Popular Weight Loss Drug Shows Promise for Smoking Cessation

[NNadir]

I started on semaglutide about two months ago. I had gone to a scientific conference on which data on the drug was presented and, as I am clearly prediabetic - diabetes, a genetic disease, killed one of my Grandfathers - I wondered why I wasn't on this drug, so I emailed my doctor's office, and they agreed I should be on the drug.

I'm still bald, fat and ugly, but I'm less fat. I've lost 28 pounds as of this morning.

I don't, thankfully, smoke, but this article came in on my news feed this morning:

Popular Weight Loss Drug Shows Promise for Smoking Cessation

Subtitle:

Semaglutide, used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, could hold promise for supporting efforts to stop smoking.

Excerpts:

Semaglutide is a drug that has been steadily growing in popularity, marketed as Wegovy® for weight loss and Ozempic® for type 2 diabetes treatment.

Emerging evidence suggests that semaglutide and other drugs in the same class – known as glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) – may have benefits for other conditions. For example, reducing the risk of dementia in older diabetes patients or lowering the incidence of alcohol use disorder.

Some semaglutide-treated patients have reported a reduced desire to smoke – something that researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine wanted to investigate further...

....However, while the findings only suggest that semaglutide could be beneficial for smoking cessation, the study is not able to prove causation and should not be used to support off-label use of semaglutide before additional studies are carried out.

“The nature of the study design means that its findings would need to be examined in large randomized controlled trials before we could conclude that semaglutide might have an impact on smoking cessation,” Richardson added.

“The authors acknowledge a key limitation of their work: a reduction in medical encounters related to tobacco may indicate that people are reducing their use of tobacco, but could also mean that they are less willing to seek help to quit smoking.”

Reference: Wang W, Volkow ND, Berger NA, Davis PB, Kaelber DC, Xu R. Association of semaglutide with tobacco use disorder in patients with type 2 diabetes. Ann Intern Med. 2024.

There is no news as of yet as to whether the drug vacuums the rugs, waxes the car, or takes out the garbage, but it does seem like something of a medical miracle.

[hlthe2b]

1. This class of drugs is beneficial for many purposes and people. That said, none of these articles are

discussing the side effects--which for some people can be extremely significant and in some cases irreversible. While many will see nothing (or mostly nothing) but beneficial effects, I would highly recommend that you ask your physician to discuss complications with you or research them yourself-- just so you can make an informed decision and/or know what to look for.

I see the serious complications in my work. So, I just urge you to realize the hype is masking that information from being discussed.

Best wishes.

[OnDoutside]

2. What serious complications are you seeing ?

I've been using this drug for years and have lost 185 pounds.

[hlthe2b]

3. Most serious, gastric paresis (paralysis of motility) progressing well beyond nausea and reflux to

severely compromised gastrointestinal motility, pancreatitis in some cases, and potentially deadly bowel obstruction often requiring intestinal resection surgery and possibly temporary or permanent colostomy.

Even mild gastric paresis (which is part of the physiological mechanism that allows the drug to work) is quite uncomfortable for quite a few patients--so for those commonly and consistently impacted, many find it incompatible with staying on the drug.

Most have good success with the drug, but there is little to no pre-screening for those who might be more at risk for these serious complications. The hype has won out. Still, I'm pleased these drugs are available and working for many. But the medical community owes it to patients to inform them fully. And, in many cases, they are NOT.

[OnDoutside]

4. Ok thanks

I have heard of people not being "right" to go onto it but thankfully I've had zero side effects and if I can lose another 15 to 25 pounds I'll probably start coming off it.

[hlthe2b]

5. To your good health!

Definitely work with your prescribing physician on the best strategy when you get to the point of wanting to wean down your dosing. I suspect recommendations will change as more patients have reached that point.

[NNadir]

7. I was titrated up from low dose to a moderately high dose. I really haven't seen any side effects. n/t

[erronis]

6. Apparently there are quite a few "copy-cat" drugs that may not be safe or effective.

I know Pharma likes to scare patients into only taking their brands but it is still wise to be cautious before trying to get another formulation.

[OldBaldy1701E]

8. I have a friend who is taking Mounjaro.

It is $1200 a dose. Those others are around the same price.

So, side effects won't be an issue for myself, since I will never be able to afford such a thing. Neither will a substantial portion of the population, which would really find help in using that drug. But of course, capitalism.

[Lulu KC]

9. These can be compounded

At a much lower price, if you have a doctor who will work with you.

[OldBaldy1701E]

10. That they will.

But, lower prices mean nothing when you have nothing to offer. They will have to be free if they want me to take them. Because I cannot afford even a 90% reduction in the price.

Secondly, why are they being offered at any price other than a reasonable one? You and I both know why. And, it isn't just 'development costs'.

[Lulu KC]

11. Yup

Good old capitalism. Like the air we breathe.