Pros and Cons of Orlistat

Orlistat (Orlistat) blocks some of the fats you eat, preventing them from being absorbed by your body. Orlistat is used to help with weight loss or to help reduce the risk of weight regain. This medication must be used with a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Orlistat is only suitable for adults who are overweight or obese. Orlistat works primarily through its local action in the intestine, systemic exposure to the drug is extremely unlikely, and most (more than 99%) of the drug is bound to plasma proteins (lipoproteins and albumin are the major binding proteins). Orlistat is primarily metabolized within the intestinal wall, and 95% to 97% of the drug is not absorbed and is excreted in the feces.

The side effects of orlistat are most severe when treatment is started and may decrease over time, which may be related to long-term adherence to a low-fat diet. The main side effects of this drug are gastrointestinal-related and include steatorrhea (greasy, loose stools and excessive gas due to unabsorbed fat reaching the large intestine), fecal incontinence, and frequent or urgent bowel movements. To minimize these effects, foods with high fat content should be avoided; doctors recommend that patients follow a low-fat, low-calorie diet. Oily stools and flatulence can be controlled by reducing dietary fat content to about 15 grams per meal.

The original drug of Orlistat has been marketed in China, but it has not yet entered the scope of medical insurance. There are also domestically produced drugs developed by other pharmaceutical companies on the market. The price of each box may be around tens of RMB, which is cheap. The price of the Indian version of Orlistat listed overseas is 120mg*84 capsules per box, which may be around a few hundred yuan (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates). The ingredients of the two drugs are basically the same, but the manufacturers are different, and patients can choose by themselves.