If you're overweight, you may have considered taking Alli diet medication. Alli, an over-the-counter weight loss pill, helps you lose weight by preventing your body from absorbing fat. According to manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, Alli can make your weight loss effort 50 percent more effective than diet alone. However, the drug can cause unpleasant digestive side effects, including an oily discharge and bowel incontinence, according to the website Drugs.com.
Usage
Alli, which also can be called by the generic name orlistat, can help overweight people lose weight in combination with a low-fat, reduced calorie diet plan, according to manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline. The medication blocks about one-quarter of the fat in the food you eat, which can lead to a 5 to 10 percent weight reduction over time, according to the drug's official website. You generally should take Alli during or within an hour after a meal that includes fat, according to Drugs.com. Most people take the medication three times per day, once with every meal.
Effects
Clinical trials reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have shown that Alli can help you lose 5 percent or more of your body weight. For example, a study led by Dr. H. Toplak and published in the November 2005 issue of the journal "Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism," looked at 430 obese patients taking Alli. Over the course of six months, 295 lost at least 5 percent of their body weight. GlaxoSmithKline stresses that you need to follow recommendations for a low-fat diet to experience success with Alli.
Side Effects
Alli's gastrointestinal side effects stem directly from its action blocking fat absorption in your intestines, according to Drugs.com. Alli can cause oily spotting in your underwear, uncontrollable bowel movements, fatty or oily stools, gas combined with an oily discharge, loose stools or diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting. These side effects may lessen the longer you take Alli.
Program
To minimize your risk of side effects, you need to follow the low-fat diet program recommended by GlaxoSmithKline for treatment with Alli. The company recommends you start your new, low-fat diet three days before taking any Alli capsules. While taking Alli, make sure you don't eat more than 15g of fat in one meal, or you'll raise your risk of digestive side effects.
Considerations
Alli appears to work very well in combination with a healthy diet, according to Harvard Medical School. However, the drug's long-term safety record isn't known, and it also can interfere with the absorption of vitamins. While weight loss drugs can help in the short term, your best bet in the long run is to make lasting lifestyle and diet changes that will help you lose weight and keep it off.
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