Try This – 4 Things You Need to Know about Ozempic

First and foremost, today’s newsletter is NOT sponsored by Big Pharma or Novo Nordisk. Let’s just get that out of the way…

The truth is that weight-loss drugs are not going anywhere any time soon. In fact, they’ve exploded on the market in the past two years. 

Almost 2 million people in the US are taking weight-loss drugs! 

And we all want to know…are they safe, and do they actually work?

I’ve been super skeptical about drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, but I try to maintain an open mind, so I wanted an expert to share the truth about their benefits, their consequences, and how they should or could be used!

Recently I sat down with Dr. Tyna Moore, who specializes in nonsurgical pain management, natural pain solutions, and regenerative injection therapies for orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions, to talk about drugs like Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonists and her experience with them and putting patients on them. 

Today, we’re going to share some big ideas from this episode in case you or anyone you know is considering these drugs.

Send this to everyone you know, because there is some GOOD information here.

Full Disclosure: Dr. Tyna does not have any ties to Ozempic or any other weight-loss drugs. She started to look into these drugs to help her with own autoimmune condition and then started incorporating them in her clinical care with patients.

Let’s get into it. 

4 Big Takeaways about Weight-Loss Drugs 

1. Some Consequences Have Been Overhyped! 

The biggest concerns around taking drugs like Ozempic include muscle loss, thyroid cancer, and gastroparesis (i.e., partial stomach paralysis). While these are things to be concerned about and aware of, Dr. Tyna believes they are more nuanced and overhyped than we previously thought. Let’s break down each one. 

• Muscle loss: Dr. Tyna explains that any drug or activity that initiates rapid weight loss increases the risk of muscle loss. The data actually shows that the amount of muscle loss that occurs while taking weight-loss drugs is on par with a calorie-restrictive diet and even bariatric surgery! So her advice is the same across the board: when you are losing weight, prioritize protein and strength training. If you don't, muscle loss will be inevitable! 

• Thyroid cancer: Did you know that the black-box warning on these medications for thyroid cancer was based on studies done on rodents, not humans? The rats were given incredibly high doses of the drug, and what wasn’t revealed is that the rats in the control group also developed thyroid cancer—something rats in general are just at a greater risk for. Additionally, any other thyroid cancer risk from these GLP-1 agonists were correlative, not causative, and any population studied was already at a higher risk for developing thyroid cancer. 

• Gastroparesis: At high doses, gastrointestinal challenges are a real concern! In Dr. Tyna’s experience, when given low doses of the medication at the right amount and cycled off and on, the patient does not suffer from gastrointestinal challenges. Also, it’s been shown that when an individual stops using GLP-1 agonists, their gastrointestinal motility returns to normal. Additionally, we need to take into consideration that those with obesity and type 2 diabetes are already more susceptible to gastrointestinal distress because of impaired vagus nerve function and intestinal permeability. 

2. There Are More Reasons to Use GLP-1 Agonists Than Just Weight Loss 

So far, most of the conversation around GLP-1 agonists has focused on the issue of weight loss, but there is so much more to talk about when it comes to their benefits. 

When Dr. Tyna started to research these drugs, she found that there was some significant proof that they could be beneficial for chronic pain management, autoimmune diseases, addiction, and more. 

She started to take them to not only help with her transition through menopause but also with her autoimmune condition. Her daughter has been taking them for PCOS, and she’s not only seen benefits for her physical symptoms but also her mental health. Her mother has also been taking them to manage her Crohn’s disease and chronic pain. 

There’s also initial promise that these drugs can help with drug and alcohol addiction. I have personally heard from people who have been taking Wegovy or Ozempic and feel like they have less of a desire to drink alcohol!

Dr. Tyna also points out that for women going through perimenopause or menopause, GLP-1 agonists can be particularly beneficial. This is especially the case when she sees someone who seems to be doing everything right but a drop in estrogen is causing rapid weight gain, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular changes. Rather than wait until these women have to be put on blood pressure medications and statins, she says microdosing GLP-1 agonists can have a profound impact on their insulin, weight, mood, and more. 

3. The Dose Makes the Poison 

Are people taking too high of a dose of Ozempic? The answer is possibly yes. Dr. Tyna questions why we are giving individuals such high doses of these peptide hormones, which can cause extreme reactions when patients are not monitored or managed correctly. 

Her belief is that at the right dose, the plethora of benefits can be healing and life-changing. If someone is obese or has type 2 diabetes, they might need to stay on the drugs longer term and start with a higher dose, but if someone is in a better place metabolically, microdoses and short-term use of GLP-1 agonists could be just what they need to reset their habits and create lasting change. Dr. Tyna also recommends cycling on and off these peptide hormones (just like she does with many other medications such as thyroid medication) to keep the body’s receptors sensitive. 

The challenge is when someone takes a high dose long term, their body becomes desensitized to the effects of the drugs. 

Her other beef with how GLP-1 agonists are being handled?

Many people are told that unless they’re extremely overweight they don’t need them. Unfortunately, this falls into the “wait and see” approach. We don’t wait until someone has had a heart attack to come up with an intervention. So why wouldn’t we want to use these beneficial peptides to support someone before they develop full-blown insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes?

Dr. Tyna believes we should be approaching weight-loss drugs with a nuanced mindset. We have to ask ourselves questions like, “How can you pull the lever at the lowest dose possible?” and, “How can we treat each patient individually so they have the best possible outcome?” 

As with any form of rapid weight loss, we have to consider the consequences. Unless someone is being carefully monitored they do run the risk of taking too much, leading to sagging skin, malnourishment, muscle loss, gastroparesis, and more. 

4. Do We Have a Nationwide GLP-1 Deficiency? Maybe.

Right now, we don’t have a test to measure GLP-1, a hormone that supports blood sugar regulation, appetite, digestion, and more. So can we say for sure that there’s such a thing as GLP-1 deficiency? No, but it could be very likely!

Dr. Tyna believes that our epidemic of metabolic dysfunction, elevated insulin, and insulin resistance is driving GLP-1 deficiency in most Americans. Even if it’s not a full-blown deficiency, she believes it could be a functional deficiency.

For example: Having a vitamin D level of 20 ng/mL is considered within range, but many functional medicine doctors would consider this to be a functional deficiency. Essentially, it’s not optimal at all! 

So what is causing rampant functional deficiency? Dr. Tyna believes that our modern lifestyle, specifically our gut-destroying diets and exposure to toxins, stress, and other causes of intestinal permeability, are destroying GLP-1, which is created in the gut. 

GLP-1 agonists mimic GLP-1 production in our bodies, and Dr. Tyna shared that they also act on our dopamine, insulin, sex hormones, blood flow, and more. 

What GLP-1 agonists can do in the right doses, at the right time, and in the right body is improve metabolic health. If the patient is dosed correctly and given the right coaching and tools, they will want to eat more nutrient-dense food that preserves muscle mass, gut function, and more. Dr. Tyna has also noticed that taste improves in individuals who take the right dose, and they actually crave whole—instead of processed—foods. 

All of this matters, because without the right dose and coaching, people are just eating way less of the same processed food they used to eat. This might create weight loss, but it also drives all of the negative consequences of undereating, especially undereating nutritious food. 

Concluding Thoughts

Virtually every expert agrees that obesity is dangerous for our health; it increases our risk of pretty much every chronic disease and our risk of premature death. Weight-loss drugs can, in the right circumstances with the right practitioner, be one tool in the toolbox to tackle obesity. However, they are not a panacea for better health. Without addressing lifestyle factors like nutrition and exercise, these drugs can only do so much. 

And when it comes to children, every expert that I’ve talked to agrees that GLP-1 agonists should NOT be the first line of defense. Nutrition, exercise, stress management, proper sleep, and other lifestyle changes are a safer and much more sustainable choice for children. 

If you or someone you know is taking or considering taking weight-loss drugs, please consider all of these nuances. 

Dr. Tyna is on a mission to educate practitioners and the general population about what these drugs are capable of doing. She also shared in our interview that the name-brand versions of these peptide hormones are really expensive, but if you get them from a compound pharmacy, they are WAY cheaper! Dr. Tyna dives into all of this, including questions to ask your practitioner and more, in our recent interview, which you can find here.

If you know anyone who is taking a GLP-1 agonist or considering it, send them this email. 

Here’s to your health,
Dhru Purohit