- Microdosing of GLP-1 weight loss drugs is an increasingly popular trend.
- Anecdotal reports suggest that “Ozempic microdosing” may help you lose weight with fewer side effects.
- However, there is currently no evidence to support the claim that microdosing GLP-1 drugs helps with weight loss.
- Patients report microdosing GLP-1 for a variety of reasons, including cost, side effects, and maintenance of weight loss.
Microdosing is a trend that has grown in popularity in recent years. It usually involves taking small doses (“microdosing”) of psychedelic drugs to treat symptoms of depression or anxiety, or to improve concentration or creativity.
However, the basic idea at the heart of microdosing (that you can take a small amount of a drug and thereby gain health benefits while potentially reducing side effects) is that psychedelic drugs are then expanded beyond.
There is now interest in microdosing GLP-1 drugs, a blockbuster class of obesity and diabetes drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound.
anecdote report Some patients and doctors argue that microdosing GLP-1 is more cost-effective and may still provide health benefits, such as maintaining weight loss and controlling blood sugar levels. Masu.
However, these claims are not supported by scientific evidence or research at this time.
“It’s just a data-free zone.” Sarah R. Barenbaum, MD; An obesity expert and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Cornell University told Healthline.
“I don’t think it’s impossible, it’s just not studied,” she added.
Other doctors are more critical.
Dr. Caroline ApovianHe, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told Healthline that there is “absolutely no data” to support microdosing GLP-1.
There are also safety concerns.
Microdosing must be done using a compounded drug, which the patient must administer by precisely inhaling it themselves using a syringe and vial.
Apovian said there is a real possibility of overdose or contamination by patients attempting to self-administer complex GLP-1 at home.
“I don’t recommend it. There’s a lot that can go wrong,” she said.
Generally speaking, microdosing a GLP-1 drug means taking a smaller dose than prescribed. Therefore, microdosing varies depending on the patient and is subjective.
Dr. Taina Moore says in her blog:A naturopathic doctor who promotes a “unique method” of microdosing GLP-1 writes: You can enjoy its benefits while potentially minimizing side effects. ”
The first step, Moore said, is to consult a medical professional for guidance on the appropriate dosage.
Once the dose is set, you need to obtain the formulated GLP-1. Microdosing requires you to draw up and inject the medication yourself using a needle and vial, whereas name brand medications like Ozempic and Wegovy only come with pre-filled injection pens.
There are many reasons to try microdosing. These include:
- Medicine cost
- Access to medicines
- side effects
- want less weight loss
- Stigma against obesity drugs
- weight management
Although neither Apovian nor Barenbaum prescribes combination GLP-1 in their respective clinics, they acknowledge the continuing challenges associated with cost, insurance coverage, and access to GLP-1.
“Many insurance companies don’t cover anti-obesity drugs. That’s a big deal. They don’t have access to them,” Apovian said.
Dr. Barenbaum describes prescribing some GLP-1 off-label in his clinic. This may include lower-dose regimens, most often for reasons of cost and tolerability.
“These drugs are not covered by many insurance companies, and out-of-pocket costs can cost thousands of dollars a month. They’re very expensive. So what we can do is prescribe the highest dose of Ozempic Pen, and It’s about teaching people how to administer the doses,” she said.
Rather than self-administering the synthetic semaglutide, Barenbaum explains that he uses a well-known brand of Ozempic pen, which allows patients to manually switch doses.
Another prominent claim about microdosing these drugs is that they help reduce weight gain after a certain amount of weight loss is achieved.
However, Barenbaum objected to the proposal.
“If you plateau somewhere and then reduce your dose, you run the risk of increasing your appetite, increasing cravings, and gaining weight back,” she says.
Studies have shown that people who stop taking GLP-1 drugs tend to regain much of the weight they lost.
Assuming patients have a valid prescription and are working with a medical professional, microdosing GLP-1 drugs is inherently less dangerous than taking standard doses.
However, there are some very real risks to using combination drugs.
With the increase and availability of formulated GLP-1, the United States has seen a sharp increase in overdoses and calls to poison control centers. Unlike name-brand drugs, which are prescribed in pre-filled pens, combined versions require patients to measure and administer the drug themselves.
Therefore, in some cases, some people accidentally overdose. 10 times their prescribed doses.
“you can [also] Injecting a contaminated vial into the stomach can cause an infection. It should not be taken that way,” Apovian said.
But the biggest potential health concern of microdosing may also be the most obvious. It means that the patient is not taking enough of the medication to treat the condition for which it was prescribed. This means that patients should take the appropriate dose as prescribed by their doctor.
“Anecdotally, and in my clinical practice, it’s even rarer to see people having great long-term success with low doses,” Barenbaum said.
Anecdotal reports show that microdosing GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic can provide health benefits such as weight maintenance.
However, obesity experts dispute these claims. Currently, there is no clear data that microdosing GLP-1 weight loss drugs confers health benefits.
Individuals may try microdosing for a variety of reasons, including the cost of the drug or side effects.
Ozempic microdosing requires individuals to measure and self-administer the compounded drug, which can lead to overdose.
