Xenical Capsules

Order Xenical Weight Loss Tablets Online

By Clinical Pharmacist Hywel McGlinchy

You can request to order Xenical UK weight loss medication online, from our UK registered online pharmacy and doctor service. After completing your assessment and checking out, your order will be passed to our UK registered doctors for review. If approved, our pharmacy team will dispense and dispatch your medication to your chosen address via Royal Mail. Delivery options include next working day delivery.

What is Xenical?

Xenical tablets are used as a weight loss treatment for people with a BMI over 30. It can also be used by people who have a BMI over 28 with weight-related conditions such as high blood pressure. 

Xenical is usually recommended if you have made a significant effort to lose weight through diet, exercise or changing your lifestyle. Treatment must be combined with a low-fat diet and other weight-loss strategies, such as increasing physical exercise. It is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Xenical is a branded medication that contains the active ingredient orlistat 120mg. Generic orlistat is also available from our online doctor service and is cheaper than the branded version. You can also buy over the counter orlistat from our online pharmacy shop: Alli 60mg or Orlos 60mg. Our Xenical price includes a prescription fee.

How does Xenical work?

It works by preventing around a third of the fat from the food you eat from being digested. The undigested fat is not absorbed and is passed out of your digestive system with your faeces.

This helps you avoid gaining weight but it does not necessarily cause you to lose weight. Therefore, it’s still important to stick to your recommended diet and exercise plan. See our article on how to get the best results from orlistat for more information.

Xenical Summary

Xenical Prices

How does Xenical work?

It works by binding to the enzymes in the body to prevent the absorption of fat. On average, Xenical will work on around a quarter to one-third of the fat you eat. Instead of this fat being absorbed, it passes through your gut. For people with high-fat diets, this can result in oily stools.

What to eat when taking Xenical?

Xenical treatment is recommended alongside a low-calorie intake diet. One of our pharmacists has written a recent article that discusses an ‘orlistat diet’ and how to optimise Xenical (orlistat) treatment. It is important to try to spread your daily intake of fat across all three meals of the day.

Who can use Xenical?

Xenical 120mg capsules are indicated in people with a BMI over 30. It can also be prescribed to people who have a BMI over 28, with another weight-related condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

What is the difference between Xenical and Orlistat?

Xenical is the branded version of the drug, orlistat. Medically, they are the same drug and contain the same strength (120mg of orlistat).

What is the difference between Orlistat / Xenical and Alli?

Alli is an over the counter version of Xenical, which is half the strength of the prescribed version. Alli contains 60mg of orlistat, compared to 120mg in Xenical and generic prescription Orlistat.

What is the dosage and duration of treatment of Xenical?

One capsule is taken with each main meal (to a maximum of three capsules daily). You can take the capsule before, during or up to one hour after each meal.

If you miss a meal or the meal does not contain any fat, you may not need to take the orlistat capsule; check the patient information leaflet that comes with your medication.

Treatment with Orlistat (Xenical) should only continue beyond three months if you have lost 5% of your body weight. It usually starts to affect how you digest fat within one to two days. If orlistat has not worked after three months, it is unlikely to be an effective treatment for you.

If you have type 2 diabetes, it can take longer to lose weight using Orlistat, so your target weight loss after three months may, therefore, be slightly lower.

If Orlistat is successful after three months, your prescription may be continued for up to a year. After that, your GP will review your condition and decide whether you should continue with Orlistat.

How effective is Xenical?

It helps to reduce fat absorption by 25-33%. In clinical trials, patients on Xenical are twice as likely to lose over 10% of their body weight over a year, in comparison to someone using diet alone. It should be noted, when taking Xenical, diet and exercise are still key in achieving the best results. 

Can you buy Xenical online or over the counter?

You cannot buy Xenical in the UK over the counter, you need a prescription for it. At Simple Online Pharmacy, our online doctors can prescribe Xenical online for our pharmacy to deliver. You will need to fill in an online assessment for our doctors to review. This helps them decide if it is suitable for you.

Although over the counter Xenical buying is not possible, you can buy Orlistat over the counter as a different brand. This is called Alli 60mg and you can speak to a pharmacist to purchase it over the counter. It can also be ordered from our online shop.

Xenical side effects

Every medication has the possibility of causing side effects, some are more common than others. Common Xenical side effects include:

• Fatty or oily stools
• Needing the toilet urgently
• Passing stools frequently
• Oily discharge from your rectum (you may have oily spots on your underwear)
• Flatulence (wind)
• Stomach pain or discomfort
• Headaches

The majority of these side effects are mild and generally happen at the start of treatment. Usually, these side effects subside after continuing treatment with a healthy diet. Some of these side effects are more common if a dose is taken with a very high-fat meal.

Further information on side effects can be found in the patient information leaflet. If you experience any unusual or bothersome side effects, speak to your pharmacist or doctor for advice.

Before taking any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet.

Xenical Information Leaflet

How to take Xenical

It should be taken exactly as your doctor has told you to. Typically, the dose is one tablet taken with each of your three meals a day. You should not take more than 3 tablets a day. A dose can be taken either before, during, or up to one hour after a meal. 

It works by reducing the amount of fat absorbed by your body. This means that if you eat a meal that contains no fat, there is no need to take a dose. Usually, your doctor will see how you progress with Xenical over 12 weeks. If you have not lost a minimum of 5% of your body weight, treatment should be stopped.

Other conditions and Xenical

It is not suitable for everyone. People with the following should not take Xenical:

• An allergy to orlistat or any of the ingredients in Xenical
• The liver disorder cholestasis
• Chronic malabsorption syndrome 

See the patient information leaflet for further details.

Interactions with other medicines

Xenical can affect some medicines such as warfarin and levothyroxine. See the patient information leaflet or speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice. The dose of some medicines may need to be changed if you lose weight. 

Xenical can cause severe diarrhoea as a side effect and if this occurs, it can reduce the effectiveness of the contraceptive pill. If this is the case, you should use additional contraceptive methods (e.g. condoms).

Xenical can reduce the amount of certain vitamins your body absorbs. Due to this, your doctor may recommend you take a multivitamin supplement.