Patients that Use Alli may experience gastrointestinal side effects

Recent studies showed that taking diet pills that affect the way our body digests fats can turn into gastrointestinal problems. This is the case of the diet drug Alli. What is curious though, these side effects did not appeared to patients that use Xenical. Both drugs act in the same manner an they share a common ingredient.

Approximately half the users the diet drug Alli may experience gastrointestinal side effects, according to clinical trials conducted before the drug’s approval. Alli is a weaker version of the diet drug Xenical, known generically as Orlistat. Alli is the first over-the-counter diet pill approved by the FDA.

Alli contains Orlistat, and therefor it works by inhibiting the production of an enzyme that the body uses to break down fats for digestion. Because the drug is not well absorbed by the digestive system, it acts only while sitting in the gastrointestinal tract. When taken with a meal, orlistat blocks the body from absorbing approximately one-quarter of the fat consumed.

According to clinical trials, between 35 and 55 percent of people who took the drug achieved a 5 percent or higher reduction in body mass. Upon ceasing treatment, a significant number of them regained up to 35 percent of the lost weight.

Because Alli blocks the body from digesting fat, the body finds other ways to excrete the fat that has been consumed. This often occurs through feces, which may lead to the common side effects of loose stools, leakage and “gas with oily spotting,” according to the Alli web site.

To limit side effects, most doctors recommends that all patients that follow an weight loss treatment using Alli to limit their fat intake to a maximum of 15 grams per meal. In addition, because the side effects tend to be most severe and frequent toward the beginning of treatment, the company recommends that users think carefully about the best time to begin the drug regimen. In to clinical trials, almost 50 percent of side effects lasted for less than a week, but effects longer than six months are possible.