Orlistat is the most widely available dedicated weight-loss medicine in Nigeria. Best known by the brand Xenical, and locally as Reeshape and Orlifit, it works in a completely different way from every other slimming product: it acts only in the gut, blocking the enzyme (lipase) that digests fat, so roughly a third of the fat you eat passes through undigested instead of being absorbed. Because it barely enters the bloodstream, it does not suppress appetite or 'burn fat' — it simply stops some dietary fat from being taken in.
In the NAFDAC register
2 registered products
from 2 registration holders
What it costs online
Price varies — check with a pharmacy. This drug has not yet appeared in our fortnightly sampling of Nigerian online pharmacies.
Brands of Orlistat in Nigeria
Those 2 products from 2 registration holders include combination products and older listings; below are the most common brands.
| Brand Name | Manufacturer | Strength | Form | NAFDAC Reg. No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reeshape | Adler Products Ltd | 120mg | Capsule | A4-7211 |
 | Getz Pharma | 120mg | Capsule | B4-2354 |
Orlistat Price in Nigeria
Orlistat prices in Nigeria vary by brand, strength, and where you buy it. Confirm the current price with a licensed pharmacy, and always check the product is NAFDAC-registered before you pay.
We show a price here once it appears in our monthly sampling of Nigerian online pharmacies (MedPlus, HealthPlus), or when we have a reliable market figure. For now, confirm the current price directly with a licensed pharmacy.
How to Verify Your Orlistat is Genuine
- 1Buy orlistat from a licensed pharmacy, ideally after discussing it with a pharmacist or doctor
- 2Check the NAFDAC registration number on the pack and verify it on the NAFDAC Green Book or app — for example Reeshape (Adler Products) is A4-7211
- 3Check the expiry date and that the packaging is sealed and untampered
- 4For Xenical, be especially careful: premium imported weight-loss brands are prime counterfeit targets — check the manufacturer branding, batch number, and buy only from reputable pharmacies
- 5Avoid 'slimming teas', 'flat tummy' products, and social-media weight-loss capsules entirely — many are unregistered, and some have been found to contain hidden, banned drugs such as sibutramine
- 6Genuine capsules should be uniform; discard any that look irregular
Where to Buy
Buying Orlistat by the carton
Cartons are bought at Nigeria's four open drug markets. Each guide names the sellers there you can contact, and how to buy safely:
No shop we list has Orlistat on its confirmed product list yet — the market guides still tell you where the trade happens and how to buy there safely.
Wherever you buy, buy only from licensed pharmacies and verified distributors — not roadside vendors — and verify the pack's NAFDAC registration before you pay. Buying Orlistat in bulk or for resale? See how to buy medicines in bulk in Nigeria safely.
Need Orlistat in bulk, or can't find it near you?
Tell us what you need and we'll connect you with a verified, NAFDAC-registered source.
What is Orlistat?
Used properly — one capsule with each main meal, alongside a reduced-calorie, lower-fat diet — orlistat produces modest but real weight loss: typically a few extra kilograms over six months to a year compared with diet alone, with the best results in people who also change what they eat. It is much less powerful than the newer injectable GLP-1 medicines (semaglutide/Ozempic, tirzepatide/Mounjaro), but it is oral, far cheaper, and has decades of safety history. Its famous drawback is the side effects when you eat fatty food: oily stools, urgency, and wind with oily discharge — which is really the drug 'showing you' the fat you ate.
A hard word of caution about Nigeria's weight-loss market: it is flooded with 'slimming teas', 'flat tummy' coffees, herbal capsules, and social-media products that are unregistered, and some have been found to secretly contain dangerous pharmaceutical ingredients such as sibutramine — a banned appetite suppressant linked to heart attacks and strokes. Orlistat, by contrast, is a real, NAFDAC-registrable medicine with known effects and limits. If you choose medication for weight loss, use a registered product from a licensed pharmacy — and be deeply suspicious of anything sold as a 'natural' rapid-slimming miracle.
What is Orlistat used for?
In Nigeria, Orlistat is commonly used for:
- Weight loss in adults with obesity (BMI 30+), together with a reduced-calorie, lower-fat diet
- Weight loss in overweight adults (BMI 28+) who have risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol
- Helping to keep weight off after successful dieting
- Modestly improving blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol as weight falls
Dosage
IMPORTANT
Always follow your doctor's or pharmacist's instructions. The information below is for general reference only.
Adults
The standard dose is 120mg (one capsule) three times a day, taken with — or up to one hour after — each main meal that contains fat. If you skip a meal, or the meal has no fat, skip that dose. It only works alongside a reduced-calorie diet with roughly 30% of calories from fat, spread across the day; a very fatty meal will produce unpleasant oily side effects. A lower 60mg strength exists in some markets for over-the-counter use.
Children
Not recommended for children; specialist use only in adolescents in some countries.
Elderly
Can be used; no specific dose change, but overall health and nutrition should be considered.
Give it a fair trial with the diet: if you have not lost about 5% of your body weight after 12 weeks, it is usually stopped, because it is unlikely to work well for you. Take a multivitamin at bedtime (at least 2 hours away from orlistat) — the drug reduces absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Expect results in months, not days: any product promising rapid, effortless weight loss is not being honest with you. Orlistat works best as one part of a plan — food changes, activity, and realistic goals.
Side Effects
Common side effects
- •Oily or fatty stools, and oily spotting or discharge (worse after fatty meals)
- •Urgency to open the bowels, more frequent stools, and wind
- •Stomach pain or discomfort
- •Headache
- •These gut effects are the fat you ate passing through — they lessen a lot on a lower-fat diet
Serious side effects — seek medical help immediately
- Signs of liver problems (rare): yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, severe stomach pain, unusual tiredness
- Severe allergic reaction: swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing
- Kidney stones or, rarely, kidney injury (oxalate-related) in susceptible people
- Severe or persistent diarrhoea leading to dehydration
When to see a doctor
See a doctor for yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, or severe abdominal pain (possible liver problems), for severe persistent diarrhoea, or for any allergic reaction. Also seek advice if you take medicines whose absorption could be affected — such as thyroid hormone, epilepsy medicines, warfarin, or HIV treatment — so doses and timing can be managed safely.
Warnings & Precautions
Do not take Orlistat if you have:
- Do not use in pregnancy or while breastfeeding
- Do not use in chronic malabsorption syndrome (a condition where the gut already absorbs food poorly)
- Do not use in cholestasis (blocked bile flow)
- Not a treatment for being mildly overweight without risk factors, and not for people with eating disorders
- Do not use if you are allergic to orlistat
Drug interactions
- •Levothyroxine (thyroid hormone) — absorption is reduced; separate doses by at least 4 hours and monitor
- •Warfarin — vitamin K absorption changes can affect INR; extra monitoring is needed
- •Ciclosporin — levels can fall dangerously; the combination is generally avoided
- •Epilepsy medicines — absorption may fall, risking seizures; monitor closely
- •Some HIV antiretrovirals — orlistat may reduce their absorption and effectiveness; discuss with your doctor before combining
- •Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and the contraceptive pill during severe diarrhoea — take a bedtime multivitamin, and use extra contraceptive precautions if severe diarrhoea occurs
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Do not use orlistat during pregnancy — weight loss is not appropriate in pregnancy, and dieting plus reduced vitamin absorption can harm the baby. It should also be avoided while breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while taking it, stop and speak to a health worker.
Used for these conditions
Related Resources for Orlistat
Guides, articles, and tools related to Orlistat and other weight management medicines in Nigeria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- •NAFDAC Greenbook — the official database of all products registered with Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. Brand-level NAFDAC numbers for Orlistat on this page were cross-referenced against the Greenbook.
- •British National Formulary (BNF) dosing and interaction guidance for Orlistat.
- •Nigerian Standard Treatment Guidelines (Federal Ministry of Health).
Daily puzzle: Meddle — pair five brands with their medicines. New game at midnight.