Slimming orlistat - instruction
The drug Orlistat is a popular means for losing weight. An indication for its use is obesity, in which the body mass index is several times higher than normal values. The drug reduces weight and prevents weight gain in the future. Such an effect is due to the fact that fat is not absorbed by the body and is excreted along with feces. Orlistat is not used to lose a few pounds. This medicine with serious indications, a number of side effects and restrictions to use.
What is Orlistat
The active ingredient in the composition of the drug is the substance of the same name. The medicine is used to treat obesity and prevent the risk of re-gaining weight. Orlistat for weight loss is effective, because it belongs to the category of inhibitors of gastrointestinal lipases. These are enzymes that process fats. The result - they are not deposited by the body as a reserve, but are eliminated during bowel emptying. Manufacturers say that only taking Orlistat does not help to lose weight. The drug only improves the results of diet and exercise.
Release form
The drug is available in capsule form. They contain light crystalline powder. The capsules themselves are blue. They are packaged in a cell pack of 10 pieces. In a carton box there are from 1 to 9 such blisters. Additional components in the composition of the capsules are:
- crospovidone;
- acacia gum;
- magnesium stearate;
- sodium lauryl sulfate;
- mannitol.
Indications for use
The general indication for the use of Orlistat is the need to lose weight, but not a couple of extra pounds. Doctors prescribe this drug to patients with obesity of various degrees. Against the background of taking the medication, they still need to follow a diet and play sports. Only Orlistat for weight loss will have high efficiency. Specific indications for treatment with this medication are:
- obesity with a body mass index of more than 30 kg / m2;
- obesity with a body mass index of over 27 kg / m2 and associated risk factors such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension;
- reducing the risk of re-gaining body weight after successful weight loss.
How does orlistat for weight loss
The main effect of orlistat is inhibition of gastrointestinal lipases. These are enzymes that break down fats in the body. As a result, the breakdown of the latter into fatty acids and monoglycerides becomes impossible. Because of this, the components of fat are not absorbed into the bloodstream, which leads to a shortage of calories in the body. These effects ensure the use of your own fat reserves, deposited in excess.
The therapeutic dose of the drug blocks up to 30% of incoming fat. It shows activity without producing a systemic effect on the organism, because it does not penetrate into the blood. Metabolism occurs in the intestinal walls, where metabolites are formed. The drug is completely eliminated from the body after 5 days. With prolonged use, a slight effect is observed on the balance of trace elements such as calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus. The negative impact of the tool does not apply to:
- composition and properties of bile;
- acidity of gastric juice;
- the speed of advance of the food bolus along the digestive tract.
According to doctors, taking medicine for a year and following a diet, you can get rid of more than 3.4 kilograms than just by limiting nutrition. The same results are obtained when using a low-carb diet. It provides an opportunity not to use supplements and not to restrict the intake of healthy fats too much, because it is harmful for the body. For this reason, the decision on the admission of Orlistat is made individually.
Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
The effectiveness of the drug due to its good mixing with fats and high lipophilicity. Inactivation of gastric and pancreatic lipase is also provided by the active connection with them of orlistat. The result is blocking the entry of triglycerides into the blood. These effects provide a lack of energy in the body, which causes it to mobilize its own reserves from the fat depot.
Regular intake of Orlistat for weight loss helps to reduce the amount of viscero-abdominal fat in the total mass. Additionally, the tool contributes to:
- reducing cholesterol and reducing its solubility;
- reduced tissue insulin sensitivity;
- reducing hyperinsulinemia.
Alcohol does not have a particular effect on the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the drug, but it is noted that the effectiveness of the drug is reduced, with no effect. In addition, the development of allergic reactions. It is allowed to take Orlistat pills for weight loss:
- 2 hours before and 6 hours after drinking, for men;
- 4 hours before and 9 hours after drinking alcohol - for men.
The risk to health is minimal if alcohol was drunk during therapy for the first time. To avoid potential risks and not harm the body, it is not necessary to combine the drug with alcohol and abuse these drinks throughout the course of treatment. If you violate this rule, you must do the following:
- stop drinking alcohol;
- do not drink water for the next 4 hours;
- Consult a doctor if the condition worsens.
Instructions for use
The medication is intended for oral administration. It is taken inside strictly according to the instructions. The dosage for an adult is 120 mg (one capsule). Drug Administration Rules:
- take the capsule daily with meals or an hour after the meal;
- per day you can consume no more than 3 capsules;
- if the food on some day the food contains little fat, then it is allowed not to take Orlistat for weight loss.
During the first six months, body weight should be reduced by 10%. If this does not happen, then it is necessary to stop taking the medicine and consult a doctor for more accurate diagnosis and prescription of another drug. It is necessary to use medicine against the background of moderate hypocaloric nutrition. The nutritional value of the diet should be calculated taking into account the weight and mode of life of the patient. On average, it is reduced by 500-800 kcal to ensure a shortage of energy. The fat content should not exceed 30%. The diet should enrich:
- fruits;
- greens;
- seafood;
- natural juices;
- vegetables;
- lean meat and fish.
The active ingredient of the drug lowers the degree of absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. For this reason, during treatment it is necessary to ensure their normal intake. This is achieved by taking multivitamin complexes that contain these fat-soluble vitamins. They are consumed 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking Orlistat capsules.
Does the use of Orlistat in doses exceeding the daily rate on the rate of weight loss
According to the instructions for use, consciously exceeding the dosage of the drug (more than 120 mg 3 times a day) does not guarantee additional weight loss. This means that the rate of weight loss from this does not change. It makes no sense to increase the dose of the drug, because it will lead to an overdose. This is especially true for patients with bulimia and anorexia who are prone to the abuse of slimming drugs.
During pregnancy and childhood
The drug is allowed in childhood, but only after 12 years of age. The period of pregnancy and breastfeeding are absolute contraindications to the use of Orlistat for weight loss. During lactation, the drug is prohibited, since there is no information about whether the active substance is secreted into breast milk. Well controlled and adequate studies of the use of this drug in pregnant women have not been conducted.
During pregnancy, the drug is contraindicated because a decrease in body weight during this period does not have the potential benefit to a woman. In addition, a negative effect on the fetus is possible. So that a woman does not suffer from overweight during this period, she is recommended to have a minimal increase in body weight, and not to decrease it after a sharp set. If pregnancy occurs while taking the drug, the medication should be canceled.
Interaction with drugs
Orlistat reduces the ability to absorb beta-carotene from food additives. The same applies to vitamins E and D, belonging to the fat-soluble group. If Orlistat for weight loss is taken at the same time as Cyclosporine, the plasma content of the first drug may become low. For this reason, between the use of these two drugs, you must strictly observe a time interval of 2-3 hours. Other cases of interaction:
- When combined with levothyroxine sodium, hypothyroidism is sometimes possible. In this case, constant monitoring of the functions of the thyroid gland and compliance with the gap between receptions of 4 or more hours is required.
- It is also noted that Orlistat increases the concentration in the bloodstream of pravastin by approximately 30%.
Side effects
Orlistat for weight loss is effective, but can affect the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. In most cases, the cause of adverse reactions is eating too fatty foods. To avoid negative reactions, it is necessary to adhere to a balanced diet with a low calorie content and a daily fat content of about 30% of the norm. Among the side effects on the digestive tract are:
- fecal incontinence;
- "Fat" stools;
- flatulence;
- imperative urge to stool;
- oily discharge of their rectum;
- frequent bowel movement.
Another group of adverse reactions are deviations in the nervous system, which appear in the first 1-4 weeks of the use of drugs. In this case, there are dizziness, sleep problems, headache, anxiety. Due to impaired absorption of fats, intestinal steatorrhea and deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins are sometimes possible. In some patients, the content of oxalates in the urine may increase.
In the post-registration period, there have been cases of serious side effects, such as acute liver failure. In some cases, it led to the need for liver transplantation and even death. The doctor in the appointment of Orlistat for weight loss should warn the patient about the need to seek help for the development of liver disorders, which manifest themselves:
- anorexia;
- pruritus;
- discoloration of feces and urine;
- jaundice;
- pain in the right hypochondrium.
Contraindications
With inflamed bowel syndrome, the use of Orlistat for weight loss can be difficult to tolerate. For this reason, prior consultation with a doctor is necessary. A list of absolute contraindications to the use of this medication includes:
- the period of pregnancy and lactation;
- hyperoxaluria;
- chronic malabsorption syndrome;
- hypersensitivity;
- nephrolithiasis;
- age less than 12 years;
- cholestasis.
Price
The cost of the drug is determined by the number of capsules in the package. In individual pharmacies, the price of medicine may vary.
Analogs
The active substance orlistat is found in some other drugs, which are also indicated for the treatment of obesity. It is not recommended only to replace one tool with another. For the choice of analogue better to consult a doctor.
What prevents to lose weight? 12 causes of obesity and excess weight
Can I manage my weight? Yes, says Dr. Ionova, author of a popular diet. But before doing the obvious - to change the diet and increase physical activity, you should deal with the other reasons that led to excess weight - and they, as a rule, do not lie on the surface. What is it about?
Genetic predisposition
Scientists from year to year find all new genes responsible for the development of obesity. However, all currently known "obesity genes" are involved in only four cases out of a hundred. The remaining 96% are due to other reasons.
However, heredity plays an important role in the development of the disease. It is proved that if both parents are obese, the incidence of this disease in children reaches 66%. In other words, if there are three babies in a family, then two of them will most likely have obesity. If one of the parents is not slim, obesity threatens 50% of offspring, that is, one of two. But if the parents are slender, then the probability of this disease in children is only 9%.
However, our genes have not changed in the last 50 years, and obesity has nevertheless become the scale of a global epidemic. This means that some other factors, and not genetics, rank first among the causes of obesity. Which ones? Let's understand further.
Endocrine disorders
Among the endocrine diseases associated with overweight, hypothyroidism and Cushing syndrome are most common.
Hypothyroidism is a disease that causes a decrease in thyroid function (as opposed to hyperthyroidism, when thyroid function is elevated). Hypothyroidism - this is the very "slow metabolism", which most of the weight loss people write off all the difficulties in losing weight. In addition to moderate weight gain, this condition is manifested by poor tolerance of cold (a person is constantly cold), dry skin, hair loss, constipation, muscle weakness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, poor memory, low mood, or even depression.
In the state of hypothyroidism, the body temperature becomes slightly lower, the heart beats a little less, breathing slows down slightly. Due to all these changes, a person spends fewer calories to maintain life (in medicine, this is called "main exchange"). Because of this, and can slowly but surely increase the weight. If you followed my advice and were examined, the level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) will show whether you have hypothyroidism. But, of course, to finally verify this, it is better to consult with the endocrinologist.
Cushing's syndrome is a disease, one of the symptoms of which is also overweight. Cushing's syndrome is characterized by accumulation of adipose tissue in the central part of the body - in the abdomen and buttocks. Many of the symptoms of this disease are characteristic of severe obesity, for example, high blood pressure, increased hair growth, menstrual disorders, increased blood sugar levels. But unlike obesity with Cushing's syndrome, there are lumpy stretch marks on the skin, atrophy of the skin, reduced levels of potassium in the blood.
If you have even the slightest suspicion, be sure to consult an endocrinologist to rule out this diagnosis!
Lifestyle
Lifestyle includes many aspects: where and in what environment we live and work (that is, who are our loved ones, friends and colleagues), what kind of relationships we have with them, what, where, when and how much we eat, what kind of clothes we prefer what transport we use, what hobbies we have, etc.
Of all the factors, lifestyle has the greatest impact on the risk of developing excess weight. The globalized obesity epidemic is a consequence of the modern lifestyle. Unlike our ancestors, who were mainly engaged in physical labor and ate natural homemade food, we live in the age of computers and fast food. Due to technical progress, the share of physical labor over the past 100 years has decreased from 95 to 5%. Nowadays, people rarely eat because of hunger, and in most cases do so under the influence of external factors. It can be food for the company, food as a habit (for example, a lunch break at work) or a way to get rid of internal discomfort.
Food habits
Eating habits play a major role in the development of overweight and obesity. Most food habits are passed down from generation to generation. Children who are accustomed to eating buns and fast food, chew in front of the TV and drink sweet soda, will transfer these “traditions” to their future families, thereby condemning their descendants to extra pounds.
Many of the harmful eating habits inherent in the inhabitants of large cities are due to the so-called Western lifestyle. When the pace of life grows and grows, the work schedule is very tight, haste and stress become the norm - people skip breakfast or lunch, eat on the go or behind the wheel and relax over a hearty dinner before going to bed.
Unmet needs
Unmet needs increase cravings for food, which acts as such a universal remedy "from everything". Very often, needs that have nothing to do with food are satisfied with food. For example, food for a company is nothing more than an indicator of belonging to a particular group. In order to identify with his family, friends or colleagues, a person eats with them, even when he is not hungry, or chooses the same foods and dishes that this group prefers.
Another example is the need for security. When we feel some kind of external threat (it’s enough to watch the news release), it’s much easier for us to eat and feel imaginary security than to seek and even more so eliminate the source of the threat. Thus, over time, a conditioned reflex is formed, and the person begins to act automatically, without thinking about his true motives.
Food can satisfy any need. Thus, a person satisfies the need for novelty by trying new dishes, the need for high social status - visiting expensive restaurants, etc.
Stress
Many people eat in response to stress and tension. Strategies to combat this unpleasant state are active and passive. Active involve the identification of the causes of stress and its elimination. With passive all the forces are thrown on the "liquidation of consequences", and not on the stress itself. Food is one of the ways to passively cope with stress.
It has been proven that stress increases the level of cortisol, a hormone that contributes to the accumulation of excess adipose tissue and the development of abdominal obesity (when fat accumulates in the abdominal cavity around internal organs), which, in turn, increases the risk of developing diabetes mellitus type II, arterial hypertension and other diseases.
As shown by numerous studies, overweight people often use food to combat stress, unlike slender people who choose other strategies. There is evidence that in women with central obesity (that is, in the abdomen), abdominal fat accumulates as a manifestation of dissatisfaction with life.
Why is this happening? The solar plexus is considered the center of accumulation of vital energy, therefore, the formation of a fat pad in this area is a unique way of protection from the outside world. And the stronger the dissatisfaction with life, the thicker the fat layer.
Unsatisfactory sleep and fatigue
Excess weight is often accompanied by sleep disorders that a person may not even pay attention to. Very often, overweight people suffer from sleep apnea - a breathing disorder during sleep, which leads to a lack of oxygen entering the body. As a result - a feeling of weakness and fatigue during the day. And this is usually stuck. As a result, weight increases, which, in turn, leads to even more serious sleep disorders. The vicious circle closes.
Sleep deficiency is also associated with elevated levels of cortisol and other hormones responsible for the development of obesity. Also, one curious study showed that obese people are perceived by others as lazy people suffering from a lack of willpower. To confront unflattering public opinion, they begin to work more and longer, donating hours of sleep. The lack of a normal sleep and rest mode results in an accumulation of fatigue, which is again stuck. In this case, the person is in the illusion that the "enhanced" food will give him strength and help resist fatigue. And all this leads to even greater weight gain. Again, a vicious circle.
Impossibility to distinguish physical and emotional state
Overweight people often seize emotional outbursts. In other words, living some kind of emotion, they interpret it as hunger. For example, a person feels frustrated, frustrated, and it seems to him that he is hungry.
Often, boredom, irritation, sadness are perceived as a feeling of hunger. According to the research done at my clinic, women are especially susceptible to this. For overweight people, a symptom such as alexithymia, an inability to recognize and describe emotions, is characteristic. They do not really understand how anxiety is different from fear, and sadness from anger. Instead of living emotions, such people simply jam them. The inability to distinguish emotions makes it very difficult to identify the causes of overweight, and, consequently, to eliminate them.
Sexual problems
Sexual life is an important part of a person’s physical and emotional health. During physical contacts of varying degrees of intimacy: during massage, sexual arousal and orgasm, the hormone oxytocin, the hormone of calm, is produced. It is to him that we owe sexual satisfaction. It also stands out when a person eats fatty foods. Therefore, sexual dissatisfaction is often compensated by the consumption of high-fat products.
Unfortunately, in our country people are very often sexually abused, and in most cases this is kept secret. It happens that a person who has experienced sexual violence gains weight unconsciously in order to hide his sexuality and eliminate the risk of a repetition of such a situation. Studies show that it is more difficult for victims of sexual abuse to lose weight than for those who have not been abused.
If past sexual experience was associated with feelings of anxiety, fear, or other unpleasant feelings, a person may unknowingly gain weight in order to “disguise” his belonging to a particular sex and thus avoid unpleasant relationships.
Social environment
Another reason for overweight is the desire of a person to meet the expectations of his social group. Food consumption is a social process. A joint meal brings people together. Traditions and rituals of any culture are connected with food: “breaking bread” means making friends, it is customary to meet dear guests and the groom with the bride with bread and salt.
Food is an important part of the communication process, a kind of cement that holds the relationship together. Each group (in the family, the company of girlfriends, the work team) develops its own “gastronomic” traditions. And if one of the participants decides to retreat from them, then he will certainly encounter resistance from all the others. After all, if someone changes their eating behavior, the rest of the group will also have to adjust it one way or another, which is clearly not part of their plans. This resistance of others can complicate the process of losing weight or stop it altogether.
Low physical activity
The western way of life is a sedentary way of life. We sit at work, we sit in the car, we sit in front of the TV. I will not discover anything new for you if I say that being physically active is good. If even overweight people maintain a normal level of physical activity, their health can be much better than that of slender, but leading a sedentary lifestyle. What is normal physical activity? This is 30–60 minutes of exercise per day, the maximum possible number of times per week.
Now that we have analyzed in detail all the main causes of overweight, make your list of factors that lead to an increase in your weight or prevent you from reducing it to normal. This list will help you focus on the reasons that are important to you and decide what you can do to eliminate them.
Marina, 32 years old
I took the drug for a couple of days, then I realized that I could not drive a car normally. In the car began to appear some kind of loss of reality. Behind the wheel, I stopped thinking about what I was doing. I immediately thought of Orlistat, so I stopped taking it. The condition recovered in a couple of days. I advise you to be more careful with this medicine.
Oksana, 26 years old
Remained dissatisfied with the use of Orsotena for weight loss. Permanent loose stools, although the diet was already low in calories. This is inconvenient, you will not concentrate at work, you constantly run to the toilet. She suffered about 2-3 weeks, after which she refused this remedy and bought an analogue of Xenical. I do not know why, but there are no such side effects from him.
Love, 38 years
I lost weight with Orlistat for about 3 months and did not regret buying it. For all the time, without difficulty, I got rid of 12 extra pounds. The only negative was that I had to spend almost the whole day in the toilet twice, but this did not happen again. When completely abandoned fatty foods, side effects ceased to appear. I advise everyone to try.