GLP-1 quitters: why?

True-Happy

True-Happy

Well-known member
I saw an article about this and wondered what everyone thought. As more and more people are trying GLP-1 medications, I'm curious about the different reasons why people choose to stay on them or stop using them.
 
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Probably the price. I think it's cost prohibitive for most people. Medicare won't pay, and the discount cards don't work with it. Even with regular insurance, I'm seeing less coverage every year.
 
When these meds first became popular for losing weight, they estimated about a quarter of potential users wouldn't try them because they're injectables. Lots of people don't want to inject themselves. I'm lucky because I don't experience any major side effects with sema, but some people have a tougher time.
 
My mother, who is 80, has lost weight, which is good, but she constantly complains that food and drink aren't enjoyable anymore (which is kinda the point of the drug, right?). At her age, that's a significant part of her happiness. She's planning to stop once she's reached her goal weight, even though I told her the weight will come back. My husband (61) had bad acid reflux while on it, so he quit pretty quickly. Could these be typical problems for seniors?
 
The loss of muscle mass is something that people should talk about more. Older folks lose muscle more rapidly on these medications, which can cause weakness and tiredness. My DEXA scan revealed that I lost around 3 pounds of lean muscle in the first four months. Unless you do resistance exercises and eat plenty of protein, the cons are more impactful than the pros for that demographic.
 
When GLP-1s came out, I did some reading about why injections wouldn't be a good long-term solution. If that research is accurate, it lines up with what I read years ago. Basically, people get tired of injecting themselves. Pills would be a better long-term option.
 
Speaking as someone on Medicare, I'm hoping to only be on this for a few months. My main worry is maintaining the weight loss without it once I reach my target weight. I definitely can't afford to stay on it forever with my limited income.
 
Cost, the difficulty of sticking to the prescription's requirements, and not enough info on what to do when the side effects get really bad. A lot of people feel overwhelmed if they don't have the right information.
 
Cost is #1! I'm paying $200/month, which isn't a long-term option. Everyone I know pays out of pocket; the insurance company won't cover it, even for a BMI over 40.

I'm wary of the online pharmacies. Some of them look sketchy (not much info, just credit card fields), while others are suspiciously cheap ($98/month, free everything), hinting at an introductory price or a scam. My only hope is that the market will get saturated, so prices will drop.

I enjoy being able to fit into my old clothes again, not being hungry all the time and not counting calories, but I'm not planning to stay on it forever. I'll probably stop and only start up again if I start gaining weight.
 
The side effects can be really bad!

The only reason I can handle it is because I tell myself it means the medicine is doing its job...
 
It's interesting to see how different people deal with the weight after stopping these meds. I saw a post where someone lost 45 lbs, stopped, regained a bit, and then re-lost it and is maintaining without medication. They said if they eat too much one day, they just have a 'hungry day' the next.
 
That 'hungry day' idea sounds like a useful tool to add to my belt of tricks, True-Happy! A lot of these medications seem to curb appetite, maybe that person's body just readjusted to a new normal level of hunger?
 
I had surgery recently and temporarily stopped my GLP-1 medication. My doctor said it was OK to restart, but I'm a little nervous about it. I'm also on some pain meds, and I read a story about someone ending up with a bowel obstruction because they restarted the GLP-1 while on an opioid. I'm wondering if I should wait a bit longer before restarting. Any thoughts?
 
MyBro said:
I had surgery recently and temporarily stopped my GLP-1 medication. My doctor said it was OK to restart, but I'm a little nervous about it. I'm also on some pain meds, and I read a story about someone ending up with a bowel obstruction because they restarted the GLP-1 while on an opioid. I'm wondering if I should wait a bit longer before restarting. Any thoughts?
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That's a really important point! The combination of opioids and GLP-1s can definitely slow down digestion too much. If you're still taking pain medication, I'd definitely consult with both your surgeon and prescribing doctor about the risks. Better safe than sorry!
 
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