Ozempic and Zepbound users face 6 rebound risks after stopping, doctor warns
While GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound have reshaped weight management and diabetes control, research shows that many patients stop taking them within a year.
Key points
- Research has found that cycling off these medications can bring potential rebound risks, ranging from rapid weight regain to the loss of cardiovascular protection.
- Frank Dumont, internal medicine physician and executive medical director at Virta Health in San Francisco, spoke with Fox News Digital about why patients stop taking GLP-1s, the potential risks and how to maintain progress afterward.
- The most immediate side effect patients notice after stopping a GLP-1 is the return of intense cravings and a sharp spike in appetite, often referred to as "food noise," according to Dumont.
Many patients assume they can treat GLP-1s like a short-term prescription, taking the drug to hit a target weight or blood sugar goal and then stopping, the doctor noted.
Dumont outlined six potential risks patients may face after stopping a GLP-1.
Additional details
- In the STEP 1 trial extension, participants regained about two-thirds of the weight they had lost within a year of stopping semaglutide and lifestyle interventions.
- TYPE 2 DIABETES PATIENTS 21 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE REMISSION WITH INTENSIVE LIFESTYLE CHANGES Some patients may stop taking GLP-1 medications because of medical concerns or side effects, while others prefer not to remain on long-term medication, Dumont said.
- "Working with your physician to make a decision about whether it's right for you to stay on the medicine or not is important." Other serious side effects, like acute pancreatitis, would prompt immediate discontinuation of the drug.
- However, major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Obesity Medicine Association, classify obesity as a chronic condition that typically requires ongoing management.
- "Unless you have significantly changed what you're doing in terms of the types of foods you're eating, it's likely you'll go back to the same foods you were eating before, and hunger and cravings will go up," Dumont said.
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