Orlistat
Orlistat: Prescription and Non-Prescription Diet Pill
Orlistat is a diet pill that is available as a prescription or over-the-counter diet pill. It has some benefit in a weight loss program since it prevents your body from absorbing fat. When you use Orlistat you can work with your doctor to come up with a reduced calorie diet and an exercise program that can help you to lose weight and keep it off.
One of the benefits when you have a prescription weight loss aid is that you can work with your doctor to develop a specialized plan. It’s used especially with people who are overweight and also have other problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
You can get Orlistat as prescription Xenical or you can get it in the over-the-counter diet pill which is Alli. You have probably heard a lot about Alli and everything that goes along with that. There are some side effects but is it better to use Xenical? And what’s the difference?
How Does Orlistat Work?
Orlistat works by taking this capsule with your meal. It can be taken with your meal and even for an hour after your meal (although it’s questionable how effective it is at that point). If you don’t have a meal with any fat then you can skip taking the diet pill because that’s the only thing it does is block fat.
There are special dietary instructions you should follow when you use Orlistat. For example, you should avoid meals that have more than 30% fat. They limit the amount of meat you eat when you are using Orlistat and recommend an increase in the number of grains, fruits, and vegetables. Because Orlistat blocks the absorption of fat, and therefore some fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) they recommend that you take a daily multivitamin with adequate amounts of these vitamins.
Orlistat Safety and Side Effects
Orlistat is safe to use if you do so with your doctor’s supervision. There are a lot of side effects that you may experience and none are too appealing. You could have the following problems:
- oily spotting on underwear or clothing
- gas
- diarrhea
- loose stools
- difficulty controlling bowel movements
- stomach pain
- headaches
- anxiety
- irregular periods
- loss of appetite
How Much is Orlistat?
The price of Orlistat depends greatly on where you get it from. For example, if you get it in the form of Alli, over-the-counter, you pay $39.99. Xenical is more expensive since it’s a prescription product and it’s close to $350 to $400 for a month supply.
The Bottom Line
Orlistat can help you to lose weight but there are a lot of other diet pills that can help to remove belly fat and are safer and easier to use. It’s definitely expensive if you take the prescription option but Alli isn’t too expensive. It could help you to lose weight but are the side effects going to be worth it for you? If you do use any form of Orlistat we recommend that you keep an extra pair of pants close by!