Wednesday, August 26, 2009

FDA reports liver failure with Orlistat

 

At least 32 reports revealed liver problems with the FDA approved non-prescription weight loss aid, Orlistat, over-the-counter weight loss product known as, Alli.

Orlistat is marketed as:

  • Alli can help you change the way you eat, so you can lose weight and earn to keep it off
  • Alli can make a healthy start this summer with recipes provided
  • Alli and a link to their website at myalli.com
  • Alli can help you lose more weight than dieting alone

Rely on yourself and if necessary, a good registered dietitian, but please, try not to access weight loss aids for weight loss.

Source:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/08/fda-studying-reports-of-liver-failure-with-weight-loss-drug-orlistat.html

Posted by Anthony Sepe at 2:14 PM

4 comments:

  1. Gina; The Candid RDAugust 26, 2009 at 8:22 PM

    Alli is only half the dose of Orlistat, so does it cause the same problems? I wouldn't think it would, unless you took it more than you should, right? My mom was taking it for a while. IT didn't really do much, so she stopped.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anthony SepeAugust 26, 2009 at 8:54 PM

    It (Alli) is half the dose (60mg caplets)and decreases the body's absorption of some of the dietary fat.

    According to the FDA's recent report, The FDA says that patients taking orlistat under prescription or in its over-the-counter form should continue to use the product as directed. But those who experience symptoms that could point to liver injury, including jaundice, fatigue or brown urine, should consult a healthcare professional. Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, itching or loss of appetite also may be symptoms of liver damage. Physicians, as well as consumers taking orlistat and experiencing such symptoms, can make an online report to the FDA's Medwatch Adverse Events Reporting system, or call (800) FDA-1088.

    The take away: The risk of liver problems isn't worth the loss of a few pounds. Again, to believe in ones ability to win at wt loss efforts without medications, and/or with the help of a qualified registered dietitian is the safe way to approach this issue. We must not believe a magic pill for weight loss.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nicole, RDAugust 27, 2009 at 11:09 PM

    THANK YOU for presenting such a scary, prevalent topic. This is really important information to get out there and I hope the public strongly weighs their options when seeking weight loss endeavors. Great post!

    Nicole

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anthony SepeAugust 27, 2009 at 11:32 PM

    Thank you for your support, Nicole.

    ReplyDelete

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