Semaglutide: Advantages, Aspect Results, Earlier than and After Footage

Disclaimer: The next article is for instructional functions solely and doesn’t encourage using semaglutide with out the supervision of a doctor. When you’ve got any questions or considerations, Dr. Touliatos is presently out there for session.

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What’s Semaglutide?

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist that has been permitted by the US Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) for the therapy of weight problems and sort 2 diabetes. The model names for semaglutide are:

What Are the Advantages of Semaglutide?

• Weight reduction
• Blood sugar management
• Anti-inflammatory
• Cardioprotective
• Nephroprotective

Weight Loss

Semaglutide induces lipolysis by decreasing blood sugar ranges and thus enhancing fatty acid oxidation. This shifts the physique from burning glucose as a essential vitality supply to adipose tissue, in any other case often known as fats shops.

Semaglutide will increase satiety and thus acts as an urge for food suppressant. This impact happens attributable to semaglutide delaying the method of gastric emptying, slowing the discharge of meals into the gut. Consequently, semaglutide customers could also be extra inclined to stick to a calorie-deficit weight-reduction plan.

Can Semaglutide Trigger Muscle Loss?

• Analysis has proven that those that undertake a big calorie deficit are extra inclined to muscle atrophy together with fats loss (1, 2).
• In distinction, people who eat in a smaller calorie deficit usually expertise much less muscle loss. This dynamic might clarify why a examine discovered that as much as 40% of complete weight reduction from semaglutide was attributed to lean mass (3), whereas different customers didn’t expertise any notable muscle tissue loss.
• Thus, it seems that semaglutide doesn’t straight trigger muscle losing, nevertheless it stays a possible aspect impact not directly attributable to semaglutide’s potent appetite-suppressant attributes.

We’ve had bodybuilders at our clinic make the most of semaglutide successfully to cut back their physique fats share whereas retaining muscle hypertrophy. Nonetheless, such sufferers reported being vigilant in avoiding their energy dropping excessively low to keep away from muscle loss.

How A lot Weight Loss Can Customers Expertise From Semaglutide?

The quantity of weight reduction attributable to semaglutide in a examine on people who skilled post-bariatric therapy failure will be considered beneath (4). On this examine, previous to taking semaglutide, overweight women and men underwent bariatric surgical procedure and both did not lose sufficient weight or gained it again after the process, often known as weight recidivism.

That is how a lot weight they misplaced following 12 months of semaglutide therapy:

• >5% in 90% of sufferers
• >10% in 62% of sufferers
• >15% in 35% of sufferers
• >20% in 24% of sufferers
• >25% in 17% of sufferers

In our expertise, the entire weight reduction vary of semaglutide, primarily based on our sufferers outcomes, will be considered beneath:

Are Weight Loss Outcomes From Semaglutide Sustainable?

An extended-term knowledge examine discovered that semaglutide customers on common misplaced 10% of their complete weight and maintained these outcomes for 4 years (5).

In our expertise, the vast majority of our sufferers keep their weight reduction outcomes a number of months or years following semaglutide discontinuation. Nonetheless, a couple of of our sufferers have regained the load they initially misplaced.

We’ve discovered that really fizzling out semaglutide by progressively reducing the dosage will be efficacious in decreasing giant spikes in urge for food following cycle cessation, growing the chance of long-term outcomes.

Blood Sugar Management

• Medical trials have proven that semaglutide works as an antihyperglycemic and may considerably scale back blood sugar ranges, because it stimulates the pancreas to secrete extra insulin.
• A examine discovered that glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ranges decreased by 2.8% following a semaglutide dosage of 1 mg/week (6).

We just lately handled a bodybuilder with diabetes mellitus, efficiently decreasing his HbA1c ranges with semaglutide to a clinically regular vary, reducing from 6.5% to five.3%.

Analysis has proven that the chance of semaglutide inflicting hypoglycemia could also be low attributable to its insulinogenic results being glucose-dependent. Subsequently, this reductive impact is much less prone to happen when blood sugar ranges are steady, often known as normoglycemia (7).

Anti-Inflammatory

• Semaglutide has been discovered to cut back irritation in animal analysis by reducing the degrees of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) cytokines (8).
• This impact is attributable to semaglutide reprogramming immune cells and macrophages by way of the GLP-1R/PPARG/ACSL1 pathway, additionally inflicting anticancerous results in rodents (9).

We’ve noticed important reductions in C-reactive protein (CRP) ranges of sufferers administering semaglutide, probably benefiting people with autoimmune illness.

Cardioprotective

A examine discovered that semaglutide lowered the chance of cardiovascular-related dying by 29% (10).

Japanese analysis additionally discovered semaglutide to considerably lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels of cholesterol, reducing the chance of dyslipidemia in kind 2 diabetes sufferers (11).

A number of of our sufferers have utilized semaglutide together with SARMs or anabolic steroids and consequently have improved their diastolic and systolic blood strain readings, decreasing the chance of hypertension.

There are a number of mechanisms by which semaglutide can scale back blood strain, together with:

• Lowered physique fats
• Improved insulin sensitivity
• The excretion of sodium in urine, often known as natriuresis
• Vasodilation

Nephroprotective

• Medical research point out that semaglutide might have renal protecting results, with persistent kidney illness sufferers experiencing considerably improved outcomes following a dosage of 1 mg/week.
• After a 3-year follow-up, their urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratios and estimated glomerular filtration charges remained improved, contributing to a 20% decrease threat of dying (12).

Is Semaglutide Secure?

A PubMed examine involving 3,962 obese people receiving 2.4 mg/week concluded that semaglutide gave the impression to be “protected” and “well-tolerated.” (13). Nonetheless, gastrointestinal-related unintended effects had been reported in a number of customers. The researchers acknowledged that these adversarial reactions had been “transient” and “gentle to reasonable in nature.”

Regardless of semaglutide being FDA permitted, the federal company has warned the general public of non-prescription purchases of this drug attributable to potential counterfeiting.

Dr. James Stirrett, a specialist in regenerative drugs, warns that how semaglutide is run can dictate its security. Dr. Stirrett states that if a supplier administers giant dosages of semaglutide and solely supplies annual well being checkups, this might result in points.

Dr. Stirrett provides that when semaglutide is utilized diligently, it may be an efficacious instrument for growing a affected person’s motivation.

Semaglutide Contraindications

Dr. Stirrett says {that a} questionnaire is essential to grasp a affected person’s medical historical past and current well being, as semaglutide could also be a high-risk remedy for these with medullary thyroid carcinoma and a number of endocrine neoplasia syndrome.

What Are the Aspect Results of Semaglutide?

The Nationwide Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Illnesses states that semaglutide is usually “nicely tolerated”; nonetheless, adversarial results will be extra prevalent at larger doses.

The next unintended effects are potential from semaglutide, primarily based on knowledge from ten randomized managed trials involving 14,550 individuals, together with a number of further research (14):

• Nausea or vomiting
• Fetus issues
• Belly cramping or ache
• Hyposalivation
• Diarrhea
• Hair loss
• Complications
• Constipation

Thus, the vast majority of semaglutide unintended effects look like gastrointestinal-related. Gastrointestinal disturbances could also be attributed to semaglutide delaying gastric emptying, together with affecting gastric inhibitory polypeptide ranges.

Vomiting

In a single PubMed report, a feminine was identified with hyperemesis gravidarum, experiencing a number of days of extreme vomiting and stomach cramping (15). The consumer administered 2 mg of semaglutide on the day of her signs transpiring. Such unintended effects resolved after 6 days of semaglutide discontinuation. The chance of gastrointestinal unintended effects might enhance in pregnant females. Consequently, the FDA warns in opposition to such use throughout being pregnant.

Fetus Issues

Animal research have additionally proven that GLP-1 agonists can negatively affect fetal weight (16); nonetheless, current human analysis concerning semaglutide’s full results on fetuses is restricted.

Belly Cramping or Ache

Semaglutide use has been related to stomach ache and dyspepsia in analysis, with a report of a 61-year-old male being identified with gastric pneumatosis following a dosage of 4 mg/week (17).

• A 53-year-old feminine was additionally identified with gastroparesis following semaglutide use, with signs considerably bettering one month after complement cessation (18). She obtained a dosage of 0.5 mg/week of semaglutide for 4 months, leading to weight lack of 40 kilos.
• Chaudhry et al. famous that though gastrointestinal points have been associated to GLP-1 antagonist use, they contemplate a prognosis of gastroparesis to be “uncommon.”

Hyposalivation

Analysis has discovered that semaglutide could cause secondary xerostomia, in any other case often known as dry mouth (19). Thus, it seems that the peptide can have an effect on the salivary glands. There have additionally been situations of semaglutide inflicting non permanent dysgeusia in a 2025 examine, and thus it has the potential to have an effect on style (20).

Diarrhea

One examine discovered 29.7% of semaglutide customers expertise diarrhea following dosages of two.4 mg/week (21). This knowledge is predicated on 803 individuals using semaglutide for 68 weeks. In our expertise, diarrhea is a much less frequent aspect impact when administering decrease dosages and shorter cycles.

Hair Loss

Semaglutide has been related to alopecia in medical analysis, following knowledge collected by the FDA’s adversarial occasion reporting system (22). Important weight reduction could cause hormonal fluctuations, inducing telogen effluvium; therefore, that is probably the mechanism inflicting some customers to expertise hair loss on semaglutide.

Complications

Akhil Shenoy, M.D., states that 15% of Ozempic customers expertise complications primarily based on current research (23). Dr. Shenoy provides that sulfonylureas stimulating insulin secretion is prone to be the mechanism inflicting this aspect impact in some people.

Extra analysis has additionally proven that GLP-1 agonists could cause hemiplegic migraines (24).

• William P. Shutze, M.D., a specialised vascular surgeon, states that ibuprofen can relieve headache signs from semaglutide. Nonetheless, he advises that people inform their doctor previous to taking the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug to keep away from any potential contraindications.
• Dr. Patricia Weiser, a licensed pharmacist, says that staying hydrated might resolve headache signs. She additionally states that complications occurring in over 15% of customers in New England Journal of Drugs analysis had been solely slightly extra frequent in comparison with the placebo group (12%).

Constipation

In a randomized managed trial, individuals had been over two instances extra prone to expertise constipation in comparison with the placebo group. Constipation affected 24% of customers from a 2.4 mg/week dosage (21).

Semaglutide Earlier than and After Footage

This male Reddit consumer misplaced roughly 100 kilos after taking semaglutide for 9 months.

• The consumer acknowledged that shedding the primary 60 kilos was “straightforward,” whereas the final 40 kilos had been notably harder.
• The consumer began at a dosage of 0.5 mg/week, growing it progressively till reaching a most dose of two.5 mg, which they sustained for the final 6 months of their cycle.

In our expertise, these outcomes will be thought of above common, which can be attributed to the consumer’s diligent weight-reduction plan to lose the final 40 kilos, the place they report eliminating sugar and cheese from their weight-reduction plan.

When it comes to unintended effects, the consumer skilled gentle nausea following a number of injections, which was exacerbated if consuming a big meal close to the injection time.

Semaglutide Outcomes After 10 Months

This feminine Reddit consumer misplaced 63 kilos following 10 months of semaglutide use. They report combining semaglutide injections with a constant calorie deficit and common train to maximise fats loss. Thus, related outcomes are unlikely to be attained with a sedentary way of life and extra calorie consumption.

One Month Earlier than and After Photographs

This feminine Reddit consumer misplaced 10 kilos after 1 month of semaglutide injections. The consumer’s dosage throughout this transformation was 0.25 mg/week, which they plan on growing for extra outcomes.

Semaglutide Dosage

In our expertise, healthcare suppliers generally begin sufferers on a dosage of 0.25 mg/week, growing as crucial primarily based on how the consumer responds to the peptide.

The utmost dosage of semaglutide is 2.4 mg/week; nonetheless, analysis signifies that gastrointestinal points could also be extra frequent at larger dosages (25).

Based mostly on the earlier than and after footage beforehand illustrated on this article, important weight reduction could also be skilled even on decrease semaglutide dosages if utilized together with a caloric-deficit weight-reduction plan.

In a single examine, customers misplaced 29.45% extra weight following a 1 mg/week dosage in comparison with 0.5 mg/week (26). Thus, there may be proof that larger dosages could also be extra efficacious for inducing lipolysis.

Semaglutide Opinions

This journey has helped me a lot. I began Wegovy in November, and I’ve misplaced over 40 lbs. At this time, I’m lastly underneath 300 lbs. I haven’t seen these numbers in additional than 10 years. Sure, I’ve a number of the unintended effects, however I’m managing. I’ve discovered what a correct portion dimension is. I’ve discovered the worth of protein. I’m lastly snug sufficient to go to the fitness center, and I’m truly having fun with it!

Excellent news: my A1C outcomes at the moment are underneath management for pre-diabetes!

I took my first 0.25 mg shot 7 weeks in the past, and I’ve misplaced 18 kilos since. I’m fairly proud of the outcomes; it may go quicker, nevertheless it’s okay. I’ve had no main unintended effects, however generally unhealthy breath. I rely energy each day; I keep between 1200 and 1400, and I train each different day on the treadmill for quarter-hour. Then I elevate 3 lb weights for 10 minutes to tone my arms, and I’m making an attempt to drink 100 oz of water a day. I simply thought I’d share. Good luck to you all.

1 mg/week felt unhealthy at first. I by no means had any unintended effects till then. I imply it subsided after a couple of weeks, however I had excessive heartburn, nausea, and complications. I’d randomly really feel like I used to be going to be sick. I solely was as soon as, although. However it’s additionally the primary dose that labored for me. I’d assume it will be worse if I didn’t initially begin on decrease dosages. Personally, I wouldn’t begin on something over 0.50 mg/week as a newbie. It’s simply my opinion; everyone seems to be completely different.

I simply elevated my dose to 1 mg/week after taking 0.5 mg for 3 months. The sick feeling is so much worse. I took my second shot this week, and it wasn’t as unhealthy as final week. Hoping subsequent week is even higher. However sure, you in all probability shouldn’t begin proper off the bat on 1 mg.

Semaglutide Opinions on Social Media

Take Semaglutide

Semaglutide is injected subcutaneously, with the commonest websites being the:

• Stomach
• Thigh
• Again of the higher arm

We advise customers to:

1. Clear the injection web site with an alcohol swab to cut back the chance of an infection.
2. Pinch a fatty space within the chosen area.
3. Inject slowly at a 90-degree angle.
4. Guarantee the complete dose is delivered and gently withdraw the needle.

In our expertise, the vast majority of our sufferers want injecting within the stomach, attributable to better ranges of subcutaneous fats being positioned inside 2 inches of the umbilicus, in any other case often known as the stomach button.

In distinction, we have now discovered that thigh injections could also be inclined to bruising in some people attributable to this being a thicker muscle area with a better density of blood vessels. Consequently, capillaries usually tend to be broken at this injection web site.

Injection websites additionally could also be rotated to cut back the chance of irritation or lipodystrophy.

Semaglutide vs. Tirzepatide

Tirzepatide is a twin agonist that targets each the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and the GLP-1 receptor. Thus, as with semaglutide, tirzepatide causes weight reduction by decreasing blood sugar ranges and growing satiety. Tirzepatide is FDA-approved for the therapy of:

• Weight administration
• Sort 2 diabetes
• Obstructive sleep apnea

The model names for tirzepatide are:

In a scientific examine, tirzepatide demonstrated a weight reduction benefit of two.4% after three months in comparison with the semaglutide group (27). Moreover, after six and twelve months of therapy, tirzepatide resulted in weight reduction variations of 4.3% and 6.9%, respectively.

• In analysis, tirzepatide and semaglutide are each related to an elevated threat of gastrointestinal unintended effects, with tirzepatide inflicting extra frequent disturbances (28).
• Semaglutide has been proven to provide extra frequent incidences of gallbladder points in comparison with tirzepatide, with it being 2.6 instances extra prone to trigger cholelithiasis, demonstrating an elevated biliary threat.

Christopher McGowan, M.D., an weight problems drugs specialist, states that tirzepatide could also be simpler for weight reduction attributable to it having synergistic results, concentrating on GLP-1 and GIP receptors.

He provides that through the Surmount-1 trial, 50% of sufferers misplaced over 20% of their complete weight, in comparison with 32% of sufferers shedding the identical quantity of weight from semaglutide within the Step 1 trial.

Nonetheless, Dr. McGowan warns that evaluating the lipolytic results of every remedy primarily based on the outcomes of various research could cause validity points attributable to differing affected person populations. Dr. McGowan says he has noticed tons of of profitable affected person transformations from every remedy.

• Each drugs value roughly $1,000 per 30 days in the US by way of prescription.
• For people buying on-line for analysis functions, we discover that semaglutide seems to be extra broadly out there, making it a probably extra accessible peptide.

Semaglutide Options

Berberine

Berberine is a pure isoquinoline alkaloid complement that may be taken over-the-counter.

Berberine is extracted from vegetation similar to:

• Berberis
• Turmeric
• Golden seal
• Oregon grape

Berberine works by way of mitochondrial biogenesis regulation and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMP) activation. Consequently, berberine improves insulin sensitivity and enhances fatty acid oxidation just like semaglutide. Consequently, it has been nicknamed by some as “nature’s Ozempic.”

Analysis has proven berberine could cause “important” weight reduction in people (29). Nonetheless, different research recommend the outcomes of berberine could also be notably lower than semaglutide, with individuals shedding 3.6% of physique fats following 12 weeks of berberine supplementation (30). As compared, semaglutide customers misplaced roughly 6% of physique weight for a similar period in a double-blind trial (31).

Diarrhea and constipation have been documented as berberine unintended effects in a examine (32). Nonetheless, these adversarial results have been described as gentle, with PubMed researchers concluding berberine to be a “protected medicinal plant.” Moreover, “no critical unintended effects” had been reported from berberine use in a examine involving 2,569 sufferers (33).

Excessive-Protein Eating regimen

One different to taking semaglutide might be to undertake a high-protein weight-reduction plan.

• A examine performed in 2005 discovered that when protein constitutes 30% of complete caloric consumption, it may well result in a discount in total calorie consumption by 441 energy (34).
• This enhance in satiety mimics the urge for food suppressant results of semaglutide, whereas a lower in carbohydrate consumption can even decrease blood sugar ranges.

Regularly Requested Questions

Is Semaglutide Authorized?

Semaglutide is authorized in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and varied different nations when accompanied by a doctor’s prescription for the therapy of kind 2 diabetes or weight administration.

Semaglutide additionally could also be bought or offered for analysis functions. Nonetheless, beauty use by most people with out a prescription is prohibited.

What’s the Value of Semaglutide?

• Within the UK, semaglutide is obtainable by way of prescription with the Nationwide Well being Service (NHS), which may value roughly £120 per 30 days. Nonetheless, in our expertise, most customers self-fund their semaglutide use privately attributable to strict prescription standards and prolonged ready lists. Semaglutide will be bought on-line for analysis functions, costing roughly £100 for a month’s provide.
• Within the US, the worth of semaglutide can differ primarily based on insurance coverage. Nonetheless, with out such protection, people will pay $800–$1,200 per 30 days by a well being clinic. Alternatively, semaglutide will be bought privately from on-line US firms for analysis functions, with a 5 mg bottle costing roughly $175.

Can Semaglutide Trigger Pancreatitis ?

A meta-analysis of over 55,000 sufferers discovered that GLP-1 agonist drugs, similar to semaglutide, didn’t considerably enhance the chance of acute pancreatitis (35).

Can Semaglutide Trigger Most cancers?

Ozempic incorporates a boxed warning stating that the remedy might trigger thyroid most cancers after rodents developed tumors in scientific analysis.

Nonetheless, a PubMed systematic literature evaluation discovered an incidence of thyroid most cancers related to semaglutide use to be lower than 1% (36). The examine was primarily based on 7,830 individuals. In conclusion, the researchers discovered no important threat for thyroid carcinogenesis in people.

A scientific evaluation involving knowledge on over 45,000 sufferers was not related to an elevated threat of any most cancers from semaglutide when in comparison with a placebo group (37).

Animal research have proven semaglutide to own cytotoxic results particularly in relation to CD8⁺ T cells, decelerating tumor development in varied cancers, together with hepatocellular and breast carcinoma (38).

Extra analysis has additionally proven that GLP-1 remedy can enhance pure killer (NK) cells. It is a direct impact impartial of weight reduction and happens attributable to enhancements within the CD98-mTOR-glycolysis metabolic axis, a important signaling pathway for cell survival (39).

What’s the Half-Lifetime of Semaglutide?

The half-life of semaglutide is roughly 7 days.

Can Semaglutide Trigger Tiredness?

A PubMed examine reported a 74-year-old male with progressive fatigue and sarcopenia following semaglutide use (40). Consequently, people might expertise muscle atrophy, tiredness, and/or fatigue if caloric consumption decreases excessively whereas taking semaglutide.

What Occurs if Customers Miss a Dose?

Concentrations of the peptide will roughly halve after lacking every week of administration. We’ve not discovered this to be problematic for the target of weight administration, though outcomes might scale back as semaglutide ranges lower.

If customers have kind 2 diabetes, they’re suggested to contact their doctor in the event that they miss a dose.

A number of of our sufferers using semaglutide for weight reduction functions have benefited from lacking a dose strategically to extend their urge for food for particular events, similar to a vacation or birthday meal.

Why Do Some Individuals Not Lose Weight From Semaglutide?

In our expertise, semaglutide’s urge for food suppressant results might not trigger weight reduction in customers who’re vulnerable to emotional consuming and tend to binge-eat when they don’t seem to be bodily hungry.

How Can People Qualify for a Semaglutide Prescription?

• Clinically overweight adults with a physique mass index (BMI) of 30 or larger
• Chubby adults with a BMI of 27 or larger who even have been identified with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or kind 2 diabetes.
• For youngsters, they should be at the very least 12 years previous with a BMI at or above the ninety fifth percentile for his or her age and intercourse.

Semaglutide Execs and Cons

Execs:

• Can produce important long-term weight reduction outcomes
• Stabilizes blood sugar ranges
• Might be bought on-line with out a prescription for analysis functions
• Typically nicely tolerated in analysis

Cons:

• Gastrointestinal unintended effects are generally reported.
• Has been described as “not economically enticing” by the Canadian Journal of Cardiology (41)
• Solely permitted for kind 2 diabetic and overweight sufferers

Inside Bodybuilding is a staff of medical professionals and physicians with specialised data and expertise concerning bodybuilding and PEDs.

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Dr. O’Connor has over 20 years of expertise treating women and men with a historical past of anabolic steroid, SARM, and PED use. He has been a board-certified MD since 2005 and supplies steerage on hurt discount methodologies.

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