Medical experts sound alarm as weight-loss injection users make dangerous mistake
Medical experts are sounding the alarm as they warn that weight-loss injection users are making a dangerous mistake.
This comes as GLP-1 medication has become a highly popular form of weight loss treatment in recent years.
The weekly injections from providers such as Ozempic and Mounjaro have helped users to combat obesity, but medics are now warning about a concerning new trend that appears to be growing.
According to Dr Carol Eisenstat, who is the founder and medical director of Line Eraser MD, one method that some patients are taking could have drastic consequences.
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Dr Eisenstat spoke with the Daily Mail where she revealed that some users are switching between different forms of the weight loss drug in a bid to shift the weight quicker, but she warns that this is not advised.
She explained: “We’re seeing far more patients asking to switch between GLP-1 medications.
“Sometimes it’s because of side effects, sometimes insurance changes, sometimes the medication just isn’t giving them the results they expected. Switching itself isn’t dangerous, but it shouldn’t be done casually.”
Dr Eisenstat went on to detail how different weight loss injections ‘work slightly differently’ from one another and are often ‘prescribed on different dosing schedules and can produce different side-effect profiles’.
She continued: “You can’t assume that because you were fine on one, you’ll not suffer side effects on another. That’s one of the biggest misconceptions I try to dispel in my practice.”
The expert went on to say: “The biggest mistake I see is people ‘GLP-1 hopping’ because they’ve heard someone else lost more weight on a different medication.
“Weight loss isn’t one-size-fits-all. The medication that’s best for your spouse, friend or colleague may not be the best one for you.”
According to advice offered at Pharmacy2U, while it is considered ‘generally safe’ to switch between the medications, such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, it ‘needs to be done under medical supervision’.
The site explained: “Each medication has its own eligibility criteria, works slightly differently and have their own dosing schedule. Your clinician will advise which is the most suitable option for your individual needs, to ensure a safe transition.”
It is important to seek medical advice if you are considering switching your GLP-1 medication as they are not interchangeable and come with their own doses and schedules, which cannot be like-for-like swapped.
Users might also experience varying side effects depending on the medication or dose they take.