.

https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight/

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/eating-a-balanced-diet/

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/