For Meredith Schorr, a registered nurse working in the medical field during the coronavirus pandemic has taken an emotional and physical toll.
“I wasn’t thinking about how to incorporate vegetables and fruits into my diet, but I was thinking about how I could save this person’s life,” Scholl, 25, told Good Morning America. Told.
After gaining about 50 pounds (about 50 pounds), Schorr tried to change his diet and exercise routine to lose weight. He said he had met with a practitioner.
Schorr said her nurse practitioner recommended she try semaglutide, the active ingredient in medicines like Ozempic and Wegovy.
Semaglutide was originally approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but is now also approved for weight loss.
“My nurse practitioner made it clear to me that this drug should not be just a crutch to turn to to lose weight.” We need to improve our health and lifestyle, such as
Mounjaro and Ozempic are approved to treat type 2 diabetes, but some doctors prescribe them “off label” for weight loss. Wegovy is specifically approved for weight loss for obese and overweight people.
These drugs help people produce insulin and lower the amount of sugar in their blood. This is why it helps manage type 2 diabetes. They also work by slowing the movement of food through the stomach and suppressing appetite, thereby causing weight loss.
Schorr said he started weekly injections of semaglutide in February 2022.
Semaglutide is available under the brand names Ozempic or Wegovy, but some people have accessed the drug through pharmacies that use the raw materials to create their own version. That’s how Shawl said she got it.
There are risks associated with obtaining semaglutide that route. This is because semaglutide is subject to change and the drug’s source is often unclear.
Shortly after starting semaglutide, Schorr said she experienced side effects, including severe nausea and constipation, which are common side effects of the drug. However, she learned to manage her side effects and started losing her weight soon after starting her medication.
“Within about two weeks, I was already losing a few pounds,” Shore said. I did.”
Schorr says she lost 50 pounds in 11 months. However, she decided to stop taking her medication in January in preparation for trying to conceive her.
The class of medicines containing semaglutide is not recommended for women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.of says the Food and Drug Administration Safety profiles of drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy point out that they should not be taken during pregnancy and note that there are “insufficient data” available.
MORE: What you need to know about ‘Ozempic face’ because some users claim common diabetes drugs used for weight loss make them look thinner
When Schorr stopped taking semaglutide, she said she began noticing the weight coming back, but called the weight gain a “wake-up call.”
“I never thought I would be so hungry five to six weeks after stopping,” Scholl says. “I gained about 10 pounds at first, but it gave me a wake-up call like I needed to make healthy lifestyle habits and all those changes.
“I kind of pulled myself together and made sure I was making healthy choices,” she said, explaining how she’s been staying healthy since taking semaglutide.
Despite experiencing weight gain, Schorr said semaglutide changed her life and is sharing her story to remove the drug’s stigma.
Drugs containing semaglutide have become more popular in recent months, in part due to reported celebrity use.
“Semaglutide is the one that I am confident will put my life back on track,” said Schorr. “I’m in a completely different place.”
What You Need to Know About Weight Gain and Semaglutide
Medical experts say it’s important to remember that semaglutide is part of a comprehensive approach to health that includes a healthy diet and exercise.
Dr. Louis AronneThe director of the Center for Comprehensive Weight Management at Weill Cornell Medicine told “GMA” that rebound weight gain may be common after stopping semaglutide because semaglutide stops working in the body.
“Obesity is a chronic disease, just like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol,” Aronne said. “If you don’t take your medication regularly, it becomes less effective.”
MORE: WW Enters Obesity Drug Market As Ozempic Gains Popularity
Darien Sutton, M.D., medical contributor for ABC News and board-certified emergency medicine physician, said that when prescribing semaglutide, providers have a variety of options to help prevent the weight gain seen in some patients. said it may consider.
“The drug resulted in a significant amount of weight loss, but when it was stopped, patients reported regaining up to two-thirds of that weight,” Sutton said, citing a published study. “We asked the question: Should the dose be changed, should it be tapered, or should it be taken indefinitely to achieve its effect? To do.”
Sutton also said that people taking and not taking semaglutide should maintain good health habits, including diet, exercise, daily exercise, and quality sleep.
Sutton said the success many have seen using semaglutide is also an important reminder that obesity is a chronic medical condition.
In the United States, obesity is a condition that affects nearly 42% of the population and is associated with over $170 billion in healthcare costs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 90% of the more than 37 million Americans with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, an obesity-related condition. According to the CDC.
“It brings a greater understanding of obesity as a condition rather than as an individual or moral failure,” he said. [people] Despite doing all this, it can be difficult to lose weight. In such cases, it is recommended that you consult with your provider to consider various medications and interventions that may help.
