Comments on: Low-carb over-the-counter-weight-loss-drug alert.

By: Skinfood

Skinfood — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:14:58 +0000

Great stuff dude.. I was really impressed.

By: Monica

Monica — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:35:28 +0000

Hey, the little blue thing within the package looks a bit like a piece of you-know-what. Maybe the makers of orlistat are trying to send a subliminal message to users about what they can expect. Heh heh.

By: josi

josi — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:10:41 +0000

When on a low-carb diet and you reach "ketosis state", what is the average weight loss by day during that state? It depends on caloric intake. Take a look at this post.

By: Samantha

Samantha — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:32:57 +0000

I have been taking Alli for about 2 months now on a high-fat, high-protien, low carb diet. I have not had any of the “bad” side effects. I guess I have to “go” a bit more often and it’s sometimes more of a “I need to go NOW” rather than “I can hold it for a while” situation, but no biggie. And even those things don’t happen all that often.
Since then I have lost about 10 pounds which isn’t a lot of weight, but I have lost quite a bit of inches in my stomach area.
I would say to take the advice of a good doctor. I have an awesome dr and he gave me the go-ahead. With it not having side effects such as heart problems or jitteryness, it’s not all that bad. And I have a mild heart condition as well as hypothyroidism.
So talk to your dr and do what you think is right!
And one last note – I totally agree with those who take it on a low carb diet. It makes sense. If I eat a low-fat diet and then the pill takes away some of that fat/calories, that has LITTLE impact. But if I eat a low carb diet saturted with healthy fats, then the percentage of calories removed would be great, thus doubling the positive impact of a low-carb diet.

Hi Samantha–

Thanks for the history. It should have much more impact on fat calories from low-carb diets because there are so many more of them. But it should also create many more symptoms with such a diet as well. I’m glad to read that you have escaped them.

Cheers–

MRE

By: Robin Heim

Robin Heim — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:07:35 +0000

Hi ~ I’m considering taking Alli but have not gotten any definitive answer in regard to how it affects a body that does not have a gallbladder. I had my gallbladder removed about 25 years ago. I’ve always eaten fatty foods and have had to deal with pain and inconsistent bowels. I know that Alli requires a low-fat diet and exercise to work effectively. So, I guess my question is: If you use Alli as a jumpstart, along with starting a routine of eating low-fat foods and exercise, will the absence of a gallbladder really affect your system that much? I’m just looking to have a bit of help initially and then slowly getting away from the pill and easing into a healthier eating and exercise life plan. I’m 52. I’ve been busy raising a family and going to college F-O-R-E-V-E-R — if my body was a fit as my mind, I’d be wearing a size 8!

I have no experience with patients who have no gall bladder taking Alli. I can’t think of why it might cause a problem, but it’s something you need to ask your own physician.

By: sheila

sheila — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:55:09 +0000

I just had my gallbladder taken out about 3 weeks ago. I need to lose about 50 lbs. Can I take the alli?

I’ve had no experience with patients who have had their gall bladders removed taking Alli. I don’t see a reason that one couldn’t take it, but you should check with your own physician first.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:41:32 +0000

Hi,

Is that the reason why a lot of the low fat / lean diets say that it is OK to have one bad day a week and eat whatever you want – as a precaution against gallbladder problems?

I suppose it could be, but I think it’s more likely that the promoters of these diets realize that people have difficulty staying on them for the long term without being given breaks during which they can eat real food.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:43:48 +0000

I have been low carb dieting for awhile. I started taking Alli because I figured it was a perfect match for a moderate to high fat diet if I could tolerate the side effects. Should 75-100 grams of fat a day be enough to ward off worries of gall bladders troubles? Also if I do a ketone test I show negative to minimal. Is this due to the fat passing out of my body but not through my urine?

75-100 gm of fat per day should be enough to keep the gall bladder functioning properly. (I say ’should’ because there is no one size fits all in medicine.) It also might be enough to cause some nasty side effects with the Alli. If you have much carb intake throughout the day you won’t be in much, if any, ketosis. The state of ketosis has nothing to do really with how much fat passes through the GI tract.

By: Beth D'Aoust

Beth D'Aoust — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:19:55 +0000

I’ve been taking the alli pill since June of 07, with good results. In November of 07 I started to experience pain. I stopped taking the alli pill until January of 08. On January 18 the pain came back. I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with Pancreatitis . My gallbladder had to be removed. I’ve never had issues with my digestive system prior to taking alli. I have been in contact with the manufacturer and they are sending me forms to submit to my doctor.

Interesting. Since Alli causes symptoms if one eats fat, most people cut down on their fat intake. A reduced fat diet can lead to gall bladder disease because without fat coming down the intestine, the gall bladder doesn’t contract. If it doesn’t contract and squirt out the bile within the bile begins to form stones. These stones can cause all the problems you experienced.

By: Victoria

Victoria — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:42:35 +0000

To clarify – “seem to help” in the sense that I see absolutely no side effects even from that.