LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Over 30 million Americans have used diabetes drugs for weight loss, including here in Acadiana. 

Dr. Kathryn Strother, a family medicine physician, said she has seen an increase in usage of GLP-1 based medications. 

“There has definitely been an uptick in usage,” Dr. Strother said. “Doctors are seeing the benefit from a metabolic dysfunction standpoint. Patients, for years, have been looking for something to actually work for weight loss, and they’re seeing it. 

The high demand even led to nationwide shortages of Ozempic

and Mounjaro, both only approved for diabetes.

“Early on when they came out, they were getting used off-label,” Dr. Strother said. “Physicians, we practice the science of medicine, but we also practice the art of medicine. So, it’s not unusual for a doctor to use a medication off-label, meaning it doesn’t have a FDA approval indication for what we want to help a patient for.” 

However, earlier this year, the FDA approved medications very similar to be used for weight loss, Zepbound and Wegovy. 

Zepbound, for obesity, and Mounjaro, for diabetes, use the same active ingredient, tirzepatide. 

Similarly, semaglutide is the same active ingredient in Ozempic, used for diabetes, and Wegovy, used for weight loss. 

“I’ll explain to patients that it’s kind of like Ibuprofen is Motrin or Advil. They’re the same thing. They’re just different trade names,” Dr. Strother said. “Marketed maybe Motrin for fever and Advil for pain, but they’re both ibuprofen. So similarly, tirzepatide is Mounjaro if someone’s using it for diabetes. Or Zepbound if someone’s using it for their obesity management.” 

Dr. Strother explained the medications help manage patients’ weight by making them feel fuller sooner and longer, reducing cravings and improving insulin sensitivity. 

“Some patients describe it as food noise, like what am I going to eat next week or what am I going to eat later today,” Dr. Strother said. “You know, that constantly thinking about, ‘I did a good job today. I deserve this.’”

She continued, “That reward that we so often associate with food kind of quiets down, almost like the addiction side of food. That quiets down a little bit because of the way the GLP-1’s work in the brain.”

However, there are negative side effects for users, like nausea and bloating. However, Dr. Strother said taking a personal approach with your physician will help you better navigate the weight-loss journey. 

She said the ideal candidate would be a patient with metabolic dysfunction. 

“Maybe a little bit of elevated blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL, maybe a high fasting blood sugar, maybe an increased waist circumference,” Dr. Strother said. “They may not be morbidly obese, but where they carry their weight is more central. That is the picture of metabolic dysfunction, implying that there’s some insulin resistance going on.”

The other ideal candidate is a diabetic who has previously tried Metformin, known as the traditional starting medication to assist with diabetes. 

“If they have diabetes, and they’ve either not been at goal on metformin and with diet and exercise,” Dr. Strother said. “Then, adding a GLP-1 to their Metformin or potentially even replacing their Metformin with a GLP-1 is the ideal candidate, especially if they have some weight to lose.” 

She said the main takeaway is to navigate the weight loss journey with a physician. 

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