I agree. My OH was on Orlistat (under Dr's orders). The side effects are pretty disgusting. Forgive my frankness.

If you eat fatty food, you will have bright orange, oily diarrhoea. Occasionally (and this happened a few times) you don't even realise that you need to go to the toilet. It literally leaks from your bottom into your clothes, and it's just bright orange oil. Gross, it stains, and it's pretty embarrassing as well. Once it's in the toilet, the oil often sticks around for a couple of flushes, and can discolour your toilet bowl (if it's white). Apparantly, baby wipes are required to clean yourself up, as normal toilet paper just won't do.

The diarrhoea can sometimes come on pretty quickly (imagine being in a restaurant and having to RUN to the loo because you're leaking orange oil and know that you're going to have explosive diarrhoea) but sometimes can be hours after eating (long car journey anyone??).

The less fat you eat, the less oily stuff and diarrhoea you get. But since you're eating a healthier diet anyway, you lose weight!

He wasn't losing that much weight compared to some on a diet without pills. The first week or so he lost about 4 or 5 pounds, but he quickly realised that the only way to not have the diarrhoea was to eat a low fat diet. He then lost about 1-2 pounds a week, which is consistent with what you should lose on a 'normal' diet, and is a healthy weight loss.

After paying £7+ for a months worth of tablets for a few months running, and not losing more than I was on a 'normal' low fat diet, plus being sick of the side effects, OH stopped the tablets.

He said that sitting in work praying you don't need the toilet was enough for him. He never felt 'safe' if he wasn't near a toilet (e.g. car journeys, trips away etc).

Once he came off the tablets, he carried on eating a low fat diet, and we've both managed to lose about 1.5 stone up to now.

Just cos your on a diet doesn't mean you can't eat nice food!!

Thanks for all your replies...I don't really like the idea of taking the pills but the doc seems to think my body needs a kick start. I was only telling Clive last night that the thought of uncontrollable bowel movements was really putting me off, he did say that it would only happen if I overdone it in the fatty food stakes but how will I know what foods will do it to me without having to endure the side effects?

Both my sisters went to weight watchers and I had a look at their booklets but they don't really cater for vegetarians in them...I did ask the doc if I was eating the wrong things but he thought I was on an ok diet and that its my hormones that are causing the extra fluid and bloating.

I have my chat with the diet nurse and the doc on Wednesday but, the way I feel at the moment, I don't think I'm going to risk the tablets xx

I did ask the doc if I was eating the wrong things but he thought I was on an ok diet and that its my hormones that are causing the extra fluid and bloating.