Xenical, Orlistat, is an obesity management medicine generally advised for adults with a body mass index of not less than 30. Being a unique constitution as a gastrointestinal inhibitor of lipase, Xenical tackles obesity fundamentally by preventing its absorption. The fringe benefits of using Xenical aren’t insignificant too, like the reduced cholesterol levels, controlled blood pressure and help to gain control over diabetes.

Contraindications
Xenical is contraindicated in a number of situations including the ones listed below.
In cases of impaired functioning of liver & gallbladder due to stones, obstructed bile duct, pregnancy & breast feeding, pancreatic diseases, kidney stones, certain food allergies, peptic ulcers, Xenical is not advisable. You need to inform your doctor if you have kidney stones, liver, gastrointestinal, heart or endocrinal disorders. Likewise, xenical isn’t advised for children and adolescents below the age of 18 years. Similarly, if you have had a recent stomach or intestinal surgical or have developed an allergy for Orlistat (Xenical), you may be required to discontinue using the drug for a while on your doctor’s advice.

Side Effects
Certain side effects are of common occurrence with Xenical. The risk of side effects of Xenical increases when taken in combination with high-fat meals. The side effects are most likely to occur during the first year of usage only and they will generally recede afterwards. The most common of them are leg pain, tendonitis, swollen feet and depression. While other things like diarrhea and stomach pain may worsen if you persist with a high fat meal as they are the natural consequences of Xenical's fat-blocking metabolism which in a way is an indication that the drug is working as intended. However, all these are temporary and will reduce as you carry on with the treatment.

It is potentially risky to over use Xenical beyond your doctor’s recommendation as it could possibly lead to liver toxicity. The drug is under FDA study for analyzing its risk profile.

Drug Interactions and Caution
Like all other medicines, the effects of Xenical could potentially swing any which way if it is taken in combination with a few specific drugs, and it could be either more, less or even altered completely and this applies equally for both prescription as well as their generic equivalents. Xenical isn’t recommended for pregnant women as its effects aren’t completely studied but it is traced that the drug molecules are passed through breast milk.

Since Xenical also proves beneficial in controlling cholesterol it can come in the way of specific cholesterol management drug, if you are taking any and your doctor may consider reducing the dosage of Xenical for you. In a similar fashion, Xenical also brings down the blood glucose levels as a result of which there may be a necessity to reduce the dosage of Xenical if you are not a diabetic or the diabetes drug or insulin shot counts in case you are one. Make sure to discuss all these issues and about any drug you may be using regularly with your physician.