Do we know what kind of weight loss ? i.e. muscle vs fat ? Is it injected because an oral version would be even crappier ? Looking forward to Pt 2, I've heard there is something called 'ozempic face' which perhaps implies muscle loss. I just took a look on reddit re. Ozempic, it's very topical.
I don’t know what this is but I was telling my husband about the face of my staff member who is on this drug. It is what triggered me to know she had started on something because she is a STUNNINGLY beautiful woman and now she does not look like herself.
A very insightful question. I've read that quite a lot of the demand for GLP-1 agonists is being driven by women who "just want to lose the last 10 pounds" or "wanted to lose a few kg for their wedding". It's unbelievably sad to think that some women will sacrifice their health in order to conform to a stereotype of how the "ideal" female figure should appear - a stereotype that has changed quite dramatically from one era to the next.
Excellent observation and since I know her well, it breaks my heart to know the inner hurt she is feeling and how she is using this as a cover/coping mechanism. I would imagine that she is not the only woman doing so :(
Stay tuned for Part 3, because I'll definitely be addressing this question of what exactly constitutes the weight lost on GLP-1 agonists.
There have been trials of oral GLP-1 agonists that show similar results to injected e.g. see https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6969659/#:~:text=Oral%20semaglutide%20(Rybelsus)%20is%20the,management%20of%20type%202%20diabetes. The main issue seems to be that it has to be taken on an empty stomach ("at least 30 min before the first food, beverage, or other oral medications of the day and that it be taken with no more than 4 oz plain water only") and "These instructions may prove difficult for some patients, particularly if they are taking other oral medications that are recommended to be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, such as levothyroxine or bisphosphonates."
Thank you for this fantastic overview, Robyn; looking forward to parts two and three.
While not the main point of the article, thank you for pointing out the utter ridiculousness of the TGA (again!) regarding their claims about being unable to dictate the prescribing habits of doctors in this case when they did this egregiously with ivermectin during covid. I was recently researching semaglutide on behalf of a loved one with T2DM whose doctor had suggested commencing the drug, and I was staggered to see this completely contradictory claim. To be clear, I'm not advocating for this type of control of off-label prescribing, just enraged by the blatant lie the TGA is telling here.
My blood boiled when I read the TGA's statement, bleating that they couldn't possibly address the Ozempic supply shortage by reining in off-label prescribing (again, just like you, I don't believe they should have that power). I wonder whether the flunky who wrote that statement thought for one nanosecond about what was done to doctors who wanted to prescribe HCQ and IVM for COVID. Or have they just been sniffing their own farts for so long, that they genuinely don't see the contradiction?
Thank you, thank you for taking the time to research and write this article. I have a staff member who I am trying to wake up to the Pharma control of medicine. Unfortunately she is not listening and started on these drugs last year. I have so many patients taking them as well and the weight loss they have experienced has blinded them to any possibility that there could be long term side effects from signing up to be part of this experiment.
Good stuff, Robyn. I like that you gave “mechanism of action.” But, it raises a couple of questions; why is it called glucagon-like peptide? The hormone glucagon works in opposition to insulin, yet GLP1 increases insulin. And then what is the mechanism of action of insulin going up, yet the result is weight loss, not fat storage? Can’t wait for parts 2&3.
The relationship with glucagon is indeed fascinating. The history of the discovery of insulin, glucagon and incretins (including GLP-1) is recapped in this article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6812410/, which I drew from extensively in writing this post. Glucagon opposes some of the actions of insulin by stimulating glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, but paradoxically, it also stimulates insulin secretion.
A T2D friend of mine, much like your cousin, was on Ozempic. Luckily, she had a (relatively mild compared to some of the side effects) reaction to Ozempic, so she discontinued it after only taking it a short period of time. Given all the information coming out about this class of meds, she dodged a bullet but she's not happy about it.
I'm relieved that she stopped taking it, but also really sad that she apparently wishes she could be back on it. It sounds like she doesn't believe that she has any other good options for dealing with her diabetes. And yet there's an extensive literature going back at least a century, showing that type 2 diabetes can be reversed with diet and lifestyle change.
Yes, it is sad. She's seen me reverse my T2D without meds, but somehow just doesn't have any faith in her ability to do likewise. She's back to controlling her blood sugar levels with Gliclazide and Jardiance, but that unfortunately hasn't led to weight loss.
No big surprise she hasn't been able to lose weight on glipizide - it belongs to the sulphonylurea class, and these drugs are well known to cause weight gain.
How about this plan? Burn more calories than you consume. Get off your backsides and do SERIOUS training. Stop staring at moronic content on your phone and posting garbage searching for affirmation! Pathetic. Searching for the approval of people you don’t know, never will know and are probably doing the same thing you are. Maybe it’s that birds if a feather thing? People are lazy! Take a pill and let magic happen? Not to mention how brilliant a decision you’re making by ingesting DRUGS from the same companies that have been trying to kill you for decades! Great choice! 😉🤨
Do we know what kind of weight loss ? i.e. muscle vs fat ? Is it injected because an oral version would be even crappier ? Looking forward to Pt 2, I've heard there is something called 'ozempic face' which perhaps implies muscle loss. I just took a look on reddit re. Ozempic, it's very topical.
I don’t know what this is but I was telling my husband about the face of my staff member who is on this drug. It is what triggered me to know she had started on something because she is a STUNNINGLY beautiful woman and now she does not look like herself.
Why a stunningly beautiful woman would feel the need to take it is a question in its own right
A very insightful question. I've read that quite a lot of the demand for GLP-1 agonists is being driven by women who "just want to lose the last 10 pounds" or "wanted to lose a few kg for their wedding". It's unbelievably sad to think that some women will sacrifice their health in order to conform to a stereotype of how the "ideal" female figure should appear - a stereotype that has changed quite dramatically from one era to the next.
Excellent observation and since I know her well, it breaks my heart to know the inner hurt she is feeling and how she is using this as a cover/coping mechanism. I would imagine that she is not the only woman doing so :(
Stay tuned for Part 3, because I'll definitely be addressing this question of what exactly constitutes the weight lost on GLP-1 agonists.
There have been trials of oral GLP-1 agonists that show similar results to injected e.g. see https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6969659/#:~:text=Oral%20semaglutide%20(Rybelsus)%20is%20the,management%20of%20type%202%20diabetes. The main issue seems to be that it has to be taken on an empty stomach ("at least 30 min before the first food, beverage, or other oral medications of the day and that it be taken with no more than 4 oz plain water only") and "These instructions may prove difficult for some patients, particularly if they are taking other oral medications that are recommended to be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, such as levothyroxine or bisphosphonates."
Thank you for this fantastic overview, Robyn; looking forward to parts two and three.
While not the main point of the article, thank you for pointing out the utter ridiculousness of the TGA (again!) regarding their claims about being unable to dictate the prescribing habits of doctors in this case when they did this egregiously with ivermectin during covid. I was recently researching semaglutide on behalf of a loved one with T2DM whose doctor had suggested commencing the drug, and I was staggered to see this completely contradictory claim. To be clear, I'm not advocating for this type of control of off-label prescribing, just enraged by the blatant lie the TGA is telling here.
My blood boiled when I read the TGA's statement, bleating that they couldn't possibly address the Ozempic supply shortage by reining in off-label prescribing (again, just like you, I don't believe they should have that power). I wonder whether the flunky who wrote that statement thought for one nanosecond about what was done to doctors who wanted to prescribe HCQ and IVM for COVID. Or have they just been sniffing their own farts for so long, that they genuinely don't see the contradiction?
Hahahahaha! That's one explanation! I honestly don't know if it's ignorance or audacity.
Thank you, thank you for taking the time to research and write this article. I have a staff member who I am trying to wake up to the Pharma control of medicine. Unfortunately she is not listening and started on these drugs last year. I have so many patients taking them as well and the weight loss they have experienced has blinded them to any possibility that there could be long term side effects from signing up to be part of this experiment.
I honestly cannot get my head around the fact that so many people are OK with letting their bodies be used as a science experiment.
Ozempic Semaglutide has claimed 9 Deaths from 293 Adverse Events reported to the TGA DAEN to 30 November 2023.
https://geoffpain.substack.com/p/ozempic-semaglutide-deaths-endotoxin
Absolutely horrifying!
Good stuff, Robyn. I like that you gave “mechanism of action.” But, it raises a couple of questions; why is it called glucagon-like peptide? The hormone glucagon works in opposition to insulin, yet GLP1 increases insulin. And then what is the mechanism of action of insulin going up, yet the result is weight loss, not fat storage? Can’t wait for parts 2&3.
The relationship with glucagon is indeed fascinating. The history of the discovery of insulin, glucagon and incretins (including GLP-1) is recapped in this article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6812410/, which I drew from extensively in writing this post. Glucagon opposes some of the actions of insulin by stimulating glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, but paradoxically, it also stimulates insulin secretion.
A T2D friend of mine, much like your cousin, was on Ozempic. Luckily, she had a (relatively mild compared to some of the side effects) reaction to Ozempic, so she discontinued it after only taking it a short period of time. Given all the information coming out about this class of meds, she dodged a bullet but she's not happy about it.
I'm relieved that she stopped taking it, but also really sad that she apparently wishes she could be back on it. It sounds like she doesn't believe that she has any other good options for dealing with her diabetes. And yet there's an extensive literature going back at least a century, showing that type 2 diabetes can be reversed with diet and lifestyle change.
Yes, it is sad. She's seen me reverse my T2D without meds, but somehow just doesn't have any faith in her ability to do likewise. She's back to controlling her blood sugar levels with Gliclazide and Jardiance, but that unfortunately hasn't led to weight loss.
No big surprise she hasn't been able to lose weight on glipizide - it belongs to the sulphonylurea class, and these drugs are well known to cause weight gain.
How about this plan? Burn more calories than you consume. Get off your backsides and do SERIOUS training. Stop staring at moronic content on your phone and posting garbage searching for affirmation! Pathetic. Searching for the approval of people you don’t know, never will know and are probably doing the same thing you are. Maybe it’s that birds if a feather thing? People are lazy! Take a pill and let magic happen? Not to mention how brilliant a decision you’re making by ingesting DRUGS from the same companies that have been trying to kill you for decades! Great choice! 😉🤨