Xenical is an effective weight-loss aid for people who are overweight or obese. The medication reduces the absorption of dietary fat by roughly 30 percent.
Xenical is a prescription weight-loss drug that was developed in 1983 by Swiss scientists at Hoffman-LaRoche.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1999 approved Xenical for sale in the United States. Today, Xenical is one of only three prescription weight-loss drugs in the United States that have been approved for long-term use.
How Does Xenical Work?
Xenical works primarily by preventing the absorption of fats from the foods that the user consumes. The recommended dosage of Xenical is 120 milligrams, three times per day. The drug works in the gastrointestinal tract to inhibit the action of lipases, which are enzymes that digest fat. This causes roughly 30 percent of the fats consumed to pass through the intestinal tract without being absorbed. Because the fats are not absorbed, neither are the calories in them.
Xenical does not affect other enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, and it does not affect the absorption of carbohydrates and proteins. Xenical is most effective and produces the fewest side effects when it is used in conjunction with a low-fat diet. The recommended diet for Xenical users is a balanced diet that reduces calories by approximately 20 percent. No more than 30 percent of calories consumed while taking Xenical should be from fat.
Clinical Studies of Xenical
A long-term clinical study of Xenical used along with a low-fat diet showed that Xenical users lost significantly more weight than those who took a placebo along with a low-fat diet. Male and female subjects aged 19 and over were included in this particular study, which was sponsored by the University of British Columbia. Xenical users in this study also experienced a decrease in cholesterol levels.
To qualify, participants had to have a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or greater and one risk factor for heart disease, or they could be overweight or obese and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes treated with standard hypoglycemic medications. Patients who had previously used Xenical, and those who were using other weight-loss medications were excluded from the study. This study took place from 2005 to 2013.
During the first year of another four-year study, called the XENDOS study, five clinical trials demonstrated that patients treated with Xenical and a low-calorie, low-fat diet lost an average of 13.4 pounds, while those taking a placebo with a low-calorie, low-fat diet lost an average of 5.8 pounds. After a year of treatment, 57 percent of the Xenical patients lost at least 5 percent of their baseline body weight, compared with just 31 percent of patients who took the placebo.
Xenical and Diabetes
Weight loss helps many people with type 2 diabetes to improve their health by reducing insulin resistance, improving tolerance to carbohydrates, and reducing high blood glucose levels. Xenical has been studied in people with type 2 diabetes, and the results have been encouraging.
One study of overweight people with type 2 diabetes who treated their diabetes with drugs called sulfonylureas found that those who took Xenical along with a low-calorie, low-fat diet lost more weight over one year than those who took a placebo rather than Xenical. Furthermore, the Xenical-treated participants were also able to significantly reduce their usage of sulfonylurea medications and had significant reductions in HbA1c results and fasting glucose levels compared with those who did not take Xenical. Reductions in these levels indicate better diabetic control. Additionally, the Xenical patients in this study reduced their total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels compared with patients who did not take Xenical.
Xenical Side Effects
Xenical has side effects, and some of them can be unpleasant. The most common side effects take place in the digestive system, and include diarrhea, excess gas, and oily rectal discharge. These side effects are a result of some fats passing through the digestive system without being absorbed due to the action of Xenical. Digestive side effects can be controlled by reducing dietary fat intake. A side benefit of reducing dietary fat intake is that it also generally aids in weight loss due to fewer calories being consumed.
People who take Xenical are advised to take a multivitamin with vitamins A, D, E, K, and beta carotene once a day, at least two hours before or after taking Xenical. Xenical can reduce absorption of some vitamins in foods, and the vitamin supplements make up for this.
Rare side effects include liver, kidney, and gall bladder problems. People who take Xenical and experience symptoms like yellowing of skin, upper abdomen pain, swelling of the legs and feet, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, amber colored urine, or blood in urine should contact their physicians immediately.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Xenical is best for people with a BMI of 30 or greater, or for people who have BMI of 27 or greater along with other risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. If you don’t know your BMI, the National Institutes of Health offers online calculators to help you determine yours.
Conclusion
Xenical is an effective weight-loss drug that has been around for nearly two decades. But Xenical is not a miracle drug and losing weight while taking Xenical requires a certain degree of lifestyle modification. The primary modification necessary for best results and fewest side effects from Xenical is a reduction in dietary fat intake. Xenical prevents some of the fat that people eat from being absorbed, and this is great for reducing caloric absorption. However, unabsorbed fat does pass through the digestive system, and can cause Xenical users to experience digestive side effects. Reducing dietary fat intake helps Xenical users minimize side effects while maximizing weight loss.
Prescription-strength Xenical (capsules of 120 milligrams each) is available online from longtime online facilitator eDrugstore.com. If you have a prescription from your doctor, you can fax or scan and email it along with your order. If not, eDrugstore can set up a complimentary online consultation with a licensed U.S. physician who can authorize a prescription if appropriate. To learn more, visit eDrugstore’s Weight Loss page.
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