Alli, any thoughts

nisijam5

Has anyone used the OTC product Alli...I think I spelled it right...I was curious what the side effects are? How does it actually effect absorption? Wondering if everyone is running to buy it. It kind of scares me that it's OTC and anyone can use it. Any thoughts out there?

laurasimmons

I used it for a couple of months a long time ago and I did not have any side effects. But that is because I ate they way your supposed to on it. If you eat really fatty foods while taking it you are definitely going to get the side effects which can range from just gas to accidentally going in your pants. By the way, after I stopped taking it, I continued to lose the same amount of weight. And I think that's because I was already eating healthier because I didn't want the side effects.

Mindful_Trent

From what I've heard (haven't tried it personally) - it DOES work by not allowing your body to absorb all the fat you eat, however, it has some major downsides. If you eat too much fat at one time (in one meal), it will just pass through your body and cause some embarrassing and unpleasant side effects (stay close to a bathroom!)

My problem with alli is that it assumes that FAT consumption is the problem. In reality, someone can eat a low-fat diet that will still cause them to be overweight. It's total calories that's the biggest driver in weight-loss, and healthy fat is an important part of a well-balanced diet.

I suppose Alli might help be the "push" that some people need to get/stay on track, but It seems like given the high liklihood of unpleasant side effects, if you can do it without this, it would be better...

Here's some info I found from a good source: ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000175 )

What special dietary instructions should I follow?
Follow the diet program your doctor has given you. You should evenly divide the amount of daily fat, carbohydrates, and protein you eat over three main meals. If you take orlistat with a diet high in fat (a diet with more than 30% of the total daily calories from fat), or with one meal very high in fat, you are more likely to experience side effects from the medication.

While you are taking orlistat, you should avoid foods that have more than 30% fat. Read the labels on all the foods you buy. When eating meat, poultry (chicken) or fish, eat only 2 or 3 ounces (55 or 85 grams) (about the size of a deck of cards) for a serving. Choose lean cuts of meat and remove the skin from poultry. Fill up your meal plate with more grains, fruits, and vegetables. Replace whole-milk products with nonfat or 1% milk and reduced- or low-fat dairy items. Cook with less fat. Use vegetable oil spray when cooking. Salad dressings; many baked items; and prepackaged, processed, and fast foods are usually high in fat. Use the low- or nonfat versions of these foods and/or cut back on serving sizes. When dining out, ask how foods are prepared and request that they be prepared with little or no added fat.

Orlistat blocks your body's absorption of some fat-soluble vitamins and beta carotene. Therefore, when you use orlistat you should take a daily multivitamin that contains vitamins A, D, E, K, and beta-carotene. Read the label to find a multivitamin product that contains these vitamins. Take the multivitamin once a day, 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking orlistat, or take the multivitamin at bedtime. Ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you might have about taking a multivitamin while you are taking orlistat.

What side effects can this medication cause?
Orlistat may cause side effects. The most common side effect of orlistat is changes in bowel movement (BM) habits. This generally occurs during the first weeks of treatment; however, it may continue throughout your use of orlistat. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

oily spotting on underwear or on clothing

gas with oily spotting

urgent need to have a bowel movement

loose stools

oily or fatty stools

increased number of bowel movements

difficulty controlling bowel movements

pain or discomfort in the rectum (bottom)

stomach pain

irregular menstrual periods

headache

anxiety

princess_f

i sell it often at work, knowing the side effects i would never use it!

xXAlana21Xx

From what I've heard (haven't tried it personally) - it DOES work by not allowing your body to absorb all the fat you eat, however, it has some major downsides. If you eat too much fat at one time (in one meal), it will just pass through your body and cause some embarrassing and unpleasant side effects (stay close to a bathroom!)

My problem with alli is that it assumes that FAT consumption is the problem. In reality, someone can eat a low-fat diet that will still cause them to be overweight. It's total calories that's the biggest driver in weight-loss, and healthy fat is an important part of a well-balanced diet.

I supposed Alli might help be the "push" that some people need to get/stay on track, but It seems like given the high liklihood of unpleasant side effects, if you can do it without this, it would be better...

Here's some info I found from a good source: ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000175 )

What special dietary instructions should I follow?
Follow the diet program your doctor has given you. You should evenly divide the amount of daily fat, carbohydrates, and protein you eat over three main meals. If you take orlistat with a diet high in fat (a diet with more than 30% of the total daily calories from fat), or with one meal very high in fat, you are more likely to experience side effects from the medication.

While you are taking orlistat, you should avoid foods that have more than 30% fat. Read the labels on all the foods you buy. When eating meat, poultry (chicken) or fish, eat only 2 or 3 ounces (55 or 85 grams) (about the size of a deck of cards) for a serving. Choose lean cuts of meat and remove the skin from poultry. Fill up your meal plate with more grains, fruits, and vegetables. Replace whole-milk products with nonfat or 1% milk and reduced- or low-fat dairy items. Cook with less fat. Use vegetable oil spray when cooking. Salad dressings; many baked items; and prepackaged, processed, and fast foods are usually high in fat. Use the low- or nonfat versions of these foods and/or cut back on serving sizes. When dining out, ask how foods are prepared and request that they be prepared with little or no added fat.

Orlistat blocks your body's absorption of some fat-soluble vitamins and beta carotene. Therefore, when you use orlistat you should take a daily multivitamin that contains vitamins A, D, E, K, and beta-carotene. Read the label to find a multivitamin product that contains these vitamins. Take the multivitamin once a day, 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking orlistat, or take the multivitamin at bedtime. Ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you might have about taking a multivitamin while you are taking orlistat.

What side effects can this medication cause?
Orlistat may cause side effects. The most common side effect of orlistat is changes in bowel movement (BM) habits. This generally occurs during the first weeks of treatment; however, it may continue throughout your use of orlistat. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

oily spotting on underwear or on clothing

gas with oily spotting

urgent need to have a bowel movement

loose stools

oily or fatty stools

increased number of bowel movements

difficulty controlling bowel movements

pain or discomfort in the rectum (bottom)

stomach pain

irregular menstrual periods

headache

anxiety

i think you covered it

nisijam5

I would be afraid to bend over .......they should warn of white pants

Liatush

Here's what cracked.com has to say:

http://www.cracked.com/article_15815_the-6-most-unsettling-medication-side-effects.html

nisijam5

Also, what if someone is on lipitor, which decreases cholesterol and then takes this...would that be contraindicated?

♥Violette♥4Ever♥

Stay away from it.

julwills

You can take it safely without any side effects as long as you follow the diet! If you eat fatty foods it will all come out. I've taken it before and it helped me lose weight but when I stopped I put it all back on (due to the fact I would eat anything and everything). It can be a useful weightloss tool if you're willing to make the committment to it.

oddyogi

I won't ever take anything that recommends I carry around an extra pair of underwear, lol.

forever28

I would be afraid to bend over .......they should warn of white pants

LMAO!! :laugh: Oily stools.....eww! :sick:

Beth720

You can be as careful as you want to be and STILL have the embarrassing side effects. I took it for a few days and was BRUTAL about reading labels and making sure I didn't go over on fat and did still have the effects. I stopped and have never looked at the stuff again.

AVOID!

jrbb0309

I'm like the last poster. I took it for two months and despite watching my diet like a hawk, and I did lose weight, I had the lovely side effects mentioned. And being at work or out with friends, etc, and never knowing if you're going to have an accident is NOT fun. It's a nasty thing to do to your body and totally not worth it. I have since gained the weight back but I am now doing it the old-fashioned way - healthy clean food in reasonable portions and exercise - and I've lost roughly 10 pounds since Christmas.

XFitMojoMom

my endo suggested the Rx version of it. I said no.
Cut out the bad fats - SAY NO to FRIES, CHEESE FRIES, CHICKEN WINGS...
eat more veggies
eat lean proteins.

oh, and no more beer for you! :devil:

nisijam5

my endo suggested the Rx version of it. I said no.
Cut out the bad fats - SAY NO to FRIES, CHEESE FRIES, CHICKEN WINGS...
eat more veggies
eat lean proteins.

oh, and no more beer for you! :devil:

Bingo!! except for the beer....I have to moderate there

It just scares me to think that young girls would be able to get this OTC...they say 18...but, we all know how that goes...the commercial makes it sound so easy. Yuck, on smudgy pants:embarassed: :sick:

XFitMojoMom

I dunno, my feeling is if you have to watch what you eat while on it, wouldn't you lose weight anyway... I think the embarrassing side effects act in a way to make people actually think about what they are putting into their body... tricking them to learn how to eat properly.
Anyway, fat has gotten such a bad rap over the years, it's not fat that is bad, but the type of fat you are eating and what you are mixing your fats with...
egg with avocado = good!
crazy KFC double down chicken burger = bad!

manda511

My endo recommended I try it because of all the problems I have had with losing weight. And like everyone else has said, as long as you follow the diet plan you are fine but I didn't lose much weight with it. I have found as long as I watched how many calories I ate and logged my food I lost more.

MindyF68

I tried it a few years back and did not like the SIDE EFFECTS that is for sure. Maybe cause I don't have my gallbladder had something to do with it I don't know, but I had several of those side effects that were listed above. I agree with XFitMojoMom. I have learned that moderation is the big key when eating and what you eat of course. My advice don't do it.

aflane

Love your body.... be kind to your body... don't poison your body looking for easy fixes.