How Xenical Works With Pre-Existing Conditions

Dr. Constance Odom, MD

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Constance Odom, MD

Dr. Constance Odom, MD

About

Constance Tambakis Odom, MD graduated in 1987 with her Doctorate of Medicine from the New York Medical College, and was an Anesthesiologist Resident from 1988 to 1991 at the Brookdale Medical Center PGY II (CA-I)-PGY IV (CA-III). She is Board Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology since 1998 and American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine since 2002. Constance Odom, MD is affiliated with the American Medical Association, American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, American Society of Anesthesiology, Georgia Society of Anesthesiology, Hellenic Medical Society of New York, North Carolina Society of Anesthesiology, and Society of Ambulatory Anesthesia.

Credentials

Medical Director At:

• Nu Image Medical
• MetroMedispa P.A.

Staff Anesthesiologist at:

• Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital in Dunn, NC
• Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, NC
• Duplin General Hospital in Kenansville, NC

Director of Anesthesia Services at:

• Jacksonville Surgery Center in Jacksonville, NC

Written by our editorial team.

Last Edited 3 years ago · 7 min read

Excess weight can often lead to other medical conditions. It also will make some conditions worse.

If you have battled with losing weight and have some other health condition, either due to your weight or not, then your doctor may decide to treat you with Xenical diet pills. Xenical is the brand name for orlistat, which is a drug that can have many beneficial effects on the body.

Your doctor will consider many factors about your health and the potential effects of the drug prior to prescribing it. However, if your doctor does give you this medication, then it could help you out in more ways than just weight loss.

Prescribing Xenical

The FDA explains that when a doctor considers prescribing Xenical, it is important that he or she assess your overall health. The goal is to see if there is another reason why you are gaining weight or having trouble losing it.

If you do have an underlying condition, then your doctor will likely treat it first to see if you can lose weight with that treatment. If this does not work, then he or she will probably continue to prescribe Xenical diet pills.

Your doctor will also have to look over other medications you may take to ensure there will not be any interactions. Xenical works by blocking the absorption of some of the fat you eat. When doing this, it may also block other things, such as medications you take.

It is known that Xenical will block some vitamins and lead to low vitamin levels, so you will have to take a multivitamin daily when using the drug. You should note that Xenical blocks for two hours after you take it, so the recommendation is to take other medications and your vitamin two hours before or after taking Xenical diet pills.

Your doctor should also explain the potential effects of the drug. It can lead to osteoporosis in high-risk individuals because it will not allow the body to properly absorb vitamin D and calcium.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine explains that it also can create issues if you have gastrointestinal problems. It may also lead to renal issues because it leads to fat binding with calcium, which can increase the risk of developing kidney stones.

The drug is not advisable if you have any of the following conditions:

• Hypersensitivity to orlistat
• Chronic malabsorption
• Cholestasis
• Anorexia
• Bulimia

Common Pre-Existing Conditions

There are a few different pre-existing conditions with which you can take Xenical and actually have beneficial results for both your weight loss and your pre-existing condition. Your doctor will probably discuss this with you.

Xenical can offer benefits for people with diabetes mellitus. You may have this condition if your fasting blood sugar is higher or lower than the normal 100 mg/dl. It can help with both type 1 or 2. 

High blood pressure is another common weight-related issue that you may have. It is compatible with taking Xenical. You may have high blood pressure if your reading is 130/80.

High cholesterol or hyperlipidemia can also reap benefits from Xenical use. This condition occurs when you have too much fat in your blood. You want to lower your LDL and increase your HDL. You also need to watch triglycerides.

If you have cancer, you may not be looking for weight loss help, but you should know Xenical can be beneficial for cancer patients. It also helps with the prevention of cancer.

How Xenical Helps

Xenical diet pills will assist you with losing weight. It can help boost your weight loss over what you could lose without taking the pills.

In addition, it can help other conditions you may have due to how the drug blocks fat from getting into your body. You will expel this undigested fat instead of it lingering in your body and getting into your blood or other organs.

Reduce Glucose

Xenical is known to help reduce glucose levels, which makes it helpful for diabetics. You may notice that it makes it easier to control your condition when you take it.

Lower Blood Pressure

The drug also lowers blood pressure. As you lose weight, your heart will not have to work as hard, so that will reduce your blood pressure, but also, the way the drug affects your body lowers it.

Lower Cholesterol

If you have high cholesterol, blocking fat absorption will be quite helpful. Xenical also prevents your body from absorbing triglycerides. It will reduce your LDL cholesterol while increasing your HDL cholesterol.

Impact Cancer Growth

When it comes to cancer, there is a range of studies concerning Xenical's effects. What is currently known is that it helps reduce fatty acid synthase enzyme production. Blocking this enzyme can stunt the growth of cancer tumors. It also has shown in studies to fight cancer cells. Specifically, it works to prevent the growth of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer cells.

Putting Xenical To Use

Xenical is only available by prescription, but you can buy the over-the-counter version, Alli. When you have pre-existing conditions, you should not try to treat yourself. Xenical is only clinically indicated for the use as a weight-loss drug. It is not prescribed or sold to treat other conditions. The benefits it offers are a bonus of sorts. 

While it can be quite beneficial to use Xenical diet pills when you have some other health condition, it is only healthy to do so as long as your doctor is aware of your use and your medical situation. Don't try to self-medicate with the OTC version. Stick with a prescription from your doctor. 

When using Xenical for a dual purpose like this, you need to have consistent monitoring. Your doctor will want to adjust the medications that you take to treat these other conditions as you start to reap the benefits of using Xenical. It is important that you do not overmedicate and that you are aware of how Xenical is working in your body beyond helping you to lose weight.

It is worth noting that Xenical is a fairly safe drug. It does not accumulate in your body. It lasts for two hours and that is it. You will expel is through fecal elimination about three to five days after you take it. There is very little of the drug that remains behind in your body.

What this means is that you must take it as directed and be consistent with taking the medication. Once you stop using it, you will lose the benefits. You need to take it on a regular basis to reap the rewards.

A Healthier You

Xenical diet pills do double duty for some people. If you have one of the pre-existing conditions mentioned, then you should see multiple benefits of taking the medication.

However, you cannot put enough stress on the fact that you need to take this medication with doctor supervision. Since it will create changes in your body and could affect your pre-existing condition, you need monitoring to avoid negative issues that could occur without changes to your treatment plan.

Overall, though, losing weight alone helps every single one of these conditions. With the boost from Xenical, you not only lose weight to better your health but also get the additional perks of how Xenical helps with these other conditions. Taking Xenical can be an amazing way to gain control over your body and your health. 

Nu Image Medical® offers a new and futuristic approach to achieving optimal health and wellness. The company has been a weight loss, anti-aging and wellness provider since 2004 and offers medically supervised programs for medical weight loss, peptides, erectile dysfunction, scream cream, and hair loss (NuDew) 

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your physician about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Nu Image Medical may not offer the medications or services mentioned in this article.