Taking prescription medication may not be ideal for everyone, but many patients find it helpful for long-term weight loss management. Insurance coverage policies can change, so check with your doctor for current coverage information. Click the Website to learn more
Do not take semaglutide injection if you have a history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (a type of cancer) or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (a condition that causes tumors in several glands). Semaglutide increases your risk of developing these types of tumors.
In 2017, the FDA approved semaglutide as an injection to help people with type-2 diabetes. It is an antidiabetic medication and it also has weight loss benefits. Semaglutide is similar to a natural hormone in the body called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and it helps you feel full after eating. This helps you eat less and lose weight. It can be used alone or in combination with diet and exercise to promote weight loss and improve blood sugar control.
Semaglutide is an injectable medication that comes in a prefilled pen for subcutaneous injection. It is usually injected once a week at any time of the day. It may be taken orally as well, but it is more difficult to take this way and it is only recommended for those who do not tolerate injections. Oral semaglutide must be taken at least 30 minutes before a meal and only with 4 oz of plain water.
There are compounding pharmacies in the US that produce semaglutide and claim to be able to make it from scratch. However, the only FDA-approved products that contain semaglutide are Ozempic and Wegovy, manufactured by Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk has filed lawsuits against medical spas, weight loss clinics and compounding pharmacies to stop them from selling fake or unregulated versions of semaglutide that are not FDA-approved or tested for safety.
Taking semaglutide without a prescription can be very dangerous. It can interact with other medications, impact your ability to absorb and use nutrients, and cause unwanted side effects. It can also be dangerous for those with certain health conditions or a history of pancreatitis. It is important to speak with a weight management expert before you decide to take this medication.
It is also important to avoid excessive alcohol while taking this medication, since it can interfere with the effectiveness of the drug. It can also cause an abnormally low heart rate or increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. It is also important to let your doctor know about any other medications you are taking, including supplements and over-the-counter drugs and herbal remedies.
How does semaglutide work?
Semaglutide works to mimic the effects of a natural hormone in your body called glucagon-like peptide 1. It binds to the GLP-1 receptors in your gut, which helps reduce appetite and makes you feel fuller after meals. It also increases insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner, which lowers blood sugar levels and improves your overall health.
It is prescribed as a long-term treatment for weight loss and is most effective when used in conjunction with other treatments like diet and exercise. At TMH Physician Partners – Endocrinology, Obesity & Diabetes (formerly Tallahassee Memorial Metabolic Health Center), we work with our patients to determine if semaglutide is an appropriate medication for their situation. We take into consideration your unique medical history, current health status, and personal goals to recommend a treatment that’s right for you.
In the STEP study, participants who received semaglutide injected every day lost a mean of 15.2% of their body weight after 104 weeks, while those receiving a placebo only lost 2.6%. They also experienced a significant reduction in waist circumference and had improvements in other important markers like systolic blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
Another exciting discovery is that those who use semaglutide experience a change in their food preferences, with their intake of higher fat foods decreasing and a preference for healthier options increasing. This effect is likely due to the drug’s effect on parts of the brain that regulate hunger and reward.
Research has also shown that the drug can increase feelings of fullness and reduce calorie intake by slowing down the stomach’s emptying into the small intestine, which leads to a feeling of being satisfied with less food. Additionally, the drug can help people avoid sugary and high-fat beverages that can add extra calories to their diets.
Studies have also shown that semaglutide may help protect against heart-related events by reducing obesity-related inflammation in the blood vessels. It can even lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which further decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke. Unlike some other weight loss medications, semaglutide does not cross the blood-brain barrier to influence the brain’s responses to images of food, which may contribute to its positive impact on eating behaviors and food preferences.
What are the side effects of semaglutide?
If you are taking semaglutide for diabetes, your doctor will likely give you tips on how to prevent or manage the more common side effects like nausea, stomach pain, heartburn and bloating. Eating smaller meals, avoiding greasy or spicy foods, and exercising regularly can help. You can also ask your healthcare provider about over-the-counter (OTC) antacids.
In addition to these symptoms, some patients may experience diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite and constipation. If these symptoms are severe or don’t improve, talk to your doctor, as they can be a sign of pancreatitis.
You should not use semaglutide if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Additionally, this medication is not safe for people with a history of medullary thyroid cancer, a rare type of thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). It is also not safe to take while you are having a bowel procedure, including colonoscopy, because it can increase your risk of bleeding and infection.
Those with kidney disease may have challenges clearing the drug from their system. It is also not safe to take with certain medications, including cyclosporine and phenytoin, as it can increase the risk of severe and sometimes fatal side effects, such as low blood sugar and liver damage.
Semaglutide is typically covered by insurance, but if it’s not, the cost can be prohibitive for many people. That’s why some patients have turned to compounding pharmacies to get their prescriptions — but that’s a risky proposition. Compounding pharmacies aren’t regulated by the FDA and can sell drugs that have not been fully tested for safety and efficacy.
The drug can be customized to include other ingredients, such as cyanocobalamin, in order to accommodate individual allergies or sensitivities. However, this customization can also lead to a lack of proper dosage or delivery method, which can increase your risk for adverse reactions.
To avoid these risks, make sure you read the Medication Guide and Instructions for Use before you start taking the medication and each time you get a refill. Check the liquid for discoloration or particles, and always inject the medication in the recommended location. In addition, be sure to rotate injection sites each week to reduce pain and discomfort. Finally, never share needles or pens and dispose of used needles properly.
How should I take semaglutide?
Semaglutide can be taken in tablet form or injected. If you choose to take it as a pill, you should swallow it whole and not crush or chew it. The pill should be taken once a day with a sip of water, and it is important to wait at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything other than water after taking the medication. This is because the medication may reduce the amount of food you eat.
If you decide to take the injection, it can be injected under the skin in the stomach, thigh, or the back of the upper arm as directed by your doctor. You should rotate injection sites each time to lessen the risk of infection and pain. You should inject the medicine at about the same time each week, so it becomes part of your routine. It is best to inject it at a time of day that you do not need to worry about forgetting it, such as a Sunday night before your workweek begins.
The brand name for the injectable form of semaglutide is Ozempic, and it comes in a prefilled pen. If you are new to insulin injections, your doctor can teach you how to use the pen and show you where to inject it. The dose of Ozempic is started at 0.25 mg injected once a week for 4 weeks, and then it increases by 0.5mg every four weeks up to 2 mg injected once a week.
Both the tablet and the injection form of semaglutide are used with diet and exercise to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. It can be used alone or in combination with other medications to treat diabetes, such as metformin and a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor. It is not used to treat type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.
This medication is not for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, as it can harm the fetus or baby. Before starting this treatment, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant within the next 2 months. You should also tell your doctor if you have ever had pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), gall bladder disease, or kidney problems. It is also important to tell your doctor what other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking, as they may affect how well this medicine works.
