What Are The Real Risks and Rewards of Semaglutide?

 

You can understand its mechanism of action as an "intelligent messenger".
It mimics a hormone in our body called glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1).
This' messenger 'mainly does three major things:

Sending a message to the pancreas: Let insulin (hypoglycemic) work more and let glucagon (hyperglycemic) work less, resulting in a stable decrease in blood sugar.
Sending a message to the brain: telling you 'you're full, don't eat' to suppress your appetite.
Send a message to the stomach: 'Work slowly!' to delay gastric emptying and make you feel fuller for a longer time after eating.
Therefore, it is a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist in essence. It was originally designed for type 2 diabetes. Later, it was found that its "satiety messenger" function had an amazing effect on weight loss, which led to a specific dose for weight loss.

The effect is clear, but don't expect it to be a 'magic capsule'.
For type 2 diabetes patients, it is a powerful tool for reducing blood sugar.
With the coordination of "controlling the mouth", the effect is very significant.
But if you think you can indulge in reckless eating and drinking after getting vaccinated, the effect will definitely be greatly reduced.
It's not liposuction, it helps you better control your mouth.

Mainly suitable for two types of people:
One is type 2 diabetes, which is used to control blood sugar.
Another type is;
Adults who are obese (BMI ≥ 30) or overweight (BMI ≥ 27) and have at least one weight related complication (such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, sleep apnea, etc.).
The most crucial point is that it must be evaluated by a doctor!
The doctor will review your physical examination report and medical history to determine if you are a suitable candidate.
This is not something you can decide to use casually.

Have And it's very common.
Mainly gastrointestinal reactions, as it slows down gastric peristalsis.
Common side effects: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, stomach pain.
Many people will have it at the beginning, but as their bodies gradually adapt, it will decrease.
Risks that users need to be aware of:
Pancreatitis: Although rare, it is a serious side effect.
If you experience persistent severe abdominal pain, you must immediately stop taking medication and seek medical attention.
Gallbladder problems: may increase the risk of gallstones.
Thyroid C-cell tumor: Animal experiments have shown a risk, although uncertain in humans, individuals or families with a history of medullary thyroid cancer are absolutely prohibited!
Hypoglycemia: especially when combined with other hypoglycemic drugs.
Renal function problems: especially may worsen when dehydrated.
If there are any of the above groups of people, it is recommended to prohibit taking it
Semaglutide

There are two common methods, one is injection and the other is tablet.
The specific choice should be set according to one's own situation.
Injections (the most common) are administered once a week subcutaneously (in the stomach, thighs, or arms).
Remember: Start from the minimum dose and gradually increase to help your body adapt and reduce side effects.
Oral tablets: Take on an empty stomach every morning and avoid eating or drinking for at least half an hour after consumption.

It is not a 'magic potion' that directly burns fat.
It works mainly through several ways:

Strong appetite suppression: This is the most crucial!
It makes your brain feel "full", less likely to go hungry, and greatly reduces your desire for food (especially high-fat and high sugar).
Those who have used it say, 'I really don't feel like eating that much anymore.'.
Delaying gastric emptying: allowing food to stay in the stomach for a longer period of time, resulting in a longer duration of satiety after consumption.
Optimize blood sugar control: For obese people with diabetes or insulin resistance, improving blood sugar itself will also help weight management.
Simply put, it can help you reduce your desire for food by "eating less". By taking it for a long time, you can sustainably reduce your desire for physical objects.
But remember one thing, that is: it does not replace exercise and healthy eating!
Only lifestyle intervention is the foundation of weight loss.

 

The word 'success rate' is a bit vague.
Let's look at the data:

According to clinical trial data, in strictly managed clinical trials, more than half of people can lose more than 15% of their body weight (such as 100kg or 15kg), and of course, there are also many who can lose more than 20% of their body weight.
Semaglutide is definitely a milestone in the history of drugs.
Of course, the effectiveness achieved in clinical trials still needs to be demonstrated in practice.
Real world data: The real world is much more complex!
The effect will be discounted.
The reasons include: many people are unable to adhere to the target dosage (with uncomfortable side effects), unable to persist in medication for a long time, insufficient lifestyle coordination, and less meticulous management by doctors.
Dropout rate: In clinical trials, there are also many people who withdraw midway (about 20-30%), mainly due to side effects.
In the real world, this proportion may be higher.
Individual differences are huge: some people have excellent results (losing 20-25% of body weight), some have average results (less than 5%), and some are ineffective.
Why is there such a big difference? Scientists are still studying it (possibly related to genes, gut microbiota, etc.).
So, the actual "success rate" in reality must vary from person to person, and it must also highly depend on: ① whether one can adhere to medication (achieve the target dose and maintain it for a long time), ② whether one can adhere to a healthy diet and exercise, ③ individual drug response.
Don't be fooled by the promotion of "easy weight loss", persistence is the hard truth, and persistence is the root of everything.

No one can give you a precise answer to this question!
Don't believe those online who say 'lose XX pounds in XX days'.
Why?

There are significant individual differences: different baseline weights (the larger the weight base, the faster the initial weight loss may occur), different drug reactions, and varying degrees of lifestyle changes.
Can the difficulty and time of reducing 20kg for a 100kg person and a 150kg person be the same?
Weight loss rate: A healthy weight loss rate is around 0.5-1kg per week (there are also those who lose quickly in the early stages).
Assuming you can lose an average of 0.75kg per week (which is already a good speed), it would take about 26 weeks (about six months) to lose 20kg.
This is still on the premise of good results and persistence.
Platform period: The weight loss process may have a platform period, and the weight may not move for several weeks, which is normal.
Target dose: To achieve maximum effect, it takes time (approximately 16-20 weeks) to gradually increase the dosage.
During the weight loss phase, the speed of weight loss may not be as fast.
Technician's suggestion: Don't focus on the absolute value of "20kg", pay attention to percentages (such as losing 10% -15% of initial weight) and physical improvements (smaller waist circumference, improved blood sugar and blood pressure).
Patience is key, haste leads to failure.

meeting! This is very important. Before taking medication, be sure to tell the doctor about all the drugs you are currently taking (including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, health supplements, and traditional Chinese medicine).

The main concern is that it may delay gastric emptying, which may affect the absorption rate and degree of oral medication.
Key focus:
Oral contraceptive pills: effectiveness may be discounted!
Doctors may recommend switching to other contraceptive methods (such as condoms) or taking medication at sufficient intervals (such as taking semaglutide tablets 4 hours after taking medication).
Anticoagulants such as warfarin may require closer monitoring of coagulation indicators (INR).
Some hypoglycemic drugs (especially sulfonylureas and insulin): combined use can increase the risk of hypoglycemia!
The doctor will adjust the dosage of these drugs.
Other medications that require specific absorption times.
Principle: Inform the doctor of all medications, adjust medication timing and monitoring according to medical advice.

Absolutely not!

Contraindication: Smeaglutide (and other GLP-1 receptor agonists) is definitely prohibited in patients with pancreatic cancer.
Risk association: Although there is no direct evidence to prove that it causes pancreatic cancer, such drugs may increase the risk of acute pancreatitis (especially in people with a history of pancreatitis).
Pancreatitis is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.
It has been reported (for example, there are cases in the SUSTAIN 6 trial) that pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer occur during the use of GLP-1 receptor agonist (although the causal relationship is uncertain).
Safety first: For patients with pancreatic cancer or people with high risk of pancreatic cancer, the risk of using smeglutide is far greater than the potential benefits, and must be avoided.

Potential risks exist and caution is needed:
Main concern: may increase the risk of acute pancreatitis.
Although the overall incidence rate is low (slightly higher than the placebo group in clinical trials), once it occurs, it is very severe (persistent severe abdominal pain).
High risk population should use with caution/prohibition: People with a history of pancreatitis have a higher risk and are generally not recommended for use.
Caution should also be exercised if there is a history of severe gastrointestinal diseases (which may affect the pancreas).
Monitoring: If persistent and severe abdominal pain occurs during medication, immediate medical examination of the pancreas is necessary.

 

 

Very, very likely! The effect of the medication will gradually fade away. Appetite will gradually return to normal, and those who stop taking semaglutide have an average weight rebound of about two-thirds (about 11.6 percentage points, from -17.3% at the time of discontinuation to -5.6%). Many people gradually regain or even exceed their starting weight.

Realistic challenge: This means that in order to achieve and maintain weight loss effects, long-term or even lifelong medication may be required (unless very strong and persistent lifestyle habits are developed during the medication period). The rebound after discontinuing medication is one of the biggest challenges in managing weight. The doctor will discuss with you the cessation strategy (such as slow reduction) and the maintenance plan after discontinuation (strongly relying on diet and exercise).

 

To summarize the core risk points mentioned earlier:

Gastrointestinal side effects: Almost everyone will experience them, with varying degrees of severity.

Risk of pancreatitis: rare but severe.

Gallbladder disease risk: such as gallstones.

Risk of thyroid C-cell tumors (specific population).

Low blood sugar risk (when combined with other hypoglycemic drugs).

Risk of renal function impact (especially when dehydrated).

Risk of weight rebound after discontinuation of medication: almost inevitable.

 

Finally, a few nagging sentences:

Simeglutide is a good medicine and a major advancement in medicine, but it is not a miracle drug. It provides you with a powerful 'tool', but whether you can use it well and maintain it in the long run depends on how you cooperate with a healthy lifestyle. As technicians at Xi'an Tihealth, we believe in one principle: respect science, trust data, approach things rationally, and prioritize safety. Don't blindly buy and use online, be sure to seek evaluation and guidance from a reputable doctor