Xenical - Instructions For Use

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

Xenical - instructions for use

Content:

• Pharmacokinetics
• Indications for use
• Contraindications
• Dosage
• Side effects

The drug Xenical, manufactured by the Swiss company F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, belongs to the pharmacological group of drugs for the treatment of obesity. It is an inhibitor of gastrointestinal lipases. The action of the drug in the stomach and small intestine is based on the effect of its active substance (Orlistat) on enzymes that break down and help digest fats. Inactivation of enzymes leads to the loss of their ability to break down fats into monoglycerides and fatty acids. These nutrients are not absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal wall, the body receives fewer calories, and weight is reduced.

Xenical has a very low absorption, it does not enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall, it is excreted through the kidneys, rectum, a minimum amount in the bile. The drug is available in the form of turquoise hard capsules. The effect of Xenical appears 1-2 days after the start of treatment. The return to the initial level of absorption and processing of fatty acids occurs 2-3 days after the drug is discontinued.

Composition:

• The main active ingredient is Orlistat;
• Excipients - microcellulose, talc, primogel, povidone, lauryl sulfate;
• The substances that make up the capsule shell are gelatin, titanium dioxide, dye.

Pharmacokinetics

The safety of the drug, even with prolonged use, is evidenced by the data of clinical studies conducted on volunteers with normal and overweight.

• Absorption - in the blood plasma, the amount of the drug even after 1-2 years of administration was negligible, the activity of hepatic, pancreatic lipases, lipoprotein lipases, even after long-term administration, did not change at all in comparison with the control results.
• Distribution - minimal absorption does not make it possible to accurately determine the volume of distribution of the drug.
• Metabolism - occurs in the walls of the digestive tract.
• Excretion - the bulk of the drug (97%) is excreted in the feces, of this amount 83% is excreted unchanged.

Indications for use

• As an element of complex therapy in the treatment of obesity, in patients with risk factors due to the appearance of overweight;
• As an adjunct to drugs against hyperglycemia (insulin, metformin), or in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2) who are overweight.

Contraindications

Conditions in which Xenical is contraindicated to take:

• Cholestasis;
• Individual intolerance to the components of the drug;
• Chronic maalsorption syndrome.

Dosage

It is recommended to take Xenical one hour after each meal or with meals. Dosage for adults and children over 12 years old - one capsule (120 mg). The total frequency of daily intake is 3 times, further increasing the dose is not effective, since this will not lead to an increase in the effect.

Foods that do not contain fat in their composition do not need to be accompanied by the intake of Xenical. The diet during treatment with the drug should not have a high calorie content, be balanced in the ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. A large amount of fruits and vegetables in its composition, no more than 30% of the calories obtained from their fats, can effectively reduce weight during treatment with Xenical.

Overdose during treatment with the drug was not observed even if the dose was deliberately exceeded by 2-3 times for 2 weeks.

Side effects

The most common side effects from the use of the drug appear in the digestive tract, they are associated with the pharmacokinetics of Orlistat, which prevents the absorption of fats. The more fat in the patient's diet, the more intense these symptoms appear.

Side effects manifested in the first 3 months of treatment:

• Frequent intense urge to defecate;
• Flatulence, accompanied by the release of a small amount of feces;
• Diarrhea;
• Oily, fatty stools;
• Discomfort or pain in the intestinal area;
• Headaches;
• Exposure to respiratory and urinary tract infections;
• dysmenorrhea;
• Increased anxiety.

Over time, these side effects steadily decrease or disappear.

Rare side effects:

• Rectal pain;
• Softening and incontinence of feces;
• Damage to the teeth, gums;
• Weakness.

With a hypersensitivity reaction to the components of the drug, the following side symptoms are observed:

• Hives;
• Itching;
• Bronchospasm;
• Anaphylactic shock;
• Angioneurotic shock.

Symptoms in patients with diabetes mellitus and those who do not have a history of this disease did not differ much from each other. The only difference is that in patients with diabetes mellitus, a decrease in blood sugar is noted in 2% of cases.

Xenical does not have a teratogenic and carcinogenic effect, does not pose a danger to the human reproductive system, is not toxic, does not reduce the concentration of beta-carotene, vitamins of groups A, D, E, K in the body. To fully supply the body with vitamins and microelements, it is recommended to take multivitamin complexes.

The author of the article: Kuzmina Vera Valerievna | Endocrinologist, nutritionist