Public Citizen Director Dr. Sidney Wolfe urges patients not to wait for the FDA to remove the drugs from the market and says to stop taking them immediately. "Unlike other drugs, which have a withdrawal syndrome that you would go through if you suddenly stop, there is no downside to stopping Xenical or Alli," says Wolfe.
Both Xenical and Alli are medications that contain the drug orlistat and work to block the body's ability to absorb dietary fat.
The urging from Public Citizen to remove the drugs from the market follows a May 2010 warning issued by the FDA, noting 13 reports of severe liver injury in patients taking orlistat. Public Citizen stated that 73 cases of kidney stones have also been linked to use of the medications.
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