Xenical vs Alli: What's the Difference Between...

Choosing to take a weight loss medication is a serious decision. When an over-the counter version of Xenical (orlistat) became available for dieters as Alli (orlistat), access to the drug became easier. But just because the drug is easier to get doesn’t mean that you should necessarily take it.

Find out more about this diet medication before you make a decision about which weight loss treatment is right for you. Also, be sure to talk to your health care provider as new medications for weight loss, Belviq and Qsymia have recently become available.

What is Xenical?

Xenical is the prescription dose (120 mg) of orlistat. This type of medication is called a lipase inhibitor because it helps your body to absorb less fat from the food that you eat. The undigested fat is removed from the body in your stool.

Xenical is designed to be used along with a low-fat, low-calorie diet. The higher, prescription dose of the drug is often used for patients who have weight-related illnesses like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease. Xenical can also be used for people who lost weight and want to prevent weight regain.

What the Difference Between Alli and Xenical?

You’ll see boxes of Alli displayed in pharmacies, drug stores and other locations. Alli is a lower dose (60 mg) of the same medication, orlistat, that is in Xenical. Alli works the same way that Xenical works by blocking the absorption of fat. Alli is also meant to be used in partnership with a low-calorie, low-fat diet.

What Are Side Effects of Taking Orlistat?

For most people, the most noticeable side effect of Xenical or Alli is the change in their stool and bowel habits. Because fat is removed through the stool, bowel movements can become loose and oily. If you eat too much fat while taking the medication, the side effects can become more severe and can interfere with typical daily activities.

Because fat content is important, dieters taking the medication need to be especially careful about dividing their fat and calorie intake evenly throughout the day. No single food that you eat should contain more than 30% of the total calories from fat. In addition, since food and nutrient absorption is affected by this medication, the FDA recommends that users take a multivitamin while on the diet drug.

Other side effects may include hives, itching or stomach pain. Talk to your doctor about your medical history to determine which side effects may impact you.

How Much Does Orlistat Cost?

A starter pack of Alli, that contains 60 pills costs about $40 at your local drug store. If you compare prices you may also find 120-pill bottles for slightly more. A 30-pill prescription of Xenical may cost significantly more, ranging from $150-160. Patients are usually directed to take one pill with each main meal to help them lose weight.

In some cases, insurance providers may pay for a weight loss medication if your weight is the cause of a related illness. But all policies vary, so be sure to check with your own insurance carrier to find out if the drug is covered for you.

Should I Take Alli or Xenical?

Orlistat has been shown to be effective at helping some people lose weight and keep it off. But significant lifestyle modifications must be made, or the consequences can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. Think about the changes you are willing to make before talking to your health care provider. Then discuss further potential side effects and medical considerations with your doctor before making a final decision.

Sources:

Medline Plus. Orlistat. National Institutes of Health. Accessed: February 19, 2013. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a601244.html

Kopelman P, Groot Gde H, Rissanen A, Rossner S, Toubro S, Palmer R, Hallam R, Bryson A, Hickling RI."Weight loss, HbA1c reduction, and tolerability of cetilistat in a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial in obese diabetics: comparison with orlistat (Xenical)" Obesity January 2010 .

Torgerson JS, Hauptman J, Boldrin MN, Sjöström L. "XENical in the prevention of diabetes in obese subjects (XENDOS) study: a randomized study of orlistat as an adjunct to lifestyle changes for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in obese patients." Diabetes Care March 2004 .

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Can you tell the difference?

Fear and anxiety are sometimes interchanged by writers. Some web writers give similar definitions to these two word entities. However, in the real context, can we really say that, like pretty and beautiful, these two words can be used in place of each other? Are they kindred words?

    Fear is described to be poignant emotion that cues for, or signals, any imminent danger, problem, pain, or any dilemma that comes to a person. Like arachnophobia, or the fear for spiders, certain bodily reactions occur, like panic or running away, just to get away from any life-threatening scenario. Also, fear is described to act on different stimuli to escape impending danger. Psychologists have long debated on the aforementioned as to whether it is an internal human emotion, like joy and anger.

    Meanwhile, anxiety is described to be an overwhelming emotion of fear, distress, worry, and apprehension. It usually coincides with physical manifestations such as chronic headaches, chest pains, difficulty in breathing, heart palpitations, and nausea. It is also noteworthy to include in the list of descriptions for anxiety a brief gist of what it is: a complex emotion.

    Fear and anxiety, however, have similarities in some respects. These, maybe, are some reasons why some people get confused with the use of these word entities.  Let's examine them....

    Both are bodily responses against impending and life-threatening situations. No normal person, except our record breakers and death-defying artists, can come face-to-face with danger, stay in that place, and welcome death with open arms. The usual reaction of people, according to human instinct, is to stay away from danger. Fear and anxiety are bodily mechanisms that pump our system and fuels the body with a certain amount of energy that helps us escape danger. Fear, in this sense, shoots up a great deal of adrenaline to the body, which allows a person to better from danger. Anxiety, likewise, helps the body to react on certain stimuli that mobilizes the body, thus, avoiding the source of anxiety.

    Both, on the surface, seem to be harmless, but can be life-risking. Fear and anxiety, no matter how petty they may seem, can result in death upon neglect. Studies show that fear and anxiety are listed to be one of the many causes of death. Jumping on top of multilevel buildings as a result of paranoia can start from a simple case of anxiety. Meanwhile, a primary student may seem to be having manageable social anxiety episodes, but this petty thing can cause his life to go awry in the process.

    Even with these apparent similarities, fear and anxiety are certainly not the same.

    Fear is one of the complex emotions that is involved in anxiety. As mentioned on www.wikipedia.org, anxiety is described to be the overwhelming fear, apprehension or worry. In observance of this, we can safely say that they are different from one another. Medical studies show that certain reactions caused by fear and anxiety are not necessarily the same.

    Let's take the example of AIDS. Certainly, many people fear just the thought of it. However, people do not necessarily panic, a typical sign of anxiety, upon the idea of the AIDS. Their fear of AIDS is powerful, but it doesn't compel them to have panic attacks and flee at the slightest provocation. Instead, their fear motivates them to learn more about the disease.

    To make sense, fear is one of the complex emotions that is interspersed in the intricate nature of anxiety. Are the two different? Affirmative.    

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