Alli and Xenical Weight Loss Drug Attorney
The Alli website, www.myalli.com, makes the drug sound like the perfect way to lose weight, stating that "Your alliplan helps your head learn healthy habits that stick. But you also have to teach your body a new, healthier way of eating. alli capsules are there to help. They support your weight loss efforts by preventing 25% of the fat that you eat from being absorbed, which means with alli you can lose up to 50% more weight than you would from dieting alone."
It goes on to say, "Orlistat, the active ingredient in Alli, is the most studied weight loss medicine in the world, with more than 100 clinical studies, involving more than 30,000 patients. Unlike stimulants or appetite suppressants, alli is formulated to work only in your digestive system and should not affect your heart rate, liver, brain or cause sleeplessness." That all sounds great except for one major problem – it isn’t true.
On May 26, 2010 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted healthcare professionals and patients about the dangers of taking orlistat (the generic term for Xenical and Alli). The FDA also approved a revised label for Xenical and Alli with new safety information about potential liver damage.
Xenical requires a prescription and Alli is an over-the-counter (OTC) medication. Between 1999 and October 2008, there were 32 reports of serious liver damage from using orlistat, including six cases of liver failure. The most common side effects include jaundice, weakness and abdominal pain. Other symptoms of liver damage from taking Alli or Xenical include the following:
• brown urine
• abdominal pain
• nausea
• vomiting
• light-colored stools
• itching
• loss of appetite
Both Alli and Xenical reduce the production of an enzyme in the intestine that converts fatty dietary elements into fatty acids, which means some digested food may not be processed. So the body may release fat content through excretion of leftover food, leaving stools oily and foul-smelling. Other common side effects of taking Alli and Xenical include:
• Fecal urgency
• Oily spotting
• Fatty or oily stool
• Diarrhea
• Bowel movements of just oil
• Sinus infections
• Soft stools
At Reyes Bartolomei Browne, we’ve represented hundreds of victims of dangerous drugs such as Alli and Xenical. If you or someone you care about has experienced any side effects that may be associated with liver injury, liver disease or liver failure, call one of our attorneys for a free consultation, or fill out the case review form to the right of this page.
