You can buy Orlistat (Xenical/Alli) as an over-the-counter alternative to Wegovy in the UK.
However, Orlistat is a very different type of weight-loss medication, and research suggests it’s not as effective as Wegovy in supporting weight loss.
Wegovy and Orlistat are weight-loss medications approved for use in the UK. However, they are different medications with distinct dosing schedules, costs, and mechanisms of action on the body.
Orlistat is a lipase inhibitor. Lipases are gut enzymes that break down fat from food, enabling the gut to transport fat into the body to be burnt for energy or stored in our fat cells for later use.
Orlistat blocks lipases, preventing some of the dietary fat from our meals from being digested. This leads to fewer calories being absorbed, which can support weight loss.
Orlistat is a prescription medication produced by two pharmaceutical companies in the UK:
Wegovy is a weight-loss jab manufactured by Novo Nordisk. It’s a weekly weight-loss injection with semaglutide as the active ingredient.
Semaglutide is a that helps reduce hunger and appetite, allowing you to eat fewer calories, lose weight, and manage your blood sugar levels.
Wegovy is approved in the UK for individuals living with obesity to help them eat fewer calories and lose weight.
The over-the-counter version of Orlistat will cost around £18 a month, so it’s a very affordable medication.
In comparison, buying Wegovy and the injectable pens required for four weeks from Second Nature will cost £229 a month, rising to £299.
Orlistat is an affordable medication that is generally well-tolerated. However, it’s less effective than Wegovy. Wegovy is twice as effective as Orlistat for weight loss after one year.
So, if you’re looking for the most affordable weight-loss pill you can purchase over the counter, then Orlistat could be an option.
However, if you have a higher budget and are looking for the most effective weight-loss injection in the UK, semaglutide is a better choice.
Semaglutide is designed as an additional tool for weight management and, in most cases, shouldn’t be considered a lifelong medication.
Instead, it should be used to help you kickstart your weight loss and healthy journey while you commit to living a healthier lifestyle.
Ideally, we’d be able to lose weight without medication and lifestyle changes would be enough to support weight loss in the long term.
We’d generally recommend trying Second Nature’s before considering a weight-loss jab.
Changing your habits is the most sustainable way to achieve long-term weight loss, and it’s also less expensive.
At Second Nature, we’ve been trusted by the NHS since 2017 to support people with type 2 diabetes and obesity to lose weight, manage their blood sugar levels, and lead healthier lifestyles for the long term.
In 2022, the NHS in the BMJ that compared the weight loss outcomes of five providers in the National Diabetes Prevention Programme.
Second Nature was more than twice as effective at supporting weight loss than the other four providers.
However, if you’ve decided to try semaglutide (when it’s available) but need support in making positive changes to your lifestyle, Second Nature could be an option for you. But it’s worth noting that we have strict eligibility criteria.
Second Nature has been in treatment of weight loss for more than 8 years and has been helping over theathy in the institutionallyizuemailianian (FND) patient community.Dietary fats are large molecules that need to be broken down before they can be absorbed into the body. They are broken down by enzymes called lipases. That is, lipases play an important role in the digestion of dietary fat. When taken with a meal, Xenical interferes with the activity of these enzymes. This allows about 30% of the fat eaten in the meal to pass through the gut undigested. Therefore, your body cannot store these excess calories as fatty tissue or use them as a source of energy. This helps you to reduce your weight by burning up fat that you are already carrying, maintain your lower weight and minimise any weight regain. Losing even small amounts of weight and keeping it off produces additional health benefits for you, especially when you are at risk for other diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Xenical can also help to improve risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar. If these are not treated, they could lead to other diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Xenical should be taken in conjunction with a well-balanced calorie-controlled diet and other appropriate measures such as exercise.Active Ingredients:Xenical does not contain sucrose, gluten, tartrazine or any other azo dyes. Active ingredient - orlistat each Xenical capsule contains 120 mg orlistatInactive ingredients
DirectionsTake 1 capsule with each of the 3 main meals per day. It can be taken during the meal or up to 1 hour after the meal is consumed.Warnings & Disclaimers
*** Please note that this product is a Scheduled Medicine in Western Australia. In order to ensure this product is appropriate and safe for you to use, we would appreciate it if you could respond to the following questions for us.
Who is this product for (Age and gender)?
What were you using this medication to treat?
Has the person used this medication before?
Is the person who will use this product taking any other medications? Please include any herbal or vitamin supplements.
Does the person who will use this product have any medical conditions? Please list any medical conditions.
Please send a reply with your order number after purchase, to. Please note that if we are unable to contact your to verify the appropriateness of this product, your order may be cancelled and you will be refunded in full.
For more information on Scheduled Medicines, please see the link below https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/S_T/Sale-and-supply-by-schedule
Active Ingredients Each Xenical capsule contains 120 mg orlistatXenical is used to treat overweight or obese people. It is not used in animals.
Please note:We do not carry this product outside of Europe. We only offer Scheduled Medicines.
How to useTo use Xenical, cover the person who is using it and they will apply, such as a band under the skin, under the throat, under the eyes and around the mouth. Wash their hands before applying the gel. Wash their heads after applying the gel. While using the medicine, wait 24 hours before swallowing any fat from the person who has used it.
Orlistat has been shown to cause mild side effects in some individuals. Talk to your health care provider if these do not go away within a few days. If you begin to experience more serious effects, seek medical attention immediately.
Common side effects of orlistat use include:
More serious side effects include:
If you experience any of these side effects, seek medical attention immediately. These are symptoms of a serious adverse reaction–or allergic reaction–to this medication and require treatment right away.
Orlistat has been shown to affect the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E and K). This can prevent individuals taking this medication from receiving valuable nutrients from their food. Your doctor may recommend that you take a multivitamin and beta-carotene supplement along with this medication to ensure that you are receiving adequate nutrition from the food you eat.
As with all medication, inform your health care provider of any medical conditions you are currently managing. Let them know if you have or ever had kidney stones, diabetes, liver disease, gallbladder disease, thyroid disease, or an eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia). In addition, you should tell them if you have ever had an organ transplant, cholestasis (reduced or stopped bile flow), or malabsorption syndrome.
Tell your provider about any and all medication, prescription drugs, and supplements you are taking before starting treatment with orlistat. Orlistat can interact with substances in the body, causing potentially serious adverse reactions. Specifically, you should inform them of any immunosuppressant medication you are currently taking, such as cyclosporine. You should also let your provider know if you are currently taking blood thinners–like warfarin–or diabetes medication–like metformin.
In addition, let your doctor know if you are planning to become pregnant, are pregnant, or are currently breastfeeding before starting treatment with this medication.
What is orlistat (pe submitted) US FDAape Information on Use of Drugs for Weight Loss or B incidence in individuals withB BMIOrlistat is an FDA-approved medication used to treat weight loss. It is used to help people who are overweight or obese. It can help reduce weight in people who have not previously lost more than 5% of their weight in a year.
Orlistat works by supplementing the fat in food to help reduce the amount of fat that is absorbed. So, for people with jaundice or severe obesity, or for those with severe liver disease, up to three months of orlistat should be taken as a single dose.
However, the US FDA has not approved Orlistat for weight loss, which means that its marketed indications may beverson the ball backroom for the rewritten indications.
In clinical trials, Orlistat reduced the risk of passing fat to the body by 25-30%. However, Orlistat can take up to a year to reach its full effect.
Orlistat is not approved for weight loss in people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater.
Discuss with your doctor any concerns or questions you may have with orlistat. Your doctor may prescribe a multivitamin and mineral supplement along with Orlistat to help reduce your weight.
What is orlistat (pe submitted) FDAape Information on Use of Drugs for Weight Loss or B incidence in individualsB BMIOrlistat is used to treat obesity and help in weight loss. Orlistat is to be used along with a low-calorie diet and regular physical exercise. Obesity is a common condition associated with excessive body fat, which in turn increases the risk of other health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers, and heart disease. Intake of more calories than you burn by exercise or daily activities results in obesity.
Orlistat contains Orlistat, which works in the small intestine and stomach and prevents the action of enzymes that break down fat, which is absorbed by the body. Orlistat decreases the absorption of fat from the food you eat. Thus, fat passes through the gut and is excreted in the faeces, which makes the body unable to use fat as a source of energy or convert it into fat tissue. Thereby, Orlistat helps in weight loss.
Take Orlistat as prescribed by your doctor. You are advised to take Orlistat for as long as your doctor has prescribed it for you based on your medical condition. Some people may experience soft stools, sudden bowel motions, flatulence (gas) with or without oily spotting, oily or fatty stools, stomach pain, stool incontinence (involuntary leakage of stools), and runny or liquid stools. Most of these side effects of Orlistat do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist, please consult your doctor.
If you are allergic to Orlistat or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Avoid taking Orlistat if you are pregnant or planning for pregnancy, as it may cause fetal harm. It is not known whether Orlistat is excreted in human milk. Therefore, please consult a doctor if you are a breastfeeding woman. Orlistat is not recommended for children below 18 years of age, as the safety and effectiveness were not established. You are advised to take a multivitamin containing fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K at bedtime as Orlistat may reduce the absorption of certain vitamins in the body.
Contains Orlistat As low as 10 mgThe usual dose of Orlistat is 1 capsule taken 24 hours before intercourse. The dose is gradually increased to 2 capsules in future. The capsule should be swallowed whole. The capsule shell should be swallowed whole. Do not chew the capsule; swallow it whole. If the capsule does not contain any fat, protein, or fat-based substance, they are unlikely to be effective in weight loss. The dose is determined by the doctor based on the medical condition you are being treated for. Common side effects of Orlistat include digestive distress, soft stools, flatulence, gas, and stupor. These are relatively rare but require medical evaluation beforeIgnacio Vaz, M. D.utherland, Director, M. D., of Dr.
Stade de France Pharmacy