Semaglutide is an incredibly effective new medication used for weight loss and appetite control. It is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, meaning it mimics the hormone GLP-1 which regulates blood sugar levels and digestion.
Unlike anything else available, semaglutide has shown remarkable results in clinical trials for both diabetes and obesity treatment. When used specifically for weight loss, studies have shown that people lost on average 15-18% of their body weight over the course of treatment with semaglutide!
So if you have struggled to lose weight with just diet and exercise alone, semaglutide could be a real game-changer for you. Keep reading to learn more about how it works and why it's so much more effective than traditional weight loss meds.
Semaglutide tackles weight loss in three key ways:
The number one challenge most people face when trying to lose weight is fighting off hunger and resisting tempting foods. Semaglutide is excellent for controlling appetite because it:
By curbing hunger and cravings, semaglutide simply makes it much easier to eat less without feeling deprived or dissatisfied. This removes a major hurdle to sustainable weight loss for most people.
Another way semaglutide aids weight loss is by slowing the speed at which food empties from your stomach into your intestines. This means you feel physically full for longer after eating a meal.
Your body also has more time to absorb nutrients from food and signal to your brain that you're no longer hungry. This effect further tampers down appetite and overeating urges.
In some cases, obesity and excess fat storage is linked to decreased insulin sensitivity - meaning your cells are less responsive to the hormone insulin. This can interfere with your body's ability to effectively use blood sugar for fuel.
Fortunately, semaglutide has been shown to significantly improve insulin sensitivity as you lose weight. This ensures your cells can better utilize glucose to power your daily activities - further promoting healthy fat burning!
Beyond dramatic weight loss, using semaglutide offers other advantages as well:
For people struggling to control blood sugar due to insulin resistance or diabetes, semaglutide can be a huge help. By improving insulin sensitivity and slowing digestion, it enables better blood sugar regulation.
Excess weight - especially around the midsection - raises your chances of developing heart disease. The incredible fat loss achieved with semaglutide drastically lowers this risk. Improved insulin sensitivity provides heart benefits as well.
Studies of people using semaglutide demonstrated significant reductions in "bad" LDL cholesterol. Levels of protective HDL cholesterol simultaneously increased. This adds up to major improvements in overall cholesterol profiles.
Fatty liver disease is becoming more widespread along with rising obesity levels. Semaglutide has been shown to substantially decrease fat buildup in the liver for people struggling with this condition.
As you can see, beyond just weight loss, semaglutide offers numerous benefits for optimal health and wellbeing. It is truly unique in its holistic effects on treating obesity.
Semaglutide is administered 1x per week by simple injection just under skin using an auto-injection pen device. Most people describe injections as mild and relatively painless.
Dosing starts lower and increases gradually over 4-16 weeks. This allows your body to adjust and helps minimize temporary GI side effects as the medication starts working.
Once at the full dose, treatment is continued for 6-12 months total depending on amount of weight loss desired. This enables most people to safely lose 10-25% of starting body weight. After stopping semaglutide, effects can last about 1 year or more if lifestyle changes are maintained.
Semaglutide is appropriate for patients with:
The medication should NOT be used by those who are:
In the right candidates, semaglutide offers profound, durable weight loss unmatched by other options. Make sure to consult a knowledgeable medical provider to see if it might be a helpful path for your wellness journey.
Here at Balance & Renew Clinic hormone clinic, we specialize in providing cutting edge medical therapies like semaglutide compounded to help patients achieve better health.
With over 10 years serving our community, our physicians and staff have unmatched expertise providing semaglutide specifically for fat loss and weight management.
We partner with an advanced compounding pharmacy to create customized semaglutide treatment plans meeting each patient's unique needs and goals. This ensures superior safety, effectiveness, and convenience.
Additionally, our wholistic care model addresses lifestyle factors - like nutrition, movement, stress, and sleep - that impact hormone balance and weight. We support patients not just through semaglutide treatment, but across their entire health journey for complete transformation.
At Balance & Renew Clinic, your satisfaction is our top priority. We invite you to schedule a consultation to learn more about whether semaglutide shots, combined with our personalized care packages, might be your key to finally overcoming stubborn excess weight.
Here is a 5-topic FAQ on Semaglutide Compounded with detailed answers in markdown format:
Semaglutide is an injectable prescription medication used to improve blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. The compounded version is made by a specialty pharmacy and can be customized to specific doses. It works by acting like a hormone called GLP-1 to stimulate the release of insulin when blood sugar levels are compounded can provide more flexibility in dosing compared to the commercially available Ozempic. It also may be covered under more health insurance plans. The compound pharmacy can formulate semaglutide into various doses and concentrations based on an individual's needs.
Research has shown that semaglutide is highly effective for managing type 2 diabetes. In clinical trials, 59-82% of people treated with semaglutide achieved an A1c level below 7% - the target for good diabetes control. People taking semaglutide also lost on average 4.3 to 13 lbs over the course of flexibility of compounded semaglutide allows fine-tuning of the dosage, making it potentially more effective than standardized doses. Working closely with a health provider enables customization of treatment to achieve glycemic targets. Overall evidence supports semaglutide as a highly efficacious medication for managing type 2 diabetes.
The most common side effects of semaglutide are gastrointestinal in nature. Up to 20% of people may experience temporary nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain or decreased appetite. These tend to be mild-to-moderate and resolve within days to weeks of continued but serious side effects include inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), diabetic retinopathy complications, kidney problems and hypersensitivity reactions. Alert your health provider if you develop severe abdominal pain, vomiting, dizziness, or swelling while taking this prescribed dosing schedules and titrating doses slowly under medical guidance can help minimize adverse effects. Staying well-hydrated and modifying diet around the timing of semaglutide doses may also prevent gastrointestinal issues.
The out-of-pocket cost for compounded semaglutide varies depending on your dose, quantity supplied, insurance coverage and the compounding pharmacy fees. Expect to pay $100-300 or more per month without commercial health plans do cover compounded medications, but this differs between policies. Verify your specific medical and prescription benefits to determine the exact copay or coinsurance you may owe for compounded semaglutide. Talk to your pharmacist about available discounts or copay assistance programs that could reduce your the long-term, optimized diabetes treatment with semaglutide may lower other health expenses related to uncontrolled blood sugars. Discuss the value of this investment in your health with your treatment team.
Semaglutide may be a good option if you have struggled to reach target A1c levels with other antidiabetic medications such as metformin or insulin. It could also benefit those experiencing side effects or weight gain on their current to your doctor about whether switching to or adding on semaglutide makes sense based on your medical history, lab results and lifestyle factors. They can submit a prescription specific to your needs to a compounding pharmacy, getting you started on more personalized diabetes blood work and side effects closely, adhering to compounding instructions, and reporting back on how you feel on semaglutide treatment will help determine if it is the right fit for your diabetes management.