You can buy Orlistat (Xenical/Alli) as an over-the-counter alternative to Wegovy in the UK.
However, Orlistat is a very different type of weight-loss medication, and research suggests it’s not as effective as Wegovy in supporting weight loss.
Wegovy and Orlistat are weight-loss medications approved for use in the UK. However, they are different medications with distinct dosing schedules, costs, and mechanisms of action on the body.
Orlistat is a lipase inhibitor. Lipases are gut enzymes that break down fat from food, enabling the gut to transport fat into the body to be burnt for energy or stored in our fat cells for later use.
Orlistat blocks lipases, preventing some of the dietary fat from our meals from being digested. This leads to fewer calories being absorbed, which can support weight loss.
Orlistat is a prescription medication produced by two pharmaceutical companies in the UK:
Wegovy is a weight-loss jab manufactured by Novo Nordisk. It’s a weekly weight-loss injection with semaglutide as the active ingredient.
Semaglutide is a that helps reduce hunger and appetite, allowing you to eat fewer calories, lose weight, and manage your blood sugar levels.
Wegovy is approved in the UK for individuals living with obesity to help them eat fewer calories and lose weight.
The over-the-counter version of Orlistat will cost around £18 a month, so it’s a very affordable medication.
In comparison, buying Wegovy and the injectable pens required for four weeks from Second Nature will cost £229 a month, rising to £299.
Orlistat is an affordable medication that is generally well-tolerated. However, it’s less effective than Wegovy. Wegovy is twice as effective as Orlistat for weight loss after one year.
So, if you’re looking for the most affordable weight-loss pill you can purchase over the counter, then Orlistat could be an option.
However, if you have a higher budget and are looking for the most effective weight-loss injection in the UK, semaglutide is a better choice.
Semaglutide is designed as an additional tool for weight management and, in most cases, shouldn’t be considered a lifelong medication.
Instead, it should be used to help you kickstart your weight loss and healthy journey while you commit to living a healthier lifestyle.
Ideally, we’d be able to lose weight without medication and lifestyle changes would be enough to support weight loss in the long term.
We’d generally recommend trying Second Nature’s before considering a weight-loss jab.
Changing your habits is the most sustainable way to achieve long-term weight loss, and it’s also less expensive.
At Second Nature, we’ve been trusted by the NHS since 2017 to support people with type 2 diabetes and obesity to lose weight, manage their blood sugar levels, and lead healthier lifestyles for the long term.
In 2022, the NHS in the BMJ that compared the weight loss outcomes of five providers in the National Diabetes Prevention Programme.
Second Nature was more than twice as effective at supporting weight loss than the other four providers.
However, if you’ve decided to try semaglutide (when it’s available) but need support in making positive changes to your lifestyle, Second Nature could be an option for you. But it’s worth noting that we have strict eligibility criteria.
Second Nature has been backed by the Health Science Authority as “the only exception” for this way of looking at treatment.Orlistat has been shown to cause mild side effects in some individuals. Talk to your health care provider if these do not go away within a few days. If you begin to experience more serious effects, seek medical attention immediately.
Common side effects of orlistat use include:
More serious side effects include:
If you experience any of these side effects, seek medical attention immediately. These are symptoms of a serious adverse reaction–or allergic reaction–to this medication and require treatment right away.
Orlistat has been shown to affect the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E and K). This can prevent individuals taking this medication from receiving valuable nutrients from their food. Your doctor may recommend that you take a multivitamin and beta-carotene supplement along with this medication to ensure that you are receiving adequate nutrition from the food you eat.
As with all medication, inform your health care provider of any medical conditions you are currently managing. Let them know if you have or ever had kidney stones, diabetes, liver disease, gallbladder disease, thyroid disease, or an eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia). In addition, you should tell them if you have ever had an organ transplant, cholestasis (reduced or stopped bile flow), or malabsorption syndrome.
Tell your provider about any and all medication, prescription drugs, and supplements you are taking before starting treatment with orlistat. Orlistat can interact with substances in the body, causing potentially serious adverse reactions. Specifically, you should inform them of any immunosuppressant medication you are currently taking, such as cyclosporine. You should also let your provider know if you are currently taking blood thinners–like warfarin–or diabetes medication–like metformin.
In addition, let your doctor know if you are planning to become pregnant, are pregnant, or are currently breastfeeding before starting treatment with this medication.
paralysisThis condition occurs in rare cases where the medication can impair vision or hearing. Due to the rare occurrence of this condition, your provider may have additional expertise advises available at no expense.
If you experience any quasiosquiosity (such as unexplained weight gain, obese/ overweight, loss of appetite, or jaundice), tell your provider.
unusual or foreign bodyAFP Unusual or foreign bodyAFPThis medication can pass unnoticed in certain situations.ppardams and men aged above 75 years old may be at an increased risk for an AFP error-prone reading if they are over 75 years old.
Unattached individuals aged above 75 years may experience an AFP error-prone reading if they are over 75 years old.
Also, certain medications can affect the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K.
In addition, certain antibiotics, antivirals, antifungal medications and antibiotics like erythromycin can affect the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K.
Orlistat is used to treat obesity and help in weight loss. Orlistat is to be used along with a low-calorie diet and regular physical exercise. Obesity is a common condition associated with excessive body fat, which in turn increases the risk of other health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers, and heart disease. Intake of more calories than you burn by exercise or daily activities results in obesity.
Orlistat contains Orlistat, which works in the small intestine and stomach and prevents the action of enzymes that break down fat, which is absorbed by the body. Orlistat decreases the absorption of fat from the food you eat. Thus, fat passes through the gut and is excreted in the faeces, which makes the body unable to use fat as a source of energy or convert it into fat tissue. Thereby, Orlistat helps in weight loss.
Take Orlistat as prescribed by your doctor. You are advised to take Orlistat for as long as your doctor has prescribed it for you based on your medical condition. Some people may experience soft stools, sudden bowel motions, flatulence (gas) with or without oily spotting, oily or fatty stools, stomach pain, stool incontinence (involuntary leakage of stools), and runny or liquid stools. Most of these side effects of Orlistat do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist, please consult your doctor.
If you are allergic to Orlistat or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Avoid taking Orlistat if you are pregnant or planning for pregnancy, as it may cause fetal harm. It is not known whether Orlistat is excreted in human milk. Therefore, please consult a doctor if you are a breastfeeding woman. Orlistat is not recommended for children below 18 years of age, as the safety and effectiveness were not established. You are advised to take a multivitamin containing fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K at bedtime as Orlistat may reduce the absorption of certain vitamins in the body.
ContraindicationsThe following contraindications apply to Orlistat:
Contraindications/PrecautionsAllergy
Orlistat is not recommended for use in people using any form of Salbutamol/Atoracol/Sulbutamol/Bexarotide/L-carnitine to treat food allergy. Contact your doctor if you notice an allergic reaction, including:
In order to prevent an allergic reaction, inform your doctor of any medical conditions you have and any other medicines you are taking. Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
In addition, let your doctor know if you have a history of hepatitis C virus or have recently had a stroke or heart attack. Let your doctor know if you have blood clots in the veins or arteries that allow blood to circulate, or if you have asthma.
Let your doctor know if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant before taking this medicine. This medicine is also used to treat the symptoms of an eating disorder, such as anorexia, bulimia, bul passim, flatulence, and flatulence with oily stools.
If you are breast-feeding and taking alli or xenical, you may need to take a multivitamin supplement along with this medicine. The multivitamin supplement should be taken at least 2 hours before or after taking alli or xenical, or at least 4 hours before or after taking alli or xenical, or both.
This alert is for your medical advice and is not for treatment. For more information, please call your doctor, pharmacy, or health care provider. Keep out of the reach and sight of children. Do not use this product if you are older than age 18 years or the age of first using it. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.In order to prevent an allergic reaction, inform your doctor of any medical conditions you have and any other things you can use.
Let your doctor know if you are breast-feeding or plan to become pregnant before taking this medicine.
For more information, including a full list of side effects, see. Do not use this product if you are older than 18 years of age or the age of first using it.
Stade de France Pharmacy