The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently alerted consumers to instances of liver damage associated with the prescription diet pill Xenical and the over-the-counter diet pill Alli. Both Alli and Xenical contain the chemical orlistat which is used to block the absorption of fat in the intestines. According to the FDA, there have been 32 reports of serious liver damage, including six cases of liver failure, from people taking orlistat.
The FDA advises people taking prescription drugs containing orlistat to contact their physicians immediately if they experience any signs associated with liver damage. Symptoms of possible liver injury include:- weakness or fatigue
- fever
- jaundice (yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes)
- brown urine
- abdominal pain
- nausea
- vomiting
- itching
- light-colored stool
- loss of appetite
Gabriel Mejia, Esq. is a Coral Springs personal injury attorney handling accident and injury cases in Florida for Law Offices Cytryn and Velazquez, P.A.
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