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  • Orlistat-induced oxalate nephropathy may be dose-independent and present as a late manifestation.

Orlistat-induced oxalate nephropathy may be dose-independent and present as a late manifestation.

The Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society : official organ of the Louisiana State Medical Society (2013-12-20)
Neville R Dossabhoy, Scott McRight, Bhupinder Sangha, Sarah Khan, Cherinet Adgeh
ABSTRACT

We present the case of a 61-year-old Caucasian male veteran who had been on orlistat (120mg dosing) for four years, and had changed to the over-the-counter (OTC) form, Alli (orlistat 60mg), about three months before presentation. He had been experiencing nausea and vomiting for three weeks prior to evaluation. Laboratory studies revealed a serum creatinine of 6.2 mg/dL--his previous renal function having been normal. An ultrasound-guided renal biopsy was performed, which revealed deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in the renal tubules. Orlistat is a popular weight-loss medication. Orlistat-induced oxalate crystal nephropathy has recently been reported in the literature, resulting from the original, patented version. We report a case with the first such complication from the OTC version, Alli - which is a reduced-dose formulation. Our case report highlights that this complication can occur after several years of use of the medication and is not necessarily dose dependant.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Calcium oxalate monohydrate, European Pharmacopoeia (EP) Reference Standard
Sigma-Aldrich
Orlistat, ≥98%, solid