Sibutramine's manufacturer, Knoll Pharmaceutical, lists the most common side effects of its product as dry mouth, headache, constipation and insomnia. But Edwin W. Brown, M.D., writing in the June 1999 issue of Medical Update, a publication of the American Foundation for Preventive Medicine, notes the drug can also cause a potentially dangerous rise in heart rate, as well as increased blood pressure. Bruner agrees that patients prescribed sibutramine should be prepared for regular monitoring of their pulse and blood pressure, particularly early in treatment. Orlistat users have a different set of side effects to watch for. The medication is very quick to enforce the requirement of limiting the amount of fat consumed.
Most patients seem to learn that quite rapidly.
Orlistat also reduces the absorption of some vitamins. Taking a daily multivitamin is encouraged as part of the treatment process. Richardson notes that orlistat's side effects can be minimized if the patient is instructed in advance of the medication's interaction with dietary fat and if the patient follows the instructions provided. Cost Factors Cost is a feature in which the two medications are more similar. It's a definite issue with either drug.