Struggling to lose weight? Ask about our skinny shots!

Program key points:

• Semiglutide is a medication that is injected into the subcutaneous fat of your belly, behind your arm, or inner thigh once a week.
• Average weight loss is anywhere from 15-50 lbs
• To qualify, you must have a BMI over 25.

Schedule a consultation with our Nurse practitioners to see if you qualify.

Semaglutide injections for weight loss

In our practice Semaglutide Injection is a once-a-week dose that works by mimicking hormones that target areas of the brain involved in regulating appetite and food intake. Our specially trained Nurse Practioner gives the injections. This can help you eat less and lead to weight loss.

Currently, semaglutide is only approved for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy. The typical dose for weight loss is 2.4 milligrams, administered weekly as subcutaneous (under the skin) self-injections.

Semaglutide belongs to a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. It mimics the GLP-1 hormone that is released in the gastrointestinal tract in response to eating. One role of GLP-1 is to prompt the body to produce more insulin, which reduces blood glucose (sugar).

Semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, is an antidiabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication used for long-term weight management, developed by Novo Nordisk in 2012.

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning that it mimics the action of the human incretin glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), thereby increasing insulin secretion and increasing blood sugar disposal and improving glycemic control. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation.

In 2020, semaglutide was the 129th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 4 million prescriptions.

Semaglutide is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

The higher-dose formulation of semaglutide is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise for long-term weight management in adults with obesity (initial body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2) or who are overweight (initial BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2) and have at least one weight-related comorbidity.

A review of anti-obesity treatments found that semaglutide as well as tirzepatide (which has an overlapping mechanism of action) were more promising than previous anti-obesity drugs, although less effective than bariatric surgery.

Adverse effects

Possible side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, indigestion/heartburn, dizziness, bloating (abdominal distension), belching, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in patients with type 2 diabetes, gas (flatulence), gastroenteritis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Contraindications

Data from rodent studies of GLP-1-mediated thyroid C-cell hyperplasia indicates that use is contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2.