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The weight loss landscape has dramatically shifted thanks to prescription weight loss options. Many in our community are curious because they have changed how folks approach shedding excess pounds. Injectable drugs and pill choices approved for weight loss are dominating public discourse, and speculation about who is and isn’t using these products, especially celebrities, is ongoing.
Every day, a news item explores these prescriptions’ benefits, side effects, and potential risks. CEOs and influencers have sung their praises. There is even a trendy TikTok song inspired by their popularity. Even traditional weight management brands have gotten in on the action.
WeightWatchers now rebranded as WW, a staple in the weight loss industry, has begun offering access to medical interventions, including semaglutide, via their WeightWatchers Clinic’s launch. Last year, the company acquired Sequence, a digital health platform for clinical weight management. WW offers one-on-one clinician care, insurance coordination, and other membership privileges through their clinic. Noom, an industry newcomer, has launched the Noom Med program, where consumers can access medical advice for their mental and physical health and prescriptions for GLP-1 obesity drugs after being evaluated by professionals who will determine their eligibility.
If you are considering prescription weight loss options, here’s what you need to know.
What Are Your Options?
Injectables
Injectables have become an increasingly visible option for prescription-aided weight loss. They are approved for weight loss for those who have been categorized as clinically obese (BMI >30) or are overweight with medical conditions like high blood pressure or high weekly at gradually increasing doses. Some of the options on the market include Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide), Mojourno and Zepbound (tirzepatide), Saxenda (liraglutide), and Imcivree (setmelanotide). Familiarize yourself with the non-brand name versions of the medications so that you can ask your healthcare provider the necessary questions.
How Do They Work?
Injectable drugs behave similarly. “Dulaglutide, liraglutide, semaglutide were designed to act the same way as GLP-1,” according to Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are a class of medications utilized to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.
What this means: When we use these drugs, they slow down food digestion and make us feel fuller longer. we eat less, and our appetites are reduced, and we lose weight as a result.
What are The Common Side Effects?
There are a variety of common side effects associated with these medications. “A lot of people will experience upset stomach, nausea, indigestion, sometimes, constipation, heartburn,” according to Dr. Danielle Timmons, a family medicine doctor in Decatur, GA. Injection site reactions and hyperpigmentation are common as well. However, these side effects are not universal.
“Everybody reacts differently,” said Dr. Timmons. “Some people will have more profound side effects than others.”
“Some people can have more severe reactions,” she explained. These include “persistent vomiting and severe nausea.” Side effects are not necessarily permanent, either. A study found that when it came to liraglutide, for example, “The most common adverse effects were gastrointestinal and primarily occurred early in the treatment course.”
Dr. Timmons noted that there can be an “uptick in those symptoms” associated with “going up to the next higher dose.” “Your body’s just trying to get used to that new dose,” she said. Some patients, however, have more serious gastrointestinal issues, including pancreatitis, gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), and bowel obstruction.
While GLP-1 drugs result in rapid weight loss, there is no such thing as a quick fix. Understand that these injectables are designed to be used long-term, with you eventually moving into a maintenance phase to maintain their effect. If you stop taking these drugs, you could regain some of the weight you’ve lost.
Pills
If you aren’t interested in injectable medications, you can explore the weight loss prescriptions available in pill form. Some of the names of these options include Metformin, Bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave), Orlistat (Xenical, Alli) – sometimes available over the counter, Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), and phentermine (Adipex, Lomaira) are pill options.
How Do They Work?
“Metformin works by helping to restore the body’s response to insulin. It decreases the amount of blood sugar the liver produces, and the intestines or stomach absorb,” according to the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. Depending on the dosage given by your doctor, you can take it once or more daily with food. While phentermine decreases appetite, topiramate also does so and makes you feel fuller longer after eating.
What Are The Risks?
Beware of starting an over-the-counter option without consulting your physician. A study published in 2021 noted, “Phentermine-topiramate is not recommended for patients with significant cardiac history such as coronary disease and uncontrolled hypertension.” Patients in clinical trials also experienced insomnia, irritability, anxiety, headache, attention disturbances, depression, dry mouth, and kidney stones.
Certain patients can also have adverse reactions to metformin. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that lactic acidosis was a possible side effect.
“Lactic acidosis is a rare but serious metabolic complication that can occur because of metformin accumulation during treatment with metformin,” wrote the organization. Metformin has come under scrutiny for other reasons as well.
When Do The Side Effects Require Intervention?
If you’re taking these medications and the side effects are impacting your day-to-day life, medical intervention may be needed. “Are you getting up from your cubicle multiple times daily because you must run to the toilet? Are you unable to hang out with your friends?” According to Dr. Timmons, that’s an issue you must address immediately. “It’s important to discuss the issues with your PCP (primary care physician) so that the symptoms can be monitored,” Dr. Timmons added.
Diet and Exercise Still Matter
If you decide to explore prescription weight loss medicine, don’t be under the mistaken impression that you can eat anything you want. These medications work best with lifestyle changes like staying hydrated, eating a healthy diet, and exercising.
Exercise is particularly essential when taking GLP-1 medications because of the possibility you will lose muscle mass and bone density.
You must consider adding strength training and cardio to your lifestyle. Because injectables, in particular, lead to rapid weight loss, you can get a condition that usually impacts older people called sarcopenia ( the gradual loss of muscle mass, strength, and function). But there are also Ozempic butt and Ozempic face, which we are not immune to because “Black don’t crack.”
Now that you have some background, you can discuss your options with your physician to see what weight loss treatment might work best for you. Take note of the questions below to prepare for a discussion with your HCP. Then, make the decision that you believe will work best for you.
What To Ask Your Doctor Before Committing To Prescription Weight Loss Meds
- Am I a candidate for prescription-aided weight loss?
- How does this medication work?
- How many studies have included patients with [insert your specific medical condition here]?
- What are the most common side effects of this medication?
- What are the rarest side effects of this medication?
- How will this medication affect my nutrient intake?
- How would you suggest I alter my lifestyle to fit this medication?
- How will this medication interact with my current medication(s)?
- What is the lowest maintenance dose for this medication?
A grant from Novo Nordisk sponsored this article.
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