Say hello to a healthier you with medication-assisted weight loss!
What is Semaglutide?
Semgalutide is an injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist that’s administered once weekly for obesity.
How Does Semaglutide Work for Weight Loss?
GLP-1 is an incretin hormone that plays a role in your appetite and digestion. Incretins, hormones released by your small intestine, are sent out by your body after you’ve eaten a meal to help lower your blood sugar by triggering insulin and blocking other sources of sugar. It also slows down how quickly food leaves your stomach (called gastric emptying). The result of these actions causes you to feel full – lowering your appetite and causing you to lose weight. Medications like GLP-1 agonists are referred to as incretin mimetics since they “mimic” these effects.
Potential Side Effects?
Gastrointestinal (GI) effects tend to happen most frequently when using this medication – the most common being nausea, constipation, and vomiting. You may experience these effects more strongly when your provider raises your dose. Additional common side effects include stomach pain, indigestion, and bloating.
If you experience severe nausea/vomiting or abdominal pain, please stop the medication immediately, contact us, or go to the ER*
How Do I Deal With The Nausea?
*Small, frequent meals
*Lower the amount of alcohol you consume
*Low-fat meals
*Bland diet – bananas, rice, toast
*Ginger, Unisom, Vitamin B6 for nausea
If prescribed Zofran (ondansetron), take 1 tablet under your tongue every 6 hours as needed for nausea. Please only use Zofran for severe nausea as it can lead to constipation. The following can help relieve constipation: stay hydrated, continue with exercise, high fiber diet, and over-the-counter stool softener.
How Do I Administer It?
You’ll give yourself the injection once a week, on the same day each week. It can be given at any time of day, and you can take it with or without food.
Semaglutide is injected just under the skin (subcutaneously) in your abdomen.
Since semaglutide slows down how quickly food leaves your stomach, you may experience effects like nausea and vomiting.
The goal is to have limited unfavorable side effects while losing 1-2 pounds per week (and feel the benefits of the medication: less appetite, cravings, and portion sizes). We may need to adjust your dose every few weeks to achieve that goal. The starting dose is 0.25 mg.
Non-refundable weight loss consultation with one of our NPs: $75.
Consultation doesn’t guarantee prescription and does not go toward a vial purchase or future service. A BMI of 27 or higher is typically required for semaglutide, and a BMI of 30 or higher and one weight-related comorbidity for tirzepatide prescriptions. Recent lab work will be required. We may provide a lab slip if you don’t have recent lab work. The panels we are looking for are CMP, CBC, TSH, lipids, and Hemoglobin. Contact your insurance for cost information.
2.5 mg vial of semaglutide: $675. You begin at a weekly dose of 0.25 mg upon prescription by one of our Nurse Practitioners. Patients’ first 2.5 mg vial typically lasts 7-10 weeks as dosing may increase at the 5th week. More concentrated vials are available as your dosing increases.
Medication is shipped to your home from our compounding pharmacy. Their mission is to make personalized medications available to everyone and to provide patients with a seamless experience. To ensure the quality of their formulated products, they only use the best ingredients and work with FDA-registered suppliers who subject all chemicals to third-party testing.
We recommend you schedule an appointment for an injection lesson upon receiving your medication and schedule your 4-week follow-up appointment to discuss if increasing your dose will be appropriate.
