taking orlistat and having liver problems

[nitelite2003]

hi everyone i hope this is the right area to post this but i was looking for some advice and to see if anyone else had experienced this.

i have been taking orlistat for my weight (currently 13 stone 9 i was 15 stone .6 ) i have been on this medication for 6 months now and am really happy with the results.

how ever i have a full blood test done before i stated this mediation all came back fine and good now each month whilst on the orlistat i have regular blood tests done by my GP she said it what she does when prescribing this mediation and i have to be weighed before i get my next prescription.

on my first blood test after taking the mediation my liver enzymes started to go up a bit they went from 20 to 60 in the first month second month from 60 to 120 and continued to go up my last blood test showed they are now at 435 my doctor has stopped the medication straight away and said it can effect people liver enzymes and mine were getting very high i was advised to stop the medication straight away sine then the tests have come back slightly lower but still high compared to the level it was before i started on the medication.

has anyone else had this happen to them before while taking the orlistat?

 

[TracyGWill]

I know that liver damage is a potential adverse effect of taking Orlistat, from what I've read. I think I've had some raised liver readings whilst I've been on it, but obviously not as serious as yours. I've also developed gallstones, which I've also read can be an issue with them. Has the doctor said whether the damage is likely to fully reverse? It might be an idea to copy your post over on the Orlistat forum (under Other Diet Options) both to ask for advice and also as information to others who're taking it at the moment. I do hope your problem rights itself. xx

 

[hexe]

Hi ya

Good chance your liver will recover, in fact it should do. Unless you have hepatitis or another chronic physical problem or prolonged substance misuse issues, the liver does regenerate its cells quite well. I know some people who swear by using homeopathy or milk thistle supplements to support liver regeneration. Maybe worth talking to your GP or pharmacist xx
You can find some info here: Milk Thistle: Herb Information From WebMD

 

[idreamofstuff]

Yes, your liver is likely to recover unless there are other issues here so try not to worry too much.

Your doctor did exactly the right thing in stopping the orlistat. The monitoring they do is vital for this very reason.