3 ms·

Are these a magic pill or are there bad side effects?

petesergeant 3y ago
Basically a magic pill (well, injection). Some mild nausea and indigestion at first, but nothing ginger tea and some over-the-counter antacids couldn't handle. Some people get severe nausea, and have to stop taking them. Only real issue at the moment is the high cost: $1k/month in the US, $500 rest-of-the-world, or cheaper in countries that subsidise them.
- Scoundreller 3y ago
  > well, injection While I haven't any evidence about Tirzepatide in oral form, the results for semaglutide oral is pretty good. Haven't seen any oral vs injectable head-to-head studies of the same molecule though (funny how that is).
  - petesergeant 3y ago
    Sure, but it’s a PITA to take because absorption is bad. Take it on an empty stomach with exactly the right amount of liquid, and then nothing else in your stomach for 40m, and the gastrointestinal side effects are worse. I’m looking into using this for maintenance as I’ll be travelling a lot, but it’s much more of a hassle than the self-injecting needles
    - Scoundreller 3y ago
      > Sure, but it’s a PITA to take because absorption is bad. That’s a dosing problem :) Unsure if the GI effects will actually worse. Depends if it’s a direct effect or not.
j4yav 3y ago
I had to stop taking it because it increased my resting heart rate by about 25 bpm.
BryanLegend 3y ago
They're modified hormones. Normal glutide made by the body has a 5 minute half life and makes you feel full. Semaglutide has a 1 week half life.
randcraw 3y ago
5-10% of those taking GLP-1 agonists discontinue treatment citing nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Patients often must change not just how much they eat but what they eat, especially, reducing fat intake, eating smaller meals, and staying active right after eating. "What are the gastrointestinal adverse effects of the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, and how should they be managed?" https://illinoisadvance.com/what-are-gastrointestinal-adverse-effects-glucagon-peptide-1-receptor-agonists-and-how-should-they-be-managed/ https://illinoisadvance.com/what-are-gastrointestinal-advers... "Risk of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Associated With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss" https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2810542 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2810542
vl 3y ago
The main bad side effect is that you need to be really conscious about food. It’s easy to eat not enough or not to eat at all. Then unavoidably you feel really weak and metabolism slows down. You need to be really conscious to eat enough healthy foods, especially if you want to exercise.
vrc 3y ago
If you’ve ever had pancreatitis you can’t take this (me) because it increases overall risk of having an episode. If you’re unlucky like me and have a predisposition for pancreatitis or gallbladder issues, this can push you over the edge into the worst pain of your life and possible life threatening complications. But the percentage of folks at risk is relatively low so this is not a concern for most. Heavy alcohol consumption is a leading cause of pancreatitis so for folks with AUD and diabetes, if this cuts down both diabetes and the causal factor (drinking), maybe it’s a net positive if they’ve never had pancreatitis before. Unfortunately severe pancreatitis increases the risk of Type 2 and 3 diabetes and unfortunately this great treatment won’t be available.

Basically a magic pill (well, injection). Some mild nausea and indigestion at first, but nothing ginger tea and some over-the-counter antacids couldn't handle. Some people get severe nausea, and have to stop taking them. Only real issue at the moment is the high cost: $1k/month in the US, $500 rest-of-the-world, or cheaper in countries that subsidise them.

Scoundreller 3y ago
> well, injection While I haven't any evidence about Tirzepatide in oral form, the results for semaglutide oral is pretty good. Haven't seen any oral vs injectable head-to-head studies of the same molecule though (funny how that is).
- petesergeant 3y ago
  Sure, but it’s a PITA to take because absorption is bad. Take it on an empty stomach with exactly the right amount of liquid, and then nothing else in your stomach for 40m, and the gastrointestinal side effects are worse. I’m looking into using this for maintenance as I’ll be travelling a lot, but it’s much more of a hassle than the self-injecting needles
  - Scoundreller 3y ago
    > Sure, but it’s a PITA to take because absorption is bad. That’s a dosing problem :) Unsure if the GI effects will actually worse. Depends if it’s a direct effect or not.

j4yav 3y ago

I had to stop taking it because it increased my resting heart rate by about 25 bpm.

BryanLegend 3y ago

They're modified hormones. Normal glutide made by the body has a 5 minute half life and makes you feel full. Semaglutide has a 1 week half life.

randcraw 3y ago

5-10% of those taking GLP-1 agonists discontinue treatment citing nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Patients often must change not just how much they eat but what they eat, especially, reducing fat intake, eating smaller meals, and staying active right after eating. "What are the gastrointestinal adverse effects of the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, and how should they be managed?" https://illinoisadvance.com/what-are-gastrointestinal-adverse-effects-glucagon-peptide-1-receptor-agonists-and-how-should-they-be-managed/ https://illinoisadvance.com/what-are-gastrointestinal-advers... "Risk of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Associated With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss" https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2810542 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2810542

vl 3y ago

The main bad side effect is that you need to be really conscious about food. It’s easy to eat not enough or not to eat at all. Then unavoidably you feel really weak and metabolism slows down. You need to be really conscious to eat enough healthy foods, especially if you want to exercise.

vrc 3y ago

If you’ve ever had pancreatitis you can’t take this (me) because it increases overall risk of having an episode. If you’re unlucky like me and have a predisposition for pancreatitis or gallbladder issues, this can push you over the edge into the worst pain of your life and possible life threatening complications. But the percentage of folks at risk is relatively low so this is not a concern for most. Heavy alcohol consumption is a leading cause of pancreatitis so for folks with AUD and diabetes, if this cuts down both diabetes and the causal factor (drinking), maybe it’s a net positive if they’ve never had pancreatitis before. Unfortunately severe pancreatitis increases the risk of Type 2 and 3 diabetes and unfortunately this great treatment won’t be available.