You’ve seemingly heard the thrill round slimming injections, the key behind quite a few movie star weight-loss transformations. These weekly injections, referred to as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, have been initially used to handle Kind 2 Diabetes. Nonetheless, they’ve now taken the weight-loss business by storm. Ozempic and Wegovy (Semaglutide), Saxenda (Liraglutide), and Mounjaro (Tirzepitide) injections are hovering in reputation, typically delivering exceptional weight-loss outcomes similar to bariatric surgical procedure. Uncover what that you must know earlier than embarking in your journey to a slimmer you.
How do Ozempic and Mounjaro work?
“These new hormone lessons primarily affect intestine hormones,” says Chicago, IL bariatric and life-style specialist Neha Shah, MD. “These intestine hormones talk starvation, fullness, and insulin secretion to the mind. With medicines like these, we handle the foundation reason behind cravings, significantly for sweets. Sufferers typically expertise a profound sense of fullness they might have by no means felt earlier than.”
Who can get a prescription from a Telehealth supplier?
Telehealth choices like Sequence, Push, or Alpha medical can diagnose and prescribe weight-loss medicines with out critical dangers. Dr. Shah emphasizes that many Telehealth suppliers now prescribe these medicines however cautions that they’ll’t substitute specialist monitoring. With out help, accountability, and dietary adjustments, these medicines received’t be absolutely efficient. A dietician can present a metabolic workup to uncover underlying points like thyroid situations, diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, or anemia. This stage of research and help could not at all times be accessible by way of Telehealth.
Are the unintended effects onerous to handle?
The principle unintended effects embody nausea, vomiting, fuel, belly ache, bloating, constipation and bouts of fatigue, however they’re momentary. Whereas their main intention is glycemic management, they’ll elicit unintended effects in some people. Uncomfortable side effects can step by step enhance because the physique adjusts. There’s additionally a danger of hypoglycemia, primarily when used with different diabetes medication like insulin or sulfonylureas, and occasional injection website reactions.
The most important concern to notice, nevertheless, is the chance of thyroid most cancers. “It’s not advisable for individuals with a private or household historical past of thyroid most cancers as a result of the treatment could trigger thyroid tumors in some,” notes Dr. Shah.
Does the place you inject assist with unintended effects?
There are three advisable locations you may inject the treatment into each week: the higher arms, the internal thighs or the abdomen (about 4 inches away out of your stomach button). If you happen to’re experiencing unintended effects typically and for extended durations of time when injecting within the abdomen, Dr. Shah says change to your internal thigh which can assist lower nausea and upset abdomen, however could delay barely the onset of urge for food suppression.
Does Mounjaro trigger hair loss?
The potential hyperlink between Mounjaro, or any weight-loss treatment, and hair loss has raised considerations and is topic to particular person variation. Some people utilizing Mounjaro and Ozempic have reported experiencing hair loss as a aspect impact, whereas others could not encounter this challenge. The incidence and severity of hair loss can differ based mostly on components comparable to genetics, dosage, and particular person reactions to the treatment.
Speedy weight reduction can set off hair loss and thinning as a result of a stress response referred to as Telogen effluvium. In accordance with New York dermatologist Doris Day, MD throughout this section, round 40 p.c of the hair prematurely enters the resting section, resulting in hair loss. Usually, solely about 10 p.c of hair is within the resting section. “This resting section lasts for about three to 4 months earlier than the affected hair falls out, and new hair begins to develop, making a time lag between the onset of stress and hair shedding,” she says.
Why are there a number of doses of every injection?
Every drug has a prescribed loading dose to start the primary 4 weeks. Within the following months, sufferers will step by step improve the dosage to keep up effectiveness. For instance, Mounjaro’s dosing begins at 2.5mg and goes up in increments of two.5mg (5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg, and 15mg). Nonetheless, in case your present dose is efficient and also you’re attaining weight reduction, there’s no want to boost it.
Metamora, IL household drugs and weight problems professional Jennah LaHood Siwak, MD means that decrease doses typically lead to milder unintended effects. She advises towards speedy will increase, as long-term treatment use could also be needed, and escalating too shortly could restrict future choices. “Usually at decrease dosages, individuals have much less extreme unintended effects. If a dose is working for you then why improve? Additionally, understand that the aim with GLP medicines is that you could be have to be on this treatment long-term. If we improve you too shortly, there’s no the place else to go from there.”
What’s the greatest food regimen to observe whereas on these injections?
To cut back stomach-upsetting unintended effects from these injections, specialists advocate boosting protein consumption whereas lowering sugar, fats, and carbs. In accordance with Dr. Siwak, protein helps protect lean muscle mass, resulting in a sooner metabolism and elevated calorie burning with out weight acquire. Protein additionally has a better diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) in comparison with carbs or fats, that means it requires extra power to digest. Moreover, protein promotes a better sense of fullness.