Are you saying you wouldn't find the phrase:

"anal seepage"

hilariously, roll-in-the-floor, funny (as long as it wasn't happening to you)???

It would be interesting to track the sales of Depends once Xenical hits the OTC market.

could anal seepage and oily discharge be one in the same?

if not, susan, you are 1000% correct!

oh www.zug.com theres a uh, interesting "experiment" done with Olestra chips.

By the way, I have been using Xenical, under the advice for about 8 months now. The only discomfort I've experience is some bloating and oily discharge.

IF people eat correctly (i-e keep their fat intake below 30%), there is no nasty side effects. You don't have to worry about sitting next to me on the bus.

The problems the author states however are only too true. I can just imagine people popping excess pills or running to KFC and then suffering the consequences.

This drug should be taken as you are being followed by a doctor. Most humans are too stupid to do this on their own.

Actually, the only reason I made the crass remark was because I have taken the prescription a few years ago and understand the potential side-effects. As the instructions and information provided by the doctor and pharmacist says, as long as you keep the fat intake under 30%, the side effects are minimum to none.

I knew a woman that wasn't taking the Rx but was loading up on the orlistat potato chips and she found -- much to her dismay -- the serious side effect of anal seepage, first-hand.

The problem which may -- which probably -- will occur -- most likely will be over-use (abuse) of the product when it is not regulated by a doctor/pharmacist.

it's really great to hear from people who are having, or who had, success with the drug.

on the other hand, i think it's a sad commentary that people stop taking the drug because of the side effects rather than change their eating habits, that are causing these side effects to be severe. or won't even take the drug and make an attempt to change their habits.

Sell it in France. The human nose won't be able to tell the difference...

Sal, I never had any problems with the Rx. I found that following the instructions were simple, easy and safe. And, less than 30% fat intake was never a problem for me, so side-effects were never an issue. As I said, it was several years ago and I would recommend the Rx to others, as long as they were willing to follow ALL instructions.

It is the "if one is good, four must be better" attitude that a lot of people have that is the scary thought when there are not restrictions on something like this. I would simply -- STRONGLY -- advise caution with dosage and following all instructions closely to reduce the chances of side effects.

There is a bigger question here. Does the inevitability of misuse constitute a compelling reason to prevent this drug's release to OTC use?

It is my understanding that when making a decision like that the FDA considers whether misuse is fatal or would have lasting consequences. In this case, the side effects, though highly unpleasant and unbelievably ridiculous, are not likely to leave lasting scars to anything other than the self-esteem. Thus, the FDA is justified is releasing this drug.

Also, with respect to the inevitable lawsuits, yes, there could be many. But those lawsuits don't win unless you can prove that the bad thing happened when you used the drug as directed. By being so thorough in the cornucopia of unpleasant side effects, the company is certainly covering its bases.

Then again you could also argue that no one in their right mind would draw further attention to their shame by suing. That would be my way...but then again I don't have anal seepage.

i don't think the people who will use the drug - and have used the drug - properly shouldn't be able to get this drug because of those people who have/will misuse it.

i have some clients who have used the drug and those who followed the program - as did susan - had minimal if any problems. while those who didn't heed the warning either suffered through pretty nasty side effects or bailed.

i hope i'm wrong about this - and i don't feel the drug shouldn't be approved - but so many people have lost their mind when it comes to weightloss.

When is the drug going to be available without a prescription? I have ordered the blue pill online at a hefty price. I have had no side effects. I am a female who doesn't have regular (weekly) bowel movements. I have also followed the recommended diet plan.

the FDA's advisory panel recommended that orlistat/xenical be made available without a prescription back in january, but i haven't seen any news with regards to the FDA making this official.

but does taking more pills make you actually lose more weight?

are you serious?

not following the directions to the letter will result in you soiling yourself...thanks for proving my point.

anytime...but the thing is...i´ve been using it for 2 weeks ..and gotten 0 results!...xenical was my last hope of losing those last 10 pounds......do you know of any other diet pills that work?

come on...please help me!

i don't give advice with regards to any kind of meds...check with your doctor...

ok....but i´d still like to know..if you do or dont lose MORE weight if you take more pills .i know you soil yourself..that its disgusting and that it stinks like hell..but i dont care...can u answer this...... and i wont bother u again.,, :)

I think if its going to be an otc then it needs to be sold from behind the counter to 18 and older like a lot of otc drugs are now days.

cindy:
good point...today i had to buy some cold meds for my little ones and i had to sign something because the meds contained pseudoephedra...so it's not unreasonable to have xenical literally available over the counter.

I would like to see what people think of my comments... I have been on Xenical for the past week, Ive lost about 9lbs so far obviously I wont loose that everyweek... I haven't had any problems as I haven't eaten anything with more than 10% fat in it ie: a combination of several items adding up to the recommended 30% at each meal.. So absolutely no side effects. But I cant help thinking Ive lost weight because Im very scared to eat anything unhealthy and not because I am on Xenical. I have 5 kids and cant be "pooping" oneself every 2 minutes , so my point is have I lost weight on my own or our these pills still making a difference to my weightloss regardless of whether im having toilet troubles or not...I cant see how they would help if they are not blocking any fat in the first place... for the record I always loose about 8lb the first week with or without pills, and only find myself eligible for xenical on prescription as I need to have an operation and am currently heavier than the surgeons are happy about.
On a positive note though, xenical has given me a fear of fatty foods, and I really study labels and make the right choices now, so no wonder anxiety is a side effect!
I Would love to know everyone elses views on this..
Many thanks
Chy

Chy:
I don't think that there's any doubt - that if used correctly - xenical is beneficial. I also think that since you're on the prescription dosage your have to take the prescribed amounts.

My comments were directed at those who will go overboard with the drug and self-dose as they see fit.

I have had several clients who have used xenical and those who followed instructions were successful and those who didn't were messy and unsuccessful.

Thanks for that Sal, do you remember if your successful clients lost weight faster than those that didnt take it at all.. thats what im trying to get to... Im restricting myself to a very limited fat intake when I was very used to a high fat diet so obviously the weight is going to come off but will it be faster on xenical with no side effects or at the same rate as if I didnt take it....
I get the impression that Xenical is for people that want to eat the same bad foods and still lose the weight...
I have been on reductil too but found no loss of appetite at all!
Thanks again
chy

the unsuccessful clients didn't stick to the proper diet guidelines and ate too much fat, and as a result had "the problem," if you know what i mean.

too many people don't realize that if you take this drug and continue to eat a lot of fatty foods, that fat has to go somewhere. so without making the necessary adjustment to their eating habits, and relying on the drug to do all the work, they ultimately will fail.

because the fat doesn't disappear when you eat it, this drug is not meant for people who will continue to eat fat.

by restricting your fat intake you are doing the right thing and are developing a good habit that hopefully you will keep once you get the weight off.

week back i purchased xenical.and it's true abt the side effecsts gas..frequent usage of the loo..but what i saw disgusted me ..yuck..but now i am aware of the foods i eat and try avoiding fatty ones..after seeing the END results. I take one pill per day (too expensive to take 3 per day)and want to know if this REALLY works as i haven't noticed any wt change as yet

that's a good point...seeing what doesn't get absorbed as a result of taking orlistat,when it makes the inevitable apppearance, should make you realize just what all that fat can do to your innards. and in the future make you think twice before eating it.

Hello, I started on Xenical because I wanted a jump start. I now have learned the proper foods to consume. I started last November and to date have lost 55 lbs. Sometimes I wish I could loose the weight faster but then I reason that I have been heavy a long time so it will probably take a while to loose the weight. I do have some of the side effects but it is not like when I first started taking the medication. I do find that you have to eat 3 small meals a day and healthy snacks in between. I also have learned that exercise is another piece of the puzzle. Good cardiovascular and weights to turn fat into muscle. I hope that they don't take it off the market because when used the proper way it really does help. I look forward to the day when I am totally off it and can control my weight completely by my eating habits. I hope this positive note for Xenical encourages others who really want to loose weight to try it.

PS- I never had any side affects for the first 2 weeks, after that the side effects were ALL that has been described.....
You can not let that get to you if you want to loose weight - they will subside when you eat properly!

Lady H wrote:
"Good cardiovascular and weights to turn fat into muscle."

WRONG! you cannot turn muscle into fat...this kind of alchemy is a myth...you lose fat and/or build muscle, but muscle doesn't turn into fat as a result of exercise and fat does not turn into muscle as a result of sloth.

Sal, please clarify your comment. You wrote, "WRONG! you cannot turn muscle into fat...this kind of alchemy is a myth...you lose fat and/or build muscle, but muscle doesn't turn into fat as a result of exercise and fat does not turn into muscle as a result of sloth." I believe you meant to say exercise of any kind does not turn fat into muscle, but rather burns fat; and, depending on the type of muscle exertion used in the exercise, muscle mass may increase. Is this the correct interpretation?
I realize you may not agree with Lady H endorsing the product, but her experience using it the way it was intended is positive and should not be criticized. When I began studying this drug in 1998 it still went under the name Tetrahydrolipostatin and was not yet approved by the FDA. Personally, I'm thrilled the drug is now making its way to the OTC market as I believe it has real potential to change people's acceptance of overindulging in fatty foods.
I began studying this drug as a pre-med nutrition major in college who was searching for a way to help my father's entire family get healthier. My father's entire family: mother, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews are all obese. Two have since died from obesity complications. The adage of diet and exercise has been the battle cry of doctors since the 80s at least, but how many lives has it saved? How many people have truly made life-long commitments to better health? Sometimes a boost is all we need, and that is all Alli can provide.

i meant that not only won't fat turn into muscle but muscle won't turn into fat, regardless of the stimulus.

and i don't have a problem with this drug going OTC, i just think that the potential is there for people to misuse this drug. and when this happens, the drug will be blamed rather than the people who misuse it.

i have been using it for 12 weeks now and have lost 38lbs, feel great, and it has helped me change my eating habits, i get NO persistent side effects, only if i do something stupid and eat to much fat,(my fault and how i got fat in the first place) well one or two mishaps is better than a heart attack i say

that's what happens when you use it the right way! congrats.

WOW...I found your article to be very humorous.I have been only taking Xenical for two week. I have changed my eating habits and I am exercising. However, I cannot speak for anyone else, but I can state that there is a lot of truth stated in your article. I have experienced and still have some of the side effect that you have listed, some worse than other: headache, abdominal discomfort or pain, diarrhea, gas, skin rash, and back pain. So, I am saying to all the readers, if you are not willing to ware a depend to catch the excess poo and stink up the place a little then and maybe mmmmmm...you might want to think about buying Xenical. Good Luck to you all.