"Let the oil come out as it comes in."
Orlistat was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for long-term weight maintenance in 1999. It is also an over-the-counter (OTC) drug currently approved by official drug regulatory authorities in various countries, and is the only approved chemical weight loss drug in my country. Research data shows that taking this drug can reduce body weight by an average of 2.9-3.4 kilograms in one year.
Orlistat is a long-acting and potent specific gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor that inactivates the enzymes by forming covalent bonds with the active serine sites of gastric lipase and pancreatic lipase in the lumen of the stomach and small intestine. Have a therapeutic effect. Because the inactivated enzyme cannot hydrolyze fat in food (mainly triglycerides) into absorbable free fatty acids and monoacylglycerols, thereby reducing the body's caloric intake and controlling weight.
In layman's terms, the main function of this medicine is to "let the oil go out as it comes in."
Common gastrointestinal adverse reactions
Taking orlistat will mainly cause adverse reactions in the gastrointestinal tract, which is related to the pharmacological mechanism of the drug that prevents the absorption of ingested fat.
Common adverse reactions include oily spots (stool), gastrointestinal flatulence with stool, urgency to defecate, fatty (oily) stool, and steatorrhea (refers to the reduction of small intestinal digestion and absorption caused by various reasons, resulting in the inability of nutrients to It is completely absorbed and excreted in the feces, causing a clinical syndrome of nutritional deficiencies (also known as dyspepsia syndrome), increased stool frequency and fecal incontinence.
These adverse reactions first occurred within 3 months of starting the medication, about half lasted for less than 1 week, and most lasted for less than 4 weeks. Therefore, we recommend that you prepare adult diapers during the first 3 months of using orlistat to avoid embarrassing incidents.
In addition, because orlistat can reduce the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E) and β-carotene, long-term medication requires additional supplementation of fat-soluble vitamins.
It should be noted that serious liver damage has been reported since Orlistat was launched. Therefore, any symptoms and signs of liver dysfunction (such as loss of appetite, itching, jaundice, dark urine, light stool, etc.) (right upper quadrant pain), orlistat and other suspicious drugs should be stopped immediately, and liver function should be tested.
