It makes you go off alcohol – likely factDr Abraham says this is “very common” although it is not yet fully understood why. “The GLP-1 agonists do a lot of things in the brain that are very interesting, and there does seem to be some anti-addictive properties in the drug, so a lot of research is ongoing in that area. Anecdotally, there have been similar effects with cannabis though I don’t tend to ask patients about using recreational drugs – I realise it’s fairly common, but it’s hard to do a proper scientific study.” Don’t assume you’ll be killing two birds with one stone in that you’ll lose weight and cut out booze as the results are “variable” and “it doesn’t happen in every patient”.Dr Abraham warns that the drug tends to have its own addictive properties which aren’t beneficial. “I’m struck by the fact that some patients who have obtained the drug without any supervision come and see me after three years and they’re underweight. That’s not healthy but often they won’t have recognised that themselves as they normally would. So I think there are things we have yet to learn.”It’s safe to buy online – fictionWe should be wary of online adverts that offer the drug at a cut price. Not only have fakes been discovered but Dr Abraham insists medical supervision is needed through a course of weight loss injections. “The people who run online pharmacies are not experienced diabetologists. These drugs are very powerful, there’s a right dose for each patient, there is not one universal solution for everyone. People talk about it on social media as if it’s one product. It’s simply not.”In terms of price, he suggests people expect to pay around £120 per month for the lower doses, rising to £300 for higher doses. He warns: “These drugs require management as results vary so widely for individuals. Losing weight quickly is never the ideal for anybody.” A safe amount for men would be 3kg a month and, for women, 2 to 2.5kg a month – any more than that and Dr Abraham would want to know why.It only works for the obese – fictionThis is a myth. “GLP-1 agonists work even in thin people,” says Dr Abraham, he points to those in the modelling industry, where people have been known to take them even when they are underweight. “They should not be taking them,” he insists. The efficacy of the drug is not about a person’s starting weight. “It really does need to be appreciated that the effect on an individual depends on that particular patient’s sensitivity to the drug – so it may not work in an individual unless a higher dose is used – whether the person is obese or not.”Non-diabetics shouldn’t use it – fictionBecause of a surge in demand with people buying the drugs for weight loss purposes, it was at one point feared that diabetics who need semaglutide might not be able to get it, but Dr Abraham believes the diet industry has now caught up with this supply and demand issue. And he doesn’t think obese patients should be denied semaglutide.“There is no kind of pecking order that says ‘my disease is more important than your disease’,” he insists. Obesity is a huge issue in the UK and causes health problems such as bad hips, bad backs, bad knees, cancer, sleep apnoea, fatty livers, cirrhosis and more – which are all very expensive for the health service.“The role of GLP-1 agonist drugs is groundbreaking and I expect further developments to follow for how they can be used in improving the nation’s health.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/diet/weight-loss/truth-about-ozempic-expert-separates-fact-from-fiction/
