Ozempic® in Vancouver? What Do Our Doctors Say?
More and more people are turning to Ozempic® to lose weight. Knowledge of healthy eating and increasing activity is sometimes is not enough. There has been exponential research looking into effective weight loss solutions.
What is the Craze All About?
Thanks to Hollywood Gossip Columns, we hear more and more about non-surgical body contouring in the media. There are the weight loss panacea injections such as Ozempic®, Saxenda®, and localized lipolysis treatments such as Coolsculpt® and injectable treatments such as Lipodissolve. Are they for you?
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic®, a drug used to treat diabetes, has garnered attention recently as celebrities, tech moguls and TikTok influencers reports effects of short-term weight loss when taking it.
It was created by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. It is a injectable medication that helps with Type 2 diabetes. It comes as a liquid solution and is injected into a person's buttocks or stomach with pre-filled and disposable pens. It can help patients lose weight but is not yet licensed for weight loss and is currently considered an off-label treatment for weight management.
As a mimic of the naturally produced hormone called GLP-1 (Glucagon Like Peptide-1), it stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin, reducing appetite and slows down the movement of food in the intestines. As with all medications, it can have mild to severe side effects.
Ozempic® Can Cause the Following
- Gastrointestinal side effects such as constipation, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Vision changes.
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
- Kidney problems (kidney failure).
- Severe allergic reaction.
- Gallbladder problems.]
More information can be found here.
Is it safe to ask for Ozempic® for weight loss?
As interest in Ozempic® grows, more people are already looking for ways to take the drug to lose weight — either by asking a doctor for a prescription or looking for it online. However, due to the drug's popularity, there has been a short supply for people who need to use it as medication to treat diabetes. Pharmacies are facing a backlog of orders of the drug. In Canada, there are other similar medications, gulcagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, that are approved for weight loss, such as Saxenda®.
Saxenda® Weight Loss Vancouver
Saxenda® (liraglutide) is an injectable prescription medicine used for adults with excess weight (BMI ≥27) who also have weight-related medical problems or obesity (BMI ≥30), and children aged 12-17 years with a body weight above 132 pounds (60 kg). More information can be found about this medication on their official website here.
Saxenda® VS Ozempic® Vancouver
Both drugs are glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, administered by injection and have similar gastrointestinal side effects. However, they are licensed to be used for different indications. Saxenda is a weight loss medication and Ozempic® is a diabetes medication. Ozempic® is longer lasting and is a once weekly injection whereas Saxenda® is a daily injection.
Research shows that Ozempic® may be more effective in improving blood glucose control and weight loss compared to Saxenda®. There are, however, more side effects with Ozempic® as well including nausea and diarrhea. In the long term, however, both the short term effects of Saxenda® and Ozempic® have to be maintained with caloric reduction in diet and increased physical activity.
Lipodissolve Vancouver
Other options offered to target stubborn, localized fat includes lipodissolve. It is a non-surgical, injectable medication containing deoxycholic acid which permanently destroys unwanted fat from the body. It is also the active ingredient in Kybella® or Belkyra®, which helps improve the appearance submental fat, also called the "double chin."
Benefits of Lipodissolve
- Non-surgical fat reduction
- Safe and used for over 25 years.
- Very limited downtime.
- A cost effective solution for targeted fat reduction
- Can be used almost anywhere on the body
Weight Loss Solutions Vancouver
What are the best options for our patients for weight loss? Lifestyle, diet, and exercise are traditional strategies that are helpful not only for weight loss but also for cardiovascular health of our clients. However, more and more research are done in the weight loss domain to help our patients achieve these goals more effectively, especially to help our patients achieve a healthier weight sooner than just with caloric reduction alone. Which of these options are best for you? Our doctors in Vancouver can discuss the benefits and side effects of treatments such as Ozempic®, Saxenda®, Lipodissolve, Belkyra® or Kybella® with you. Book a consultation to see one of our providers to see what is right for you.
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