When you’ve been trying to find new methods to advance your weight reduction efforts, you’ve most likely heard about incretin mimetic medicine like Mounjaro, Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy, and Zepbound. Many individuals have reported dramatic weight reduction by taking these kinds of drugs.
However what occurs once you cease taking incretin mimetics for weight reduction? Do you acquire weight again after quitting, or do you must take them without end to keep up your outcomes?
Brief reply: While you cease taking incretin mimetics, you’ll doubtless regain a lot of the weight you misplaced.
That may be discouraging when you think about the downsides of long-term use. For starters, there’s the price — each Mounjaro and Ozempic have a listing worth of about $1,000 for a month’s provide. Out-of-pocket prices will range primarily based in your insurance coverage plan, however they will add up shortly, particularly if you must issue them into your month-to-month funds without end.
These drugs are additionally comparatively new to the scene, which suggests their long-term results might not be totally understood. It’s vital to weigh all of the potential dangers and rewards earlier than deciding whether or not incretin mimetics are best for you. And, after all, it is best to all the time discuss to your physician earlier than beginning (or stopping!) any medicine.
When you’re contemplating incretin mimetics or their kin for weight reduction, right here’s what that you must know.
How Do Mounjaro and Ozempic Work?
Mounjaro, Zepbound, Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy work by mimicking metabolic hormones referred to as incretins. Therefore, these medicine are known as incretin mimetics.
This hormonal mimicry enhances the physique’s capacity to keep up wholesome blood sugar ranges. It additionally helps cut back urge for food and meals consumption by making you’re feeling full sooner and for longer after consuming. In consequence, many individuals expertise weight reduction as a secondary impact.
Whereas these medicine all work in comparatively comparable methods, there are a number of key variations in the case of their mechanisms of motion and supposed use.
Semaglutide mechanism of motion
These three drugs are manufactured by Novo Nordisk and include the identical energetic ingredient, semaglutide. Semaglutide mimics the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone, which helps to advertise insulin manufacturing, sluggish digestion, and suppress urge for food.
Ozempic (injectable) and Rybelsus (capsule type) are each FDA-approved as first-line therapies for sort 2 diabetes. Nonetheless, docs will typically prescribe these drugs off-label — i.e., not as directed — for weight reduction.
Wegovy, alternatively, is an FDA-approved, injectable model of semaglutide formulated particularly for weight administration. It’s supposed for adults with weight problems or obese adults with not less than one weight-related well being situation.
Tirzepatide mechanism of motion
The energetic ingredient in each Mounjaro and Zepbound is tirzepatide. Like semaglutide, tirzepatide mimics the GLP-1 hormone and will increase insulin sensitivity. However tirzepatide’s mechanism of motion additionally mimics the gastric inhibitory peptide hormone (GIP), which helps to advertise insulin secretion and regulate urge for food and satiety.
“There have been research that present that tirzepatide ends in extra weight reduction than semaglutide,” says Mir Ali, MD, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Heart at Orange Coast Medical Heart in Fountain Valley, CA. “This has been attributed to affecting two receptors fairly than one.”
Mounjaro and Zepbound, that are each administered through once-weekly injections, are manufactured by Eli Lilly. Mounjaro is FDA-approved as a diabetes medicine, whereas Zepbound is permitted for weight administration in adults with weight problems, or obese adults with not less than one weight-related well being situation. (Sound acquainted?)
Like Ozempic and Rybelsus, Mounjaro could also be prescribed off-label for weight reduction.
What Occurs When You Cease Taking GLP-1 Medicine for Weight Loss?
Incretin mimetics can assist with weight administration whilst you’re taking them. However once you cease taking these medicine, your metabolic operate will revert again to its pre-medication state, and the quantity on the size will doubtless comply with swimsuit.
Listed here are a number of frequent unwanted effects of stopping Mounjaro, Ozempic, and the like:
1. Your urge for food will make a comeback
“[Incretin mimetics’] main impact for weight reduction is to suppress the urge for food and sluggish the emptying of the abdomen,” Ali says. “As soon as the medicine is stopped, the urge for food returns to its earlier state and the abdomen resumes emptying on the regular charge. These processes can result in an individual desirous to eat extra.”
2. You’ll doubtless regain a lot of the load you misplaced
As soon as your urge for food is again in full swing, you’ll must maintain an in depth eye in your calorie consumption. “If the affected person just isn’t cautious, they will begin regaining weight,” Ali says.
One medical trial discovered that, a yr after stopping incretin mimetics, individuals had regained a mean of two-thirds of the load they’d initially misplaced. Their cardiometabolic enhancements went again to baseline, too.
3. Your blood sugar could rise
While you cease taking incretin mimetics, Ali says, insulin secretion returns to its earlier state and chances are you’ll discover a rise in your blood glucose ranges. In a current peer-reviewed research, researchers divided individuals into 4 teams. Three teams took tirzepatide in various doses, whereas the fourth group was given the kind 2 diabetes drug dulaglutide.
One yr later, all three tirzepatide teams had higher enhancements in blood glucose ranges than the dulaglutide group. Nonetheless, two months after stopping remedy, all 4 teams had re-elevated blood glucose ranges — and the tirzepatide teams had been already experiencing rebound weight acquire.
The research authors concluded that their findings “counsel a necessity for steady prescription or cautious follow-up when stopping.”
Can You Simply Cease Taking Mounjaro and Ozempic?
Given the extent to which long-term medicine like semaglutide and tirzepatide have an effect on the physique, quitting chilly turkey just isn’t suggested with out the steerage of a doctor. That mentioned, there isn’t any compelling proof that discontinuing their use will trigger critical withdrawal signs.
There is a rising physique of analysis, nonetheless, suggesting that many individuals expertise a “fast rebound” in blood glucose ranges and weight acquire after stopping incretin mimetics. These results “should not thought of withdrawal signs, however the return of the affected person’s prior physiology,” Ali says.
Preserving weight reduction after quitting incretin mimetics
When you’ve hit your weight reduction targets, it might be potential to cease taking semaglutide and tirzepatide with out regaining a lot weight. However you’ll should be ready to make use of the next life-style methods:
“If a affected person is ready to make important, long-term dietary and life-style modifications, then they’ve a greater probability of protecting the load off when the drugs are stopped,” Ali says.
As all the time, you will need to keep in mind it is best to all the time seek the advice of a healthcare supplier earlier than stopping and restarting Mounjaro, Ozempic, or another such medicine.
Ought to You Take into account Taking Weight Loss Medicine?
Incretin mimetics could also be getting loads of hype, but it surely’s vital to notice that they’re supposed to be long-term therapies for power well being points — not only a fast solution to lose a number of cussed kilos.
“These drugs are designed for sufferers categorized as overweight with a physique mass index over 30, or over 27 with different co-morbid situations,” Ali says.
Even for many who meet the medical standards, a weight reduction drug isn’t any substitute for a balanced weight-reduction plan and common train. Consuming nutrient-dense meals continues to be one of the simplest ways to get the nutritional vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants you want. And a weight reduction medicine can’t stand in for train in the case of bettering power, cardio capability, coronary heart well being, bone well being, and extra.
How Lengthy Do GLP-1 Medicine Keep in Your System?
In line with the Meals and Drug Administration, the half-life of tirzepatide is about 5 days. Meaning once you cease taking these medicine, it might take round a month for the drug to be utterly gone out of your physique.
The half-life of semaglutide is round seven days, so once you cease taking these medicine, it might keep in your system for roughly 5 weeks after the final dose.
Nonetheless, to keep up their effectiveness, semaglutides and tirzepatides are prescribed for weekly use, they usually’re supposed for use indefinitely. “Weight problems is being regarded as a power illness, equivalent to diabetes or hypertension, so sufferers could should be on these drugs long-term,” Ali says.
