RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Medical weight loss injections are becoming more readily available. Medications are available through doctors, medical spas, and even online. However, you should do your research before purchasing medical weight loss injections.
Raleigh business owner Nina Hazelwood was struggling with her weight and after trying every diet there was to try, she decided to try medical weight loss drugs.
“I’ve literally tried everything: vitamins, gummy shakes, you name it. You’ll lose a little bit of weight, but then when you go back to eating normally, you’ll just gain more,” she said.
Hazelwood weighed 230 pounds at his heaviest. She said she felt so miserable that she went to the doctor and had a full blood test and lab tests done, but the results showed no health effects that would prevent her from losing weight.
“When I told him about the drug, he said, ‘I’ve heard some incredible things. Let’s try it.'”
Hazelwood literally tried weekly medical weight loss injections.
“I actually did Munjaro for a month and it cost me $1,100 because my insurance wouldn’t cover it. It wasn’t an amount I could afford financially. I did it once, but it didn’t work. We switched to the compound tirzepatide, which is the ingredient in Munjaro.”
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Combination injectables are much cheaper than FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs. The FDA has placed the drug on a national shortage list and allowed certain pharmacies to manufacture so-called combination versions.
Hazelwood visited an online weight loss clinic to obtain a prescription version of Tilzpatide.
“I was a little nauseous, but the doctor was really great guiding me through the process and answering all my questions.”
Hazelwood said it was all done virtually and was so successful that her husband Derek also joined the program.
“It really took a month to really start working,” Derek said. He also felt comfortable using the online weight loss clinic. “First of all, I do a lot of research, so I felt very confident that I was able to ask the doctors the questions that I thought were necessary, as well as the pharmacies where the drug was distributed and the legitimacy of the drug.” I had it.”
He did all of his doctor visits virtually.
Derek not only lost weight, he changed his entire lifestyle.
“I thought, ‘Okay, if I’m paying for this drug, why am I eating this? Why am I eating this ice cream?’ So that really changed my mindset. It really changed my desires and what I wanted.”
Derek lost 65 pounds with medical weight loss injections. His wife Nina also lost 78 pounds.
The couple said losing weight allowed them to return to the gym. Derek, a firefighter, said he was able to complete the 9/11 Stairs Challenge for the first time.
“I’ve never felt so good,” Derek said.
Medical weight loss drug testing
As medical weight loss injections grow in popularity and availability, ABC News purchased semaglutide and tirzepatide from three different websites. The team purchased a total of 11 samples without providing the prescription ABC News had or speaking with a medical professional.
The order was completed within minutes.
ABC News sent 11 samples to be tested in a lab to determine how much of each active ingredient they contain.
Laboratory test results showed that six of the products contained 90-110% of the listed active ingredients. The institute says this range is accepted as an industry standard.
One sample did not contain any of the active ingredients listed on the label.
Medication at one facility was very inconsistent. Two of the vials contained less than 90% of the listed active ingredient. The other two have more than 250% of their stated potency; Excessive intake can cause symptoms such as fainting, nausea, and pancreatitis.
ABC News shared the results with all three companies, but one declined to comment and the other two have not responded.
“Unfortunately, it’s not at all uncommon for drugs advertised on the Internet to differ in their actual efficacy,” says weight loss doctor Charlie Seltzer.
Mr Seltzer said he was concerned about how easy it is for people to receive medical weight loss injections right now.
“These are powerful drugs, and now consumers can buy them on the Internet without a prescription and without supervision, even if it’s not the right drug for them. That’s crazy,” Seltzer said.
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Concerns surrounding weight loss drugs
Ron Gill lives in the Triangle and understands those concerns. When his doctor prescribed it, he said he expected his insurance to cover the more than $1,000 monthly price.
“My health insurance won’t cover Ozempic or anything.”
After being denied, he went online and found a subscription-based weight loss program.
“I did some research and looked at the reviews, and I didn’t see a single person having a problem. I looked at a few different plans and looked at what they were and how much they cost. “This seemed like the most reasonable thing to do without having to pay all these additional costs,” Gill said.
After a virtual consultation, Gill received a one-month supply of semaglutide in the mail.
“You’ll get a one-month prescription and then if things go well, you’ll be prescribed three months at a time.”
Gill lost 10 pounds in the first month, and her next three months’ supply just arrived in the mail.
“Now I can eat and feel full and stop eating when I couldn’t before. I don’t crave candy or other snacks at work like I used to. “My goal is to lose 60 pounds,” Gill said.
Doctors say that no matter who you get weight loss injections from, there may be better options when it comes to weight loss, so research them and talk to your doctor or health care professional to find out if injections are right for you. He said it was important to do so. .
ABC News looked into the safety of weight loss drug combinations in a study called. Shot in the Dark: The Weight Loss Injection War.
ABC News also looked at what closing the semaglutide and tirzepatide shortages means for people dependent on the combination drug. If the shortage is resolved, the FDA could ban certain pharmacies from compounding the active ingredient.
This is a big problem for those taking the combined version. Because if you succeed and then it’s over, you worry about what that means for your weight loss journey.
Mr Gill said he would be one of those affected.
“I hope they don’t do that. I’m paying $1,200 a month for Ozempic, so I wouldn’t be able to do that.”
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