Alli (Generic)

Generic Alli (orlistat) blocks some of the fat that you eat, keeping it from being absorbed by your body.

Generic Alli is used together with a reduced-calorie diet and weight maintenance to treat obesity in people with certain risk factors (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol or triglycerides).

Take Generic Alli exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Generic Alli comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Generic Alli is only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercise, and weight control. Your daily intake of fat, protein, and carbohydrates should be evenly divided over all of your daily meals. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely.

Take Generic Alli during or within 1 hour after a meal that contains some fat (no more than 30% of the calories for that meal). alli is usually taken 3 times daily.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Generic Alli: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using Generic Alli and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• severe pain in your lower back, blood in your urine;
• urinating less than usual or not at all;
• drowsiness, confusion, mood changes, increased thirst;
• swelling, weight gain, feeling short of breath;
• severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate; or
• nausea, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

The following side effects occur commonly with the use of Generic Alli. They are the natural effects of orlistat's fat-blocking action and are actually signs that the medication is working properly. These side effects are usually temporary and may lessen as you continue treatment with Generic Alli:

• oily spotting in your undergarments;
• oily or fatty stools;
• orange or brown colored oil in your stool;
• gas with discharge, an oily discharge;
• loose stools, or an urgent need to go to the bathroom, inability to control bowel movements;
• an increased number of bowel movements;
• stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rectal pain; or
• weakness, dark urine, clay-colored stools, itching, loss of appetite, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Avoid a diet that is high in fat. High-fat meals taken in combination with alli can increase your risk of unpleasant side effects on your stomach or intestines.

Do not take Generic Alli if you are pregnant.

Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially:

• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);
• a vitamin or mineral supplement that contains beta carotene or vitamin E;
• levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid);
• insulin or diabetes medications you take by mouth;
• digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps); or
• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven).

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with Generic Alli.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember, but no more than 1 hour after eating a meal. If it has been more than an hour since your last meal, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.