How Long Does Orlistat Stay in Your System?

Orlistat is a lipase inhibitor. When you eat food, it is broken down by enzymes in your stomach and intestines. One of these enzymes is called lipase, which breaks down fats in foods you consume. Orlistat works by blocking lipase from digesting fats. Orlistat blocks about one third of the fat you consume in meals; this has a knock on effect of reducing the number of calories absorbed by the body. These undigested fats are removed through the faeces. 

Orlistat comes in capsule form, to be taken 3 times a day orally. It should be taken with each meal that contains fat. If the meal does not contain any fat or contains more than 15 grams of fat, you should not take Orlistat. Orlistat alone will not help you burn fat and lose weight – it needs to be coupled with a reduced calorie diet and regular exercise.

The recommended timeframe for treatment is 3 months, but can be extended if there isn’t a reduction in body weight by 5% during this period. A 6-month dose-ranging study group found that Orlistat reduced the weight of patients taking 120mg three times a day for 6 months by 39% (with a reduced calorie diet). With Orlistat, you can expect to lose about 30% of your weight, with diet and exercise. 

Once taken, Orlistat has immediate action on the body. You might notice weight loss as soon as 2 weeks, but the main weight loss is usually during the first 6 months of using Orlistat. 

Depending on your digestive tract and your bowel transit time (the amount of time it takes for food to travel through the GI tract), Orlistat only stays in your system for 12-72 hours. Many sources have highlighted that once Orlistat has been discontinued, the faecal fat levels returned to pre-Orlistat levels within 48-72 hours. 

Once you stop taking Orlistat, you may notice that you gain weight again. This “bounce back” is natural, and can be minimised by sticking to your diet and exercise plan, although some weight may come back if you continue to eat fatty foods.

Orlistat is not an over the counter medication, and needs to be prescribed by a healthcare professional. At Simple Online Pharmacy, we can prescribe Orlistat once you complete an online assessment with us. After one of our doctors or pharmacists reviews your answers, and if they have no concerns, they will prescribe you Orlistat and we will post it straight to your doorstep.