Medication guide
Orlistat (60 mg)
- Generic name
- Orlistat (60 mg)
- Common brand names
- Alli
- Medication class
- Gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor
Overview
Its medication class is Gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor. Common uses include Adjunct for weight reduction. Product forms and labels can differ, so follow the specific package instructions and ask a pharmacist or qualified healthcare professional about individual questions.
How to Take it
- Route
- Oral tablet/capsule/lozenge/systemic.
- Time of day
- Usually once daily with a main meal for better tolerance/absorption.
- With food/water
- Take with full water (120–240 mL), often with food if GI upset occurs.
- Preparation
- Swallow intact; keep consistent with meals and separate from interacting minerals when relevant.
- Safe dose
- Follow label age and indication-specific dose.
- Max dose
- Do not stack with other products containing the same active.
- Frequency
- As labeled, typically once daily or as-needed short courses.
- Other recommendations
- Check interactions with prescription medicines; monitor bowel or sleep changes.
Common uses
- Adjunct for weight reduction
Common side effects
- Oily spotting
- flatulence with discharge
- abdominal pain
- urgency
- fecal incontinence
- nausea
- and diarrhea
Important warnings
- Use with low-fat meals; significant GI effects expected if fat intake is high. Long-term use may impair fat-soluble vitamin absorption and can worsen pre-existing malabsorption. Avoid in chronic malabsorption syndromes, pregnancy without review, and uncontrolled gallbladder disease.
General interactions information
Reduces absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and may alter levels of some fat-dependent oral medicines
Sources / references
- Orlistat — MedlinePlus
U.S. National Library of Medicine
These references offer further reading. A source link does not establish that a clinician has reviewed every statement in this guide.
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