Alli is a nonprescription, brand-name version of the FDA-approved weight-loss drug, orlistat. Neither Alli nor other orlistat medications have known interactions with any psychotropic medications -- a class of medicines used to treat mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, panic disorders, obsessive disorders and others. However, it is important to consult your doctor before taking Alli and to tell your doctor about any prescription- or non-prescription medications you take.
Interactions and Potential Benefits
According to research published in "Medicine and Health Rhode Island" in 2004, because orlistat doesn't affect the central nervous system or plasma concentrations of psychotropic medications, it can be used safely and with no adverse interactions by individuals on psychotropic medicines. In fact, according to this study, which examined the effects of orlistat use on motivataed patients taking psychotropic medications, orlistat holds the potential to combat weight gain. Weight gain is a common side effect of many psychotropic drugs, including lithium, antipsychotics, certain antidepressants and other psychotropic medications. Orlistat's weight-control potential may prevent patients from discontinuing psychotropic medications because of side effects, and it may also improve patients' self-esteem and self image, the study concluded.
Side Effects
Although orlistat and its brand-name equivalent Alli don't have any known interactions with psychotropic medications, Alli may cause some of the same side effects as some psychotropic medicines. According to PubMed Health, in some people, orlistat can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as gas, loose stools and nausea. A commonly prescribed psychotropic medication, sertraline, is associated with these same side effects. So, theoretically, if you experience gastrointestinal side effects when taking Alli with sertraline or another psychotropic medication with gastrointestinal side effects, it may be difficult to distinguish which medication is responsible for your symptoms. Both orlistat and sertraline may also cause headache and anxiety as side effects, according to PubMed Health. Whether you're taking Alli, a psychotropic medication, or both, it is important to tell your doctor if you experience severe side effects or if symptoms do not go away.
Alli and Other Drugs
While Alli doesn't interfere with the effectiveness of psychotropic medications, it may interact with other prescription meds. In particular, due to its function of partially inhibiting the absorption of dietary fat, orlistat may interact with the effectiveness of certain lipid-soluble drugs such as cyclosporine, a medication that may be prescribed to organ transplant patients to prevent organ rejection. As taking orlistat may reduce the bioavailability of cyclosporine and thereby increase chances of organ rejection in transplant patients, concurrent use is not recommended, warns Drugs.com. Orlistat use may also improve diabetes, so diabetic patients may need to adjust their diabetes medication dosages after taking Alli, according to MayoClinic.com. Additionally, you should tell your doctor if you take anticoagulants or medications for a thyroid disorder before using orlistat, according to PubMed Health.
Considerations
Alli use is not recommended for all psychiatric patients due to the drug's potential for abuse among people with eating disorders. According to PubMed Health, it is critical that you tell your doctor if you've ever been diagnosed with anorexia, bulimia or another eating disorder before taking orlistat. Among 417 eating disorder patients surveyed for a study published in "The International Journal of Eating Disorders" in 2010, 6.2 percent reported using Alli. Alli is meant to be used in the context of a balanced, low-fat diet diet and by individuals who are overweight. Alli's official website warns that if you are not overweight, you should not take Alli. Other contraindications for orlistat include pregnancy, malabsorption syndrome, cholestasis and orlistat allergy.
References
- National Alliance on Mental Illness: Commonly Prescribed Psychotropic Medications
- "Medicine and Health Rhode Island"; A Case Series Describing Orlistat Use in Patients on Psychotropic Medications; L. Carpenter, et al.; December 2004
- PubMed Health; Sertraline; March 2009
- Drugs.com: Drug Interactions Between Cyclosporine and Orlistat
- "The International Journal of Eating Disorders"; A Prevalence Study and Description of Alli Use by Patients with Eating Disorders; K.J. Steffen, et al.; July 2010
- MyAlli.com: Alli FAQs
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