Xenical is relatively safe to take when you follow the dosage guidelines, which includes looking out for possible drug interactions. The drug works brilliantly in preventing fat absorption when taken along with every meal. However, you should watch out for other drugs that you may be taking at the same time as these can affect the efficacy of the drug or even cause adverse reactions. Here’s a simple guide on the drugs to watch out for if you are simultaneously taking Xenical diet pills.
What are the drugs that can interact with Xenical?
One should always inform the healthcare provider when getting the Xenical prescription to avoid any unwarranted drug interactions. The following are some of the possible interactions of the medication that are important to take not of:
- Cyclosporine – When this drug is taken along with this weight loss drug, its efficacy is reduced. It is recommended to wait for a gap of at least three hours between taking Xenical and Cyclosporine.
- Levothyroxine – People who take these two drugs together can develop hypothyroidism. If you must take Levothyroxine together, be sure to check for changes in thyroid function on a regular basis. There should be gap of at least four hours when using Levothyroxine and Xenical.
- Fat soluble supplements – The mechanism of the drug is that it prevents the absorption of fat, which in turn makes it difficult for the body to take in fat soluble vitamins. Supplements used can also be prevented from being absorbed. Check with the doctor on the use proper use of vitamin supplements when on Xenical.
- Amiodarone – This is another drug whose efficacy is reduced while taking Xenical simultaneously.
- Anticoagulants – Coagulation parameters tend to change when using drugs like Warfarin along with Xenical. The patient should be continually monitored for any changes.
- Anticonvulsants – Patients who took antiepileptic drugs along with the medication were known to have experienced seizures. The frequency of seizures and other changes should be noted if the user is on both these drugs at the same time.
- Antiretroviral drugs – These HIV medicines can have lesser efficacy when taken with Xenical. If there is a definite increase in viral load, then these pills should not be used anymore.
Important Xenical safety information
The Xenical user should always consult with the doctor before taking the diet pills as any other drugs being taken or other underlying health conditions can cause adverse effects, for which further treatment may be required. The drug should be taken only as directed for the best results. In case of any side effects or interactions, contact the healthcare provider without any delay. Toxicity from drug interactions takes a long time to recover from and it is always better to avoid this from happening in the first place.
