Orlistat - Usage and Dosage
It is very important that you take orlistat exactly as instructed on the label or as prescribed by
the doctor. You should not increase the dose. You should also not take it for longer duration than recommended by the doctor. Try to follow the instructions on your prescription label.
The medicine is made available along with patient instructions say to make it safe and effective. It is important to follow the instructions carefully. In case of any doubt, you can ask the doctor or pharmacist.
Orlistat is not the complete treatment program for weight loss. It is just a part. The other elements of the complete program are diet, exercise, and weight control. You should distribute the daily intake of fat, protein, and carbohydrates over your daily meals and you should strictly follow the diet, medicine and exercise routines.
You can take the medicine with water. It is important to take orlistat within 1 hour after a meal with fat (there should be no more than 30% of the calories coming from fat). You need to take Orlistat 3 times daily.
When you eat a meal without any fat or when you skip a meal, you can also skip your orlistat dose for that meal.
The fat content permitted in your daily diet till the limit of 30% of your total daily caloric intake. When you take 1200 calories per day, the calories coming from fat should not be more than 360.
You should read the label of the foods you eat. When you read them, you should pay special attention to the number of servings per container mentioned. You need a healthy eating plan and in that your doctor, nutrition counselor, or dietitian can help you.
The doctor may recommend that you start taking some vitamin and mineral supplements while using orlistat. You should follow the instruction of the doctor about the type of multi-vitamin or mineral supplement that you should use.
It is necessary to take the supplement at least 2 hours before or after you take orlistat.
Zwhile storing, keep orlistat at room temperature and away from moisture and heat.
What happens when the user misses a dose?
You can take the medicine as soon as you remember. However, you should not take it if it is already more than 1 hour after eating a meal. If that is the case, you can skip the missed dose and take the medicine when is the next scheduled time. You should not take any extra Orlistat to make up the missed dose.
When you skip or miss a meal, or when you eat a meal without fat, you can skip orlistat for that meal.
What happens in case of overdose?
In case of overdose, you should look for emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
What things to avoid while taking orlistat?
Avoid a diet that is high in fat. Combination of high-fat meals and orlistat will increase the risk of some unpleasant side effects on your stomach or intestines.