Zenec

by English

Active ingredient: Orlistat

Packs

About Orlistat

Antiobesity Preparations

Uses

Adjunct to diet in obese patients with body mass index 30 kg/m2 and greater, or body mass index 28 kg/m2 and greater with associated risk factors.

How to take it

Adults: 120 mg before, during or up to one hr after each main meal. Discontinue treatment after 12 wk if 5% of initial body weight is not lost. Children: Not recommended.

Side effects

Faecal incontinence, oily stools, GI upset, respiratory infection, influenza, headache, menstrual irregularity, anxiety, fatigue, UTI. Very rarely, raised liver enzymes, hepatitis, rectal bleeding. Hypoglycaemia and abdominal distension in patients with type II diabetes. Tooth and gingival disorders, hypothyroidism, rectal bleeding, oxalate nephropathy.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Pregnancy: No evidence of risk in humans. Lactation: Contraindicated or not recommended. Contraindications: Chronic malabsorption, cholestasis. Precautions: Advise diet rich in fruit and vegetables containing approx 30% calories from fat. Consider a multivitamin supplement. Monitor antidiabetic drug treatment as diabetic patients lose weight. Possible failure of oral contraception due to severe diarrhoea. Chronic kidney disease.

Advice

Take with meals or immediately before meals or up to 1 hour after meals that contain fat. Contact prescriber if there is continuous back, muscle or joint pain; signs of respiratory tract infection or flu-like symptoms or skin rash or irritation. If a meal is missed or it contains no fat, the dose may be omitted. If prescribed, take a multivitamin that contains fat-soluble vitamins and beta-carotene at least 2 hours before or after medication. If levothyroxine is also prescribed, there should be a 4 hour gap between orlistat and levothyroxine. Exercise regularly. Reduce dietary fats to prevent GI adverse effects of orlistat.

Full information on Orlistat →

Interactions with Orlistat

Acarbose, anticoagulants, amiodarone, fat-soluble vitamins, cyclosporin, antidiabetic drugs, anticonvulsants, levothyroxine, iodine salts, oral contraceptives, antidepressants, antipsychotics, lithium, antiretrovirals, benzodiazepines.

Tell your pharmacist or doctor about every medicine you take, including herbal products.

Need Zenec? Ask us to source Zenec and our pharmacist will call you back.

Other brands with the same ingredients

More from English

Compiled by Healify Pharmacy from published drug references. How we compile it →

Always consult a pharmacist or doctor.