Alli

Alli is intended for adults aged 18 or over with a BMI of at least 28. A pharmacist should check whether it suits your medical history and other medicines. It is not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

You can buy alli over the counter online or in-person at most pharmacies in the UK. While alli does not need a prescription, a pharmacist will ask you a few health questions to make sure alli is suitable for you. 

At My Chemist Plus, you can purchase alli online after taking a simple health questionnaire with one of our specialist pharmacists. If alli is right for you, we’ll deliver your medication right to your doorstep. No GP appointment or referral needed.

Yes, alli can be an effective tool for sustainable weight loss and management when paired with a balanced, reduced-calorie diet and exercise. 

Clinical trial data shows 46% of patients lost over 5% of their starting weight using alli over six months with 16% losing over 10%. For the placebo group who used diet and exercise alone, only 26% lost over 5% of their starting weight and only 6% lost over 10%.

If your weight doesn’t change after 12 weeks of treatment, your prescriber may suggest you stop alli as it may not be effective.

Alli can be good for weight loss if you use it alongside diet and exercise. As alli only reduces the amount of fat your body absorbs through meals, it cannot be used alone for weight loss. If you only take alli, you may avoid gaining weight but it may not help you lose weight. 

To maximise the benefits of alli pills for weight loss, you also need to build healthier eating habits, reduce the amount of fat you eat, and start exercising regularly. This will help you lose weight as you’re burning more calories than you’re eating. 

If you’d like to buy alli capsules online to use as part of your weight loss journey, simply fill out our simple health form to help our experienced pharmacists understand whether alli is the right treatment for you. If it isn’t quite right, we can guide you to more effective and appropriate options.

It’s difficult to say how much weight you will lose with alli as there are other factors that contribute to weight loss, such as your metabolism, your calorie intake and how physically active you are. 

Clinical studies have shown over 46% of patients lost more than 5% of their starting body weight after six months when taking alli 60mg capsules with exercise and a reduced-calorie diet.

If you do not lose any weight after 12 weeks of taking alli, it may not be the right weight loss aid for you. In that case, your prescriber may recommend you stop alli treatment.

While most adults can take alli, there are some people who alli is not suitable for. You should not take alli if you:

• Are allergic to orlistat or any other ingredient in alli, such as gelatin
• Are under 18 years old
• Take certain medication, such as ciclosporin or blood-thinning medication (e.g. warfarin)
• Have a liver condition, such as cholestasis
• Have a condition affecting your ability to absorb food, such as chronic malabsorption syndrome 
• Are pregnant
• Are breast-feeding 
• Take acarbose for diabetes

During your consultation, you should let your specialist pharmacist know if you have any other health condition or are taking any other medication, such as heart conditions, mental health conditions and neurological conditions. You should also speak to your doctor before starting treatment with alli.

While alli does not directly affect the contraceptive pill, some side effects may affect the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, such as severe diarrhoea. If you get severe diarrhoea with alli, it’s important to use additional contraception, such as condoms.

You should take one alli capsule when you eat a meal containing fats. You can take alli up to three times a day just before, during, or one hour after a meal. If the meal does not contain any fat, then you do not need to take alli. Always follow your prescriber’s guidance when taking alli for weight loss.

If you take more than three alli capsules a day, speak to your doctor as soon as you can. 

If you forget to take your alli tablet with your meal, you can:

• Take the missed dose if it’s been less than an hour since your meal.
• Skip the missed dose if it’s been more than an hour since your meal. Take your next dose as normal with your next meal.

The cost of alli tablets depends on the pharmacy you purchase it from. At My Chemist Plus, you can buy alli capsules for weight loss from £XX. Simply answer a few health questions so our specialist pharmacists can make sure it’s a clinically safe and appropriate option for you.

While it’s a good idea to lower your total fat intake when taking alli, you shouldn’t avoid all fats completely. Instead, you should aim to have 30% of your calories come from fat. This should be spread across three main meals. The rest of your calories should come from a balanced mix of fruits and vegetables, carbohydrates and lean proteins.

Some foods you may wish to avoid with alli include:

• Fried foods, such as chips, fried eggs and battered foods
• Fatty processed meats, such as sausages, bacon and burgers
• Full-fat dairy products, including milk, cream and cheese 
• Desserts and bakery products with butter and cream, such as croissants, puddings and chocolate 
• Snacks, including crisps and biscuits
• Oil-based dressings and sauces, such as mayonnaise

As alli reduces how much fat your body absorbs, it can also affect the absorption of some vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, E and K. This is because your body uses fat to absorb them. Your prescriber may suggest you take a multivitamin tablet in the evenings to make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs.

alli is the brand name for 60mg of orlistat, whereas Orlistat is the generic name for a higher dose only available through a prescription. They both contain the same active ingredient (orlistat) and work in the same way. Other differences include:

• • Where you can get them: alli is available over the counter whereas Orlistat needs a prescription from your GP or a specialist pharmacist after a medical assessment
• How much fat is blocked: alli can block up to a quarter of dietary fat while Orlistat may block up to a third of dietary fat absorption