Xenical Guide

Xenical is a weight-loss medication for the treatment of obesity. It works by preventing fat absorption and thereby reducing your calorie intake. Calories are the amount of energy which you get from your food, and when this energy is not used up by exercise or your body’s usual processes, it is stored as fat. Xenical works best with a reduced calorie diet, as this reduces the overall amount of calories in your digestive system (of which Xenical can only prevent some calories from being absorbed). Lifestyle changes are suggested to be implemented along with taking Xenical for the best weight-loss results. These include changing your diet and exercising more often. These changes will improve your weight loss when you are taking Xenical. Xenical is available without a prescription in some countries. As well as aiding weight-loss, Xenical also reduces blood pressure, and can reduce your risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

How does Xenical work?

Xenical inhibits gastric and pancreatic lipases. These are enzymes which break down triglycerides in the intestine. This stops the triglycerides forming fatty acids which can be absorbed by the body; they are therefore not digested and excreted. 


Roughly one third of the fat which would otherwise be absorbed by your body is prevented from doing so by Xenical. This fat which isn’t absorbed continues through your digestive system and is eventually passed out in your stools. This means that the total amount of fat which your body absorbs from food will decrease. In usual circumstances, this third of fat which you ingest would be broken down by enzymes in your digestive system, creating fatty acids. These fatty acids would then be absorbed into your bloodstream and carried to areas of your body where they would then be deposited. This would lead to weight gain and increased amounts of fat in areas of your body where fat is deposited such as your hips, legs, stomach or chest. Therefore, Xenical reduces the amount of fat deposits. This can make you achieve the slimmer or more toned figure which you desire.

The amount of weight loss which is reported due to people having taken Xenical varies, and weight gain is likely to occur if you stop taking the medication. Your blood pressure and the likelihood that you will be diagnosed with diabetes may be reduced due to taking Xenical (although its primary function is as a weight-loss medication, aiding people attempting to recover from obesity and lead healthier lives).

Xenical is only absorbed in extremely small amounts. Therefore, its main effect is local lipase inhibition in the GI tract after it has been taken orally. This means that Xenical prevents fat from being absorbed mostly in a specific area of your digestive system (the GI tract).

Side Effects of Xenical

Side effects of Xenical include:

  • Steathorrea (oily loose stools). This happens as the fat which is not absorbed in your digestive system passes out of your body.
  • Non-absorbed fat reaching large intestine causing excessive flatus of stools.
  • Incontinence (inability or impaired ability to control the passing of stools).
  • Frequent/urgent need to go to the toilet.
  • Flatulence (excess gas or farting).
  • Rare possibility of severe liver complications (for example, and very rarely, liver failure. Also, liver toxicity).
  • Fat malabsorption - excess oxalate absorption - severe kidney injury, possibly.
  • It has been suggested that Xenical can be related to incidences of breast and colon cancer.

If you are worried about the above side effects, a low fat and reduced calorie diet can limit side effects (especially those which are associated with your digestive system e.g. steathorrea). The side effects can have a positive impact as they also work as a form of aversion therapy, as they are caused by consumption of high fat or high calorie foods and you then associate these types of food with the above side effects. This makes it less likely that you will perceive unhealthy food as a treat or something positive, due to the potential negative results of their consumption. Side effects can be worse earlier on in the treatment, when you begin taking Xenical, however, they are likely to improve over time in most cases. The risk of side effects in your digestive system can be reduced if you aim to consume less than 15 grams of fat per meal and a total of 45 grams of fat per day. If you attempt to reduce your risk of side effects in this way, it will also help you to lose more weight and lose it faster.

Prescription for Xenical

Xenical is a prescription n only medication in the UK and therefore if you are considering taking xenical you have two options, Either you can book an appointment with you GP who will assess your suitability for the medication and prescribe you accordingly or you can order xenical online by completing an online consultation with a pharmacy and GDC registered doctor who can offer you a prescription and allow you to place an order over the internet.

Xenical & Obesity ยป