While weight loss medications can be a viable option for many people, and we do prescribe them in certain instances, patients need to be mindful of their use. As a recent article in USA Today points out, most people stop taking weight loss drugs within a year. Many individuals discontinue the use of weight-loss medications like Ozempic within 12 months due to factors such as severe side effects, high costs, and insurance coverage issues.
The length of use depends on several factors, “about 65% of those without diabetes discontinued the drugs in less than one year. Those with Type 2 diabetes were more likely to stay on the medication at least one year. And those with higher incomes and fewer side effects were also more likely to stay on the pricey drugs, according to a study recently published in JAMA Network Open.”
According to researchers from Truveta, a Bellevue, Washington-based medical research company that teamed up with University of Pennsylvania on the study, the higher quit rate among non-diabetes patients is likely due to cost. People with fewer side effects and better results tend to stick with these drugs longer.
But if you are looking to lose a significant amount of weight, 50 – 100 pounds or more, weight loss surgery could be a more viable, affordable, long-term solution. Consider the following:
• Side Effects – You will have some recovery time after surgery, but most gastric sleeve patients, for example, can go back to work in 3-5 days at a desk job once they stop pain medication. You will need to adjust to your new stomach and follow the post-op protocol, but you will not have ongoing nausea, vomiting, or abdominal discomfort like you could with weight loss medication.
• Cost – Weight loss surgery is often covered or partially covered by insurance. If you don’t have bariatric benefits, we do offer some of the lowest cash-pay, all-inclusive pricing in the country, that could cost you LESS THAN one year on a brand name medication. And while compounded weight loss medications can be more affordable, their availability is closely tied to the supply status of FDA approved drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro). Once the FDA removes these drugs from its official shortage list, compounding pharmacies will no longer be authorized to produce their versions.
• Increased Weight Loss – Weight loss surgery leads to more weight loss than medications. With Wegovy for example, you can lose approximately 15% of your body weight, compared to 50-80% of your excess weight with weight loss surgery.
• Long-Term Weight Loss – Weight loss surgery permanently alters your anatomy, reducing the size of the stomach and removing the portion of the stomach with the hormone ghrelin, responsible for hunger. So you have a built in tool for maintaining your weight loss, making it easier to follow the post-op protocol. But with medication you are relying on the monthly injection to help with appetite suppression, so once you stop the medication patients often regain the weight they lost and sometimes more.
If you’ve been thinking about weight loss surgery, you’re not alone. The Nicholson Clinic is committed to supporting you before, during, and after surgery, helping you find the right weight loss solution for you.
If you’re ready to take the next step, schedule an appointment with the Nicholson Clinic to learn more about your options today!
