Orlistat advice, please

tinyroman

Well-Known Member
Messages
64
I've been given Orlistat by my diabetes dietician and am keen to get started. BUT I'm due to meet my son's in-laws-to-be for the first time on Sunday (14/07/13) , having been invited to their house for a meal. No way can I go along and either not eat their food, or run to the loo every couple of minutes.
If I start the Orlistat tomorrow, and do thurs, fri, and sat, would I still be ok to eat whatever I'm given if I just don't take it for Sunday then start properly on the Monday? Or does it build up in the body so that its continuously working and even if I don't take them the effect is still there.
I should have asked the dietician and now she's not back in work til Monday. Also can't find information like this on the Internet as it probably needs experience to answer.

I see from the forum that not everyone agrees with taking Orlistat but I really do want to give it a go. Thanks in advance for any help. It's a great forum and members have really helped me in the past.
 

Ambersilva

Well-Known Member
Messages
715
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
As Orlistat is something new to you and you don't know how it will affect you, would it not be wiser to delay starting the tablets until the Monday? I have read that some people have experienced sudden uncontrollable smelly evacuations. It would be most embarrassing to have an unexpected bowel incident on a day that you would hope to be perfect!
 

tinyroman

Well-Known Member
Messages
64
Yes, I think that's def the best thing to do. Thanks, Ambersliva, for reinforcing what I thought. In the meantime I'm gonna eat as little fat as poss to get ready for the pills.
 

hanadr

Expert
Messages
8,157
Dislikes
soaps on telly and people talking about the characters as if they were real.
From my reading, I've found that nearly all Orlistat users get diarrhoea and many have "accidents". In addition, without going on a low fat diet, it doesn't work very well.
Low fat diets don't help a lot in diabetes. I'd suggest you try low carb. it works well for weight as well as BG control and there's lots of help on this forum.
Hana
 

RobinLondon

Member
Messages
22
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was on it for a short while, and it had a great effect on my weight. The only problems I had (and they were not bad ones) were when I didn't stick to a low fat diet.

The common mistake seems to not be changing your diet when taking them.. The effects were pretty short lived on my; a couple of hours after taking a tablet.

I would second the advice above, and try it in a controlled environment first.

Good luck and do let us know how you get on.


Sent from my brain v0.9
 

tinyroman

Well-Known Member
Messages
64
Quick update. Although I'd been on the Atkins diet a few years ago for my daughter's wedding, and it was really good, low carb just wasn't working for me this time. I don't know why that should be, unless its to do with age, or being on more meds.
The dietician gave me Orlistat and I've kept to low fat, mostly out of fear of the consequences, and so far I've lost 5lbs without any bowel disruptions. So pretty pleased! Also feeling a lot better in myself, more energy, and I've even joined the local gym.
The main disadvantage with Orlistat I've found, is with wind; sometimes I'm a source of great entertainment to family and visitors as even quite small changes in sitting position can bring forth very loud trumps!
The main advantage, apart from weight loss, is that my sugars are much better; my morning sugars are usually between 4 - 6 and I'm eating a lot less.
So I don't think it's a case of low-fat versus low-carb, and there's not much point in advocates of each putting down the other method. Do what works for you and enjoy the weight loss as it comes!
 

ChrisOT61

Active Member
Messages
31
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi there,
I am very pleased that I have lost 3lbs this week which brings my total to 13lbs so far! Almost at the stone mark! Yay!
I have been low carbing and just eating much less than before.
I tried orilstat (sp?) a few years ago but it gave me such bad tummy cramps and runs that I stopped it. But I can see that it would cause problems on a low carb/higher fat diet!
I agree that we all need to find what works for us as individuals. We can only share experiences and try different ways until we find what works for us.
Hope everyone has a good healthy weekend
Chris x


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