ask your pharmacist

back to: pharmacy | ask your pharmacist

Are there any drug interactions between Xenical and other therapies?

Xenical (generic name orlistat) is a prescription weight-loss medication that prevents fat in food from being absorbed into the body. Doctors prescribe Xenical for people who meet certain criteria for obesity or who are at risk for health-related problems because of their weight.

There are very few interactions that have been reported with Xenical. Xenical can decrease the amount of >cyclosporine (brand names Sandimmune and Neoral) in your body when taken together. If you take cyclosporine, you should separate your dose of Xenical by at least two hours. In addition, your doctor will monitor your blood levels.

Although Xenical does not interact with >Coumadin (generic name warfarin), Xenical may increase the effects of Coumadin by preventing the absorption of vitamin K. Talk to your doctor if you are taking Coumadin.

Xenical can prevent the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. For this reason, you should take a multivitamin supplement with these nutrients in it every day. Separate the time you take Xenical and these specific vitamins or multivitamins that contain these fat-soluble vitamins by at least 2 hours.

Before starting Xenical therapy, be sure to inform your physician and pharmacist about any medications you're taking.

Sources:
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2006.
Xenical product information, Roche Laboratories, 2006.
Hansten, P. D., J. R. Horn. Drug Interactions Analysis and Management. Applied Therapeutics, 2001.

This answer prepared 1/30/2001.
This information updated 11/21/2006.