The headlines say it all…… Weight loss galore with a once weekly injection. But what is the truth, what are the risks and how do you get a prescription?
There are a variety of weight loss injections available including Wegovy (semaglutide), Saxenda (liraglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide). These medications work by acting on areas of your brain that regulate your appetite, but they also promote the release of insulin to lower blood sugar levels.
Do they really work?
Studies have shown that these once weekly injections can help reduce weight loss of between 15 and 21% over several months to just over a year of use. However, weight gain after stopping these medications is very common and so they should not be used in isolation.
What do we mean by that? Whilst the medications can be effective, you must use them in conjunction with lifestyle changes. If not, you run the risk of putting the weight back on. However, if you end up eating healthier foods, stopping snacks and exercising more, then the weight loss is more likely to remain. So yes, they can work but you may be disappointed when you stop them if the weight goes back on.
What are the side effects?
Side-effects are similar between the existing medications and are usually gastrointestinal related and include nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, indigestion and abdominal pain.
Some people cannot tolerate these and do have to stop although the manufacturers claim that these levels are low.
What are the risks?
As with any medications, risks are always apparent and in addition, newer drugs have the additional risk of unknown risks which may not become evident for many years.
Some of the more serious risk include;
- Pancreatitis – a serious condition requiring hospitalisation due to inflammation of the pancreas
- Hypoglycaemia – low blood sugar which can lead to unconsciousness
- Delayed gastric emptying – may lead to oral medications being less effective
Why should I take multivitamins?
Many people significantly reduce food intake due to nausea and appetite loss so there are serious concerns that overall nutrition will worsen. Given UK nutrition is declining anyway in the UK, using these injections will likely exacerbate and worsen existing nutritional deficiencies so a high-quality multivitamin must be considered, like Dr Marks for him or her or over 50’s range.
How do I get the injections?
Your GP cannot currently prescribe these injections for weight loss, only for diabetes. If you have diabetes, you may be able to get them depending on your individual circumstances and certain criteria.
The injections are available on the NHS and you need to be referred to a weight loss clinic. Delays can be long due to high numbers of being referred.
To qualify for getting the injections on the NHS you need to have a body mass index of at least 35 and at least one of the following health conditions – pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease.
If you do not meet the criteria, you can get injection from online pharmacies. However, only buy from trusted pharmacies and never buy over social media. There have been several cases of harm following online purchase where the medication has been replaced with water or in some cases insulin which can cause death so be very careful.
Recent reports have suggested that the NHS may provide these via pharmacies for the cost of a prescription, but no formal details are available and it is unclear if this will happen.
Dr Mark Wilshere and Dr Marc Crutchley
