Alli 60mg Weight Loss Capsules

Alli is not a ‘miracle cure’. Diet and exercise go hand in hand with weight loss and exercise has many other added health benefits such as keeping the heart healthy and improving mental wellbeing. Ideally, a diet and exercise programme should be started before treatment with Alli and should continue once treatment has stopped. 

Alli is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, and they say that in clinical trials when used with a reduced calorie, lower fat diet, it can help people lose 50% more weight than dieting alone. 

The reality of the situation is that results will vary in different individuals. 

You should not take Alli in the following situations

1. If you are taking the medication Ciclosporin.
2. If you have a problem with the normal flow of bile acids, a condition known as ‘cholestasis’. 
3. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding. 
4. If you have a problem with your digestive tract known as ‘malabsorption’ this can be caused by a variety of gastrointestinal conditions. 
5. If you are taking warfarin or any other blood-thinning medication.
6. If you are allergic to any of the ingredients (see further down)

Other precautions

If you are taking any other medications such as:

• Thyroxine 
• Amiodarone
• The contraceptive pill 
• Anti-retroviral treatment for HIV 
• Epilepsy medication
• Antidepressants and Antipsychotics 

It is best to consult with a doctor as the absorption of these medications may be affected by Alli. 

In addition, if you are taking diabetic or blood pressure medication, Alli could improve the control of these conditions and a reduction in dose may be needed. It is best to let your doctor know so that this can be monitored.  

Because Alli causes fat not to be absorbed as well, it can also affect the absorption of the ‘fat soluble’ vitamins A, D, E and K. For this reason, it may be advisable to take a supplement of these vitamins at bedtime, they should not be taken at the same time as Alli. 

Reduction in the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

In the XENDOS study, which followed up over 30, 000 patients using either Orlistat or a placebo, it was shown that 4-year use of orlistat reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37% compared with placebo. 

Reduction in Blood Pressure.

A 2020 review of 27 randomized controlled trials found that weight loss induced by Orlistat use contributed to an associated decrease in blood pressure in overweight and obese subjects. (2)

Reduction in LDL and total cholesterol levels. 

A 2017 review of 33 randomized controlled trials concluded that Orlistat treatment slightly reduces cholesterol and triglyceride levels, with the level of reduction being more consistent in patients with greater body weight reduction and a shorter duration of Orlistat treatment. (3)

Ideally, a 3-month trial is recommended. At the end of this period, a 5% reduction in weight would be considered a successful result. If this is not achieved then it may be worth considering if continuation of treatment is beneficial, by weighing up the side effects and any potential risks.