Hi

I know this is all about the lapband and this is something I am thinking very carefully about at the moment; reading, researching, etc.

I am currently 262lb, and have lost (on this time around) the 14lb that was required of me before my doctor would help. So he's just put me on Orlistat, and I am wondering if anyone here has had any experience with this drug.

I lost the 14lb doing WeightWatchers, and I'm thinking, if I did okay this far with no real problems doing WeightWatchers, why bother taking Orlistat?

I know that I still want to go for the lapband, but I want to make sure I want to go through with it first and that it's not just (for me) a lazy way to get rid of my weight. I know I have to do it and it has to be now, but with Orlistat I am put off by the side effects.

Do you think this is a necessary stepping stone to the lapband (if it doesnt work I mean)? If I'm cutting down on fat then I don't see the point of taking Orlistat...

Any thoughts read with interest!

I took Xenical a few years ago.I agree, why take it if you have to cut out ALL fats.I used low fat mayo and had to spend the day in the washroom!

I could not cough, sneeze or laugh to hard because of the side effects.It was horrible and really took away from any quality of life.

The band is really not a lazy way out.You can't

just sit back and watch the pounds slide off.I have to work harder than ever to lose weight, by watching what kind of food I eat and motivating myself to exercise.I did nothing for the first year and lost only the initial "liquid diet after surgery'weight and that's all,about 10 pounds.

Now after two fills and better food choices and exercise, things are slowing moving.

I believe there is a thread that addresses this

in alot more details.Good luck.

C

Just my humble opinion, but I'm convinced that surgeons who want patients to lose weight before surgery are assholes. (Am I allowed to say "assholes" here? NO? Okay.) I think doctors who insist on patients losing weight before surgery are exactly the same jerks who will be berating you for gaining (or not losing "enough") weight during the post-op phase and will have you begging for adjustments. AND, any moron knows that weight lost with those drugs is regained about 97% of the time, so what's the point?

I know you have the national health service to deal with, but can you find another surgeon?

Sue

Just my humble opinion, but I'm convinced that surgeons who want patients to lose weight before surgery are assholes. (Am I allowed to say "assholes" here? NO? Okay.) I think doctors who insist on patients losing weight before surgery are exactly the same jerks who will be berating you for gaining (or not losing "enough") weight during the post-op phase and will have you begging for adjustments. AND, any moron knows that weight lost with those drugs is regained about 97% of the time, so what's the point?

I know you have the national health service to deal with, but can you find another surgeon?

Sue

Just my humble opinion, but I'm convinced that surgeons who want patients to lose weight before surgery are assholes. (Am I allowed to say "assholes" here? NO? Okay.) I think doctors who insist on patients losing weight before surgery are exactly the same jerks who will be berating you for gaining (or not losing "enough") weight during the post-op phase and will have you begging for adjustments. AND, any moron knows that weight lost with those drugs is regained about 97% of the time, so what's the point?

I know you have the national health service to deal with, but can you find another surgeon?

Sue

Sue--

I share your feelings about the emotional impact of being asked to lose weight before surg and I do think there are lot of poorly informed surgeons -- but --there are also some really excellent medical reasons for asking people to lose some weight before surg. For openers --the first several lbs/kg significantly reduces the amount of fattiness around the liver. That means the surgeon can get at the stomach area a lot better to get the band in a good position. Good position makes for a more effective band. Also, asking people to lose a bit before banding can help a good surgeon better assess if a person is, or is not , a good candidate for banding (vs gastric bypass). Finally, if someone is super obese or has certain surgical risks factors, losing some weight can significantly lower their surgical risk and improve their recovery time. The most important thing here is to find a really good surgeon who has lot of experience w/WLS and a good rep. Then you need to trust her/him and follow their directions. There are a LOT of surgeons out there that are turning to WLS for the money but who don't know as much as they should.

I was on xenical for 9 years until this past summer and then switched to Alli. I only took it after dinner since my breakfasts and lunches didn't really have any fats. You do need to eat a low fat diet but I knew exactly how it worked for me and didn't have any severe side effects. I look at it as another tool in my arsenal to help with weight loss.

wow... it was AGES ago when i took xenical but i remember the horrible side effect after eating a meal with too much fat. it was MESSY lol.

while i agree with a pre-op diet, i don't agree with taking pills!

So, a little note about Orlistat/Alli, for those who don't know. The Mayo Clinic (a little irony for the context, right? lol) says that it is under scrutiny for the possible cause of liver damage in extended usage.

Also, to the person who said that surgeons shouldn't make their patients lose weight before surgery, there is a myriad of reasons why doctors do that. Most of it has to do with the fact that, the bigger the patient, the likelier it is for the patient to have complications during surgery, and most unfortunately, death. Also, it's good for the patient to start a weight loss mindset beforehand.

13 people out of the millions who have taken xenical have had some liver problems. All medications, prescription and OTC have side effects. You have to weight pros and cons and be under a doctor's supervision.

What's going to happen when years down the road the FDA says those who have had the band for 20-30 years (this foreign, unnatural object in our bodies) results in an increase in pancreatic, stomach, esophageal and colon cancer? Could happen. It's the risk we all take when we put something in our bodies - pills or surgery.

I've been banded a couple of years now, but because of some complications, I've just begun getting fills again in January (have had 2 now). Because I lose weight so slowly ( I don't exercise enough or regularly, and a thryoid problem, plus my metabolism is slower in my late 50's), I just bought an Alli starter pack, hoping it would give me a little boost. Today is my first day to try alli, so I'm not sure what effects I may have, but I'm watching my fat intake, so hopefully, it won't be too BAD! Just wondering if anyone else is currently doing this as a bandster........