Hi, I  am strongly considering purchasing Alli.  I know that I will need to stick to the calories and fat content recommended per meal.  I fully intend to do that. But I was wondering if you have some control of the treatment effects?  I have read terrible stories of bowel accidents.  Does this just seep out, or does it come with gas?  Do you know you are going to have a accident, or do you just walk around with the seepage?  Does it come on like diarrhea?  Do you only have the grease when you let out gas? 

I am pretty busy, and I don't want to have to worry about grease seeping on my pants.  I would really hate to be somewhere (example: school function) and have a accident.  Will I be okay if I don't have gas unless in the toilet?  Will I not make it to the toilet?  Thanks to anyone who replies.

 Kelly

I read the experiences of others on here and was horrified, then went ahead and bought a bottle anyway.  My concern was like yours-- would icky stuff seep out of me uncontrollably?-- and thankfully that has never happened.  There have been times, though, when I felt like I had to go poo really bad, and I wisely got myself to a bathroom quickly.  If you stay within your calorie and fat grams limits, you will  be fine.  My few episodes have occurred when I went over my limits.  Nothing has ever leaked out.  I have only seen the oily orange blobs in the toilet, never on my clothing.  For a graphic example, there was one time when I felt the need to pass gas-- having read of the experiences of others on this board, I knew to get to a toilet just in case it was more than air-- and sure enough, though it was just air that left my body, there were oily orange blobs on top of the water.  Also, for me anyway, these bathroom episodes have always occurred when I have been at home, usually very early in the morning, not after a meal, so I haven't worried about being caught out somewhere and unable to get to a bathroom. 

Kelly, if you follow the plan and watch your fat intake you should not have any treatment effects. If you decide to start the plan you may want to start taking the pill on a weekend like the plan suggests. If you start on the weekend you have the comfort of being home should you have a treatment effect. I've only had a very minor treatment effect when I went over me fat allowance. I wasn't racing to the bathroom or anything I was just in the middle of something and had a "not so fresh feeling" come over me. I went to the bathroom to investigate and subsequently clean up.  

My experience has been pretty much just like carey1. I haven't had any accidents out in public but I have once or twice at home when I thought I just needed to pass gas. I have now learned that I need to be in the bathroom anytime I feel that urge just in case. I never had any "seepage" that just happened without my being aware of it and I've been taking the pills for about 4 weeks now and I have gone over my fat grams with a couple meals here and there (although I'm trying not to make that a habit). I have found though, that now that I haven't had any of these awful things happen to me, I've gotten a little lax in watching everything I eat so maybe that is a bad thing?

 I would recommend the Alli plan. I've only lost about 5 lbs. so far, but I don't have a ton of weight to lose either. I was exactly at the weight you needed to be for my height in order to take the pills so my weight loss might be a little slower. I'm just glad it's coming off!

I've been on Alli for five weeks and have never had any treatment effects.  I do tend to stay under 15 grams of fat per meal and if I don't know for sure what the fat content of a food is, I don't eat it. 

The other day when I went to buy a refill bottle, the girl at the pharmacy counter asked me how I could "take that stuff" because doesn't it cause awful effects?  Mind you, she works in a pharmacy!  I did set her straight--nicely--but I left wondering if there isn't some general idea that TEs are inevitable.  That just isn't so.

By the way, there was a time when I might not have answered her so nicely. But having lost 18 lbs and with way more energy and a new sense of confidence that I can really do this, I just can't bring myself to be mean to anyone. :)

I too was very worried about the whole treatment effects problem.. I waited and waited to buy the pills.  But now I've been on them for 3 weeks and I couldn't feel better! I've lost 10 lbs and have had no embarrassing accidents!  See I think the people who are having the horrible TE(treatment effects) are those who decide to consume way over their amount of fat grams per meal.  It is especially important to not go crazy with them- but to be honest the fear of the pills doing that to me has kept me from going nuts with food!

 However, this past saturday I went to a BBQ and was 'forced'(not really) to eat a burger and different salads... To my surprise I had no TE... other than the usual oily discharge with bowel movements.. but those happen even when you are under  you fat grams, because that is how the pills works.  but there hasn't ever been a time where i had a sudden urge to go, or ever went in my pants.. I know from experience that if you stick to your fat grams per meal- u will be fine.  but if you decide to cheat all the time... I am sure u will pay.. as we have read from many different users!

When u decide to do alli, just make sure you're ready- that's all!

Good luck to you!!  :)

I am on day 3 now, and the night before I started I had a big chicken breast on white bun and a ton of guacamole with the coke. I figured since I was starting the next day I might as well get one last round of that high fat guacamole. Then I read after taking my first pill it can impact items you ate 24-28 hours ago. I had no TE. It really not that hard to stay under the fat grams and in my experience as long as you do you will be fine.