When you’ve been trying to find new methods to advance your weight reduction efforts, you’ve most likely heard about incretin mimetic medication like Mounjaro, Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy, and Zepbound. Many individuals have reported dramatic weight reduction by taking some of these medicines.
However what occurs if you cease taking incretin mimetics for weight reduction? Do you acquire weight again after quitting, or do it’s a must to take them perpetually to take care of your outcomes?
Quick reply: Whenever you cease taking incretin mimetics, you’ll possible 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 fee — each Mounjaro and Ozempic have a listing worth of about $1,000 for a month’s provide. Out-of-pocket prices will fluctuate based mostly in your insurance coverage plan, however they’ll add up shortly, particularly if it’s a must to issue them into your month-to-month funds perpetually.
These medicines are additionally comparatively new to the scene, which suggests their long-term results will not be totally understood. It’s necessary 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’s best to at all times speak 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 you want to know.
How Do Mounjaro and Ozempic Work?
Mounjaro, Zepbound, Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy work by mimicking metabolic hormones known as incretins. Therefore, these medication are known as incretin mimetics.
This hormonal mimicry enhances the physique’s capacity to take care of wholesome blood sugar ranges. It additionally helps scale 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 medication all work in comparatively comparable methods, there are a couple of key variations on the subject of their mechanisms of motion and meant use.
Semaglutide mechanism of motion
These three medicines are manufactured by Novo Nordisk and comprise the identical lively 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 (tablet kind) are each FDA-approved as first-line remedies for kind 2 diabetes. Nonetheless, medical doctors will generally prescribe these medicines off-label — i.e., not as directed — for weight reduction.
Wegovy, then again, is an FDA-approved, injectable model of semaglutide formulated particularly for weight administration. It’s meant for adults with weight problems or obese adults with at the least one weight-related well being situation.
Tirzepatide mechanism of motion
The lively 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 leads to extra weight reduction than semaglutide,” says Mir Ali, MD, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Middle at Orange Coast Medical Middle in Fountain Valley, CA. “This has been attributed to affecting two receptors fairly than one.”
Mounjaro and Zepbound, that are each administered by way of 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 at the least 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 when you’re taking them. However if you cease taking these medication, your metabolic perform will revert again to its pre-medication state, and the quantity on the size will possible observe go well with.
Listed here are a couple of frequent negative 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 possible regain a lot of the burden you misplaced
As soon as your urge for food is again in full swing, you’ll must preserve a detailed eye in your calorie consumption. “If the affected person isn’t cautious, they’ll begin regaining weight,” Ali says.
One medical trial discovered that, a 12 months after stopping incretin mimetics, individuals had regained a mean of two-thirds of the burden they’d initially misplaced. Their cardiometabolic enhancements went again to baseline, too.
3. Your blood sugar might rise
Whenever you cease taking incretin mimetics, Ali says, insulin secretion returns to its earlier state and you could 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 12 months later, all three tirzepatide teams had larger 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 have 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 medication like semaglutide and tirzepatide have an effect on the physique, quitting chilly turkey isn’t suggested with out the steering of a doctor. That mentioned, there isn’t a compelling proof that discontinuing their use will trigger critical withdrawal signs.
There is a rising physique of analysis, nevertheless, suggesting that many individuals expertise a “fast rebound” in blood glucose ranges and weight acquire after stopping incretin mimetics. These results “usually are 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 could be attainable to cease taking semaglutide and tirzepatide with out regaining a lot weight. However you’ll have to be ready to make use of the next way of life methods:
“If a affected person is ready to make vital, long-term dietary and way of life adjustments, then they’ve a greater likelihood of retaining the burden off when the medicines are stopped,” Ali says.
As at all times, you will need to keep in mind it’s best to at all times 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 a whole lot of hype, but it surely’s necessary to notice that they’re meant to be long-term remedies for power well being points — not only a fast method to lose a couple of cussed kilos.
“These medicines are designed for sufferers categorised as overweight with a physique mass index over 30, or over 27 with different co-morbid situations,” Ali says.
Even for individuals who meet the medical standards, a weight reduction drug is not any substitute for a balanced food plan and common train. Consuming nutrient-dense meals remains to be one of the best ways to get the nutritional vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants you want. And a weight reduction medicine can’t stand in for train on the subject 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 keeping with the Meals and Drug Administration, the half-life of tirzepatide is about 5 days. Meaning if you cease taking these medication, it could take round a month for the drug to be fully gone out of your physique.
The half-life of semaglutide is round seven days, so if you cease taking these medication, it could keep in your system for about 5 weeks after the final dose.
Nonetheless, to take care of their effectiveness, semaglutides and tirzepatides are prescribed for weekly use, they usually’re meant for use indefinitely. “Weight problems is being regarded as a power illness, reminiscent of diabetes or hypertension, so sufferers might have to be on these medicines long-term,” Ali says.
