Lost 20 pounds in one and a half months!

Originally used for

Adults with type 2 diabetes

hypoglycemic drug semaglutide

But it was hyped as a "miracle drug for weight loss"

The reporter searched for "semaglutide" or "weight loss injection" and saw many shares from people trying to lose weight:

“I finally changed from a body prone to obesity to a body prone to losing weight.”

"After taking weight loss injections for 5 months, I reduced from 120 pounds to 98 pounds, and my fat rate dropped from 27% to 19%."

…

Recently, oral semaglutide has launched phase III clinical trials in China, sparking this topic again.

Antihyperglycemic drugs have "become" weight-loss drugs, and a large number of people who need to lose weight have purchased them through online platforms, purchasing agents, and even injected semaglutide in medical and aesthetic institutions. But it also makes many diabetic patients worry: the drugs originally used to treat the disease have become increasingly difficult to buy and the prices have increased a lot.

So, semaglutide

Does it really have a weight loss effect?

People who need to lose weight

Can I purchase it privately?

Antihyperglycemic drugs become "Internet celebrity weight loss shots"

Some users claimed to have lost 20 pounds in one and a half months.

Ms. Wu, a citizen, reached her highest weight of 140 kilograms. Obesity has brought some complications to Ms. Wu: mental anxiety, sleep disorders, slow metabolism, etc.

In order to seek a treatment plan, Ms. Wu went to the Endocrinology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in February this year. According to the doctor, she learned about the drug "semaglutide" for the first time.

"Semaglutide is useful for people like us who have difficulty losing weight due to insulin resistance. However, the doctor also made it clear that the hospital cannot prescribe this type of drug to non-diabetic patients. Currently, the hospital only prescribes this drug to patients diagnosed with diabetes. .”

Finally, Ms. Wu purchased semaglutide through an online platform and started using it herself.

"This kind of hypoglycemic injection is injected into the stomach just like insulin. It is only injected once a week, and the dose is gradually increased. In the first two weeks, you will have diarrhea, vomiting, etc.; after that, the effect of suppressing appetite will be reduced, and then increase the dose. Dosage. Now I’m on the sixth week, but I feel the effect of the medicine has worn off.”

Ms. Wu said that in the past month and a half, she had lost 20 pounds through injections of semaglutide and exercise.

in fact

There are not many people who need to lose weight

Journalists on social platforms

Search terms such as "semaglutide" and "weight loss injection"

I found that some people regard this medicine as a "miracle medicine"

There are also some "experiencers" who remind everyone:

Use with caution!

So

Does this kind of hypoglycemic injection really have a weight loss effect?

The reporter learned that semaglutide

Originally used for treatment

Medications for adults with type 2 diabetes

In December 2017, semaglutide was approved by the FDA for use in adult patients with type 2 diabetes to control blood sugar;

In January 2020, the FDA again approved semaglutide for use in adult patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease to reduce the risk of related diseases;

In April 2021, semaglutide was approved in mainland China. The indications are the same as the above-mentioned two indications for which the drug was first approved in the US market, and it can be included in medical insurance.

In June 2021, the drug was approved for long-term weight management in the United States, and clinical study results show that obese patients who continue to receive the drug can achieve an average weight loss of 17%-18% after 68 weeks.

Currently, the drug has not been approved for weight loss indications in China.

Experts remind you to lose weight wisely

Purchasing medicines privately may be risky

Based on clinical experience, Professor Wei Guohong from the Department of Endocrinology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University told reporters that the main mechanism why semaglutide can reduce blood sugar and reduce weight is that it can activate GLP-1 (glucose-glucose). Glucose-like peptide-1) receptor promotes insulin secretion in a glucose concentration-dependent manner, inhibits glucagon secretion, delays gastric emptying to increase satiety, and suppresses appetite by inhibiting the hypothalamic feeding center, thus Achieve the effect of reducing blood sugar and weight.

The weight loss effect of semaglutide

Many people flock to it

This drug also makes

Soon demand exceeds supply

Wei Guohong told reporters: "When semaglutide was first launched in China two years ago, the public had high expectations for its weight loss effect. Our hospital did encounter many patients who came for treatment with weight loss needs, and even caused The drug is out of stock, and diabetic patients are unable to take it normally.”

▲ Semaglutide injection

Since non-diabetics

Medication cannot be prescribed through offline channels in regular hospitals

So some people began to think of ways to buy medicine

The hospital in Ms. Pan's city did not have regulations on prescribing medicines for obese patients, so she got the injections through a friend with diabetes who prescribed medicines in a hospital and then resold them to herself. Within two months, Ms. Pan, who weighed 120 pounds, lost 6 pounds.

And more drug buyers choose to turn their attention to online Internet hospitals and pharmacies, and even purchase the drugs through medical beauty institutions or overseas purchasing agents.

When the reporter searched online, he found that there are multiple platforms selling semaglutide, including the shipping price of 1.5ml/tube (0.25mg, 0.5mg dose), with prices ranging from 578 yuan to 650 yuan; In addition, there are also 3ml/tube specifications (both 1.34mg/ml), with prices ranging from 1,000 yuan to 1,200 yuan. The price is higher than that of Zhongshan No. 1 Hospital, and the drug must meet the conditions for medical insurance reimbursement before it can be reimbursed.

On the online platform, the purchase volume of this drug is also extremely alarming. Some purchase pages have more than 5,000 user reviews, and some even have more than 20,000 reviews.

The reporter conducted the operation on the grounds that he needed to buy semaglutide, and found that he only needed to go to the Internet hospital for online consultation, then check the "diabetes" option, and did not need to provide relevant prescription certificates to purchase online.

From the perspective of a clinician, Wei Guohong reminded that the public should not regard semaglutide as a "magic drug for weight loss."

"There are many causes of obesity. From a professional perspective, it is recommended to rule out secondary obesity first, undergo regular lifestyle intervention, and then take medication under the guidance of a doctor when the weight loss effect is not obvious; and live a healthy lifestyle The intervention needs to run through the entire process of weight loss and subsequent management, otherwise the effect will be greatly reduced and will rebound after stopping the medication. For people who are not obese, if they are only pursuing the so-called 'thinness for beauty', they should not buy it privately. Use this medicine."

"Although current clinical studies show that semaglutide has a good safety profile, it does not mean that it has no side effects."

Wei Guohong added that the use of semaglutide often causes gastrointestinal side effects, such as abdominal distension, abdominal pain, constipation and even vomiting.

In addition, GLP-1 agonists including semaglutide have been found in animal experiments to stimulate the proliferation of thyroid C cells, so this drug is contraindicated in people with a past or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, and those with type 2 Patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome.

Obesity problem cannot be ignored

“Slimming shots” cannot cure the root cause

Behind the popularity of "weight loss injections" and "diet pills"

Revealing the current “body anxiety” among people

It also reflects from the side

Obesity problem still cannot be ignored

"Especially according to epidemiological studies, my country has an obesity prevalence rate of more than 20%, which is a large base." Wei Guohong said. According to a report from the Chinese Nutrition Society, overweight and obesity will increase the risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, female breast cancer and other diseases.

"For these patients, the most important thing is to achieve gradual weight loss through healthy lifestyle intervention, through developing good living habits and healthy exercise."

A patient who has been battling obesity for nearly 10 years reminds:

“There is no such thing as a ‘miracle weight loss pill’

Want to be healthy——
You still have to keep your mouth shut and move your legs! "