TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)\u2014 These drugs fall into a class known as GLP-1s, mimicking a natural hormone that helps regulate blood sugar, slows how quickly food leaves the stomach, and signals the brain that you\u2019re full.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say in this practice, probably 70% of my patients are on this medication in some way or form,\u201d said Dr. Luke Williams.<\/p>\n
Now, a newer medication, tirzepatide, is gaining momentum. Unlike earlier options, it targets two hormones instead of one.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt works on the gut\u2026 slowing motility. But it also works in the brain for satiety\u2014so you feel full and calm down the food chatter,\u201d Williams explained.<\/p>\n
Doctors say the impact can go beyond the scale. Some patients are seeing long-term success, including improved blood sugar levels and reduced reliance on medications like insulin or metformin.<\/p>\n
Once patients reach their goal weight, the journey doesn\u2019t necessarily end.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou kind of go on a maintenance dose,\u201d Williams said, noting some patients transition to lower doses to help sustain results. Research suggests many people may need to stay on the medication for at least a year to maintain weight loss.<\/p>\n
But there are risks, especially at higher doses.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt higher doses, you can have extreme side effects like bowel obstructions,\u201d Williams warned.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why medical supervision is critical. Experts caution against turning to unregulated online sources, which can pose serious health risks.<\/p>\n
Most of these medications are taken as a weekly injection just under the skin. There are also pill versions available, though doctors say they may work slightly differently in how they\u2019re absorbed.<\/p>\n
Bottom line: while these drugs can be highly effective, and even life-changing, they\u2019re not a quick fix. Doctors say safe, long-term success depends on proper dosing, monitoring, and ongoing medical care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)\u2014 These drugs fall into a class known as GLP-1s, mimicking a natural hormone that helps…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":775145,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[210,1060,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-775144","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-medication","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116522621956692423","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=775144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775144\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/775145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=775144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=775144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=775144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}