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The few doctors I've seen react to these news all seem to share the same opinion, which is: Duh, if you're prescribed GLP-1 for a medical reason, you're expecte

The few doctors I've seen react to these news all seem to share the same opinion, which is: Duh, if you're prescribed GLP-1 for a medical reason, you're expected to keep taking it basically for life, it's the safe way to proceed. It's not a diet pill.

542458 9mo ago
I'll second this, the medical opinion that I've seen is "You should take the drug as prescribed, if you tolerate it well it's safe to take indefinitely". Now this does get a bit more complex when you consider the nontrivial financial cost to someone without insurance or who's insurance does not cover their intended use.
quotemstr 9mo ago
And the problem with that is what, exactly? These drugs not only optimize weight, but make it easier to avoid all sorts of useless dopamine spam activities. People report drinking a lot less on them too
- afavour 9mo ago
  I think it’s an awareness problem as much as anything. Folks going on these medications aren’t aware it may well be a lifelong commitment. And particularly in the US any lifetime medication comes with financial implications.
- geoduck14 9mo ago
  >And the problem with that is what, exactly? I read the OP's observation to be "they need to take it for life - and not treat it as a short term fix" but people talk about it as a short term fix. Some medication, like Tylenol, is short term. You take it for a headache, and then move on. Other medication, like Adderall, you take for life. Everyday, you take it to manage ADD. OP is arguing that appetite suppressor are a "take everyday for life, and stop talking about it as though it is a short term fix" --- For my part, I know 3 people on appetite suppressors. 1 person lost a lot of weight, and then stopped recently - it is too soon to know if she "relapsed". 1 person lost a lot and will "stop taking it in 2 months". 1 person recently started taking it. In my experience, people do talk about it like a short term fix. Should they take it for life? I'm not equipped to have an opinion just yet.
  - rationalist 9mo ago
    I'm about to start taking it, with plans for it to only be temporary. I used to be fit and healthy, but then some things happened, and now I need a jumpstart to get to a lower weight to where I can resume doing physical activities and resume a healthy diet and lifestyle.
astura 9mo ago
Exactly. Chronic conditions require chronic management. Imagine if the headline was "people who come off statins have higher cholesterol levels than people who lowered cholesterol with diet and exercise." That's obviously stupid, so why are we treating GLP-1s differently? I also hear people say things like "GLP-1s shouldn't exist because you'll gain weight when you go off them" which is as nonsensical (to me) as saying "you shouldn't exercise because the benefits of exercise will stop if you don't continue exercising." It's only GLP-1s that have this "moralizing" associated with them.
- flowerthoughts 9mo ago
  Or: "people who come off vaccinations still don't get sick, compared to those who continue taking vaccines" You have a strong bias towards thinking GLP-1 behaves like a statin rather than a personality altering drug (or a vaccine, or nicotine patches.) Please provide a basis for this bias. We're not treating GLP-1 different because it's a different thing. We're treating it differently, because we don't know if it's an analogous thing without this type of study.
close04 9mo ago
But the article isn't saying it's surprising that you gain weight when you stop the treatment, the surprise is how fast you regain it compared to other treatments. The conclusion isn't at all obvious so there's no "duh" moment. Why would you gain back the weight that much faster if you lost it with this pill vs. that pill?

542458 9mo ago

I'll second this, the medical opinion that I've seen is "You should take the drug as prescribed, if you tolerate it well it's safe to take indefinitely". Now this does get a bit more complex when you consider the nontrivial financial cost to someone without insurance or who's insurance does not cover their intended use.

quotemstr 9mo ago

And the problem with that is what, exactly? These drugs not only optimize weight, but make it easier to avoid all sorts of useless dopamine spam activities. People report drinking a lot less on them too

afavour 9mo ago
I think it’s an awareness problem as much as anything. Folks going on these medications aren’t aware it may well be a lifelong commitment. And particularly in the US any lifetime medication comes with financial implications.
geoduck14 9mo ago
>And the problem with that is what, exactly? I read the OP's observation to be "they need to take it for life - and not treat it as a short term fix" but people talk about it as a short term fix. Some medication, like Tylenol, is short term. You take it for a headache, and then move on. Other medication, like Adderall, you take for life. Everyday, you take it to manage ADD. OP is arguing that appetite suppressor are a "take everyday for life, and stop talking about it as though it is a short term fix" --- For my part, I know 3 people on appetite suppressors. 1 person lost a lot of weight, and then stopped recently - it is too soon to know if she "relapsed". 1 person lost a lot and will "stop taking it in 2 months". 1 person recently started taking it. In my experience, people do talk about it like a short term fix. Should they take it for life? I'm not equipped to have an opinion just yet.
- rationalist 9mo ago
  I'm about to start taking it, with plans for it to only be temporary. I used to be fit and healthy, but then some things happened, and now I need a jumpstart to get to a lower weight to where I can resume doing physical activities and resume a healthy diet and lifestyle.

astura 9mo ago

Exactly. Chronic conditions require chronic management. Imagine if the headline was "people who come off statins have higher cholesterol levels than people who lowered cholesterol with diet and exercise." That's obviously stupid, so why are we treating GLP-1s differently? I also hear people say things like "GLP-1s shouldn't exist because you'll gain weight when you go off them" which is as nonsensical (to me) as saying "you shouldn't exercise because the benefits of exercise will stop if you don't continue exercising." It's only GLP-1s that have this "moralizing" associated with them.

flowerthoughts 9mo ago
Or: "people who come off vaccinations still don't get sick, compared to those who continue taking vaccines" You have a strong bias towards thinking GLP-1 behaves like a statin rather than a personality altering drug (or a vaccine, or nicotine patches.) Please provide a basis for this bias. We're not treating GLP-1 different because it's a different thing. We're treating it differently, because we don't know if it's an analogous thing without this type of study.

close04 9mo ago

But the article isn't saying it's surprising that you gain weight when you stop the treatment, the surprise is how fast you regain it compared to other treatments. The conclusion isn't at all obvious so there's no "duh" moment. Why would you gain back the weight that much faster if you lost it with this pill vs. that pill?