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Medicines orlistatQuestion & answer

orlistat · Medicine question

Why does orlistat cause oily stools?

iatroX medicinesPublished 21 August 2026Reviewed 21 August 2026

The answer

Answer

It prevents some dietary fat from being broken down and absorbed, so unabsorbed fat passes into the stools.

Sources for this answer

Xenical 120 mg hard capsulesemc · SmPC Current selected SmPC · Version 3
NHSNHS · NHS medicine guidance

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orlistat

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