Best Diabetes Medicines for Weight Loss: A Complete Understanding

Diabetes Medicines and Weight Loss

Several medications developed for type-2 diabetes not only maintain blood sugar levels and help with insulin resistance but also help you lose weight. Yes, you can lose weight up to 20% with these medicines. But remember that all these medications work differently and produce different results. For instance, some medicines do it at a high pace and some at a low, especially medications for type-2 diabetes.

Healthcare professionals prescribe these medicines for type-2 diabetes, which eventually leads to weight loss as a side effect. However, the FDA does not approve many of these medications as weight management aids. According to the FDA, you can use only some of these medicines in case of extreme obesity or excessive weight when no other option is available.

How Diabetes Medicines Work For Weight Loss

Diabetes medicines use different mechanisms and work in various ways to stimulate weight loss, especially GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors. Both of these medicines target different areas and function accordingly. Lets understand it here:

• GLP-1 Receptors Work For Weight Loss: These receptors mimic the GLP hormone responsible for making your stomach fuller for longer. Similarly, they lower the blood sugar, making your pancreas release and use your body's insulin, which reduces your overall appetite.
• SGLT-2 Inhibitors Work For Weight Loss: These are comparatively new medications than GLP-1. They help lower your sugar level by releasing excessive blood sugar through urine. But alone, these medications may not work. You have to make credible changes in your lifestyle and diet plans and maintain habits such as regular exercise for the weight loss medications to work more effectively.

How Much Do You Expect To Lose With Diabetes Medicines?

If you are prescribed to use Mounjaro (tripeptide), you are expected to lose almost 15% of your body weight within a year. Similarly, people using Ozempic (semaglutide) can lose almost 8% of their body weight in one year. Other diabetic medications work slowly, such as Tucility (dulaglutide), Rybelsus, and metformin. With these medicines, you can lose 1 to 5% of your body weight.

Diabetes Medication That Helps With Weight Loss

There are many products or medications available today for diabetes that can cause weight loss, but it is up to your doctor and you to decide which medicine works best for you. All these medicines work differently and have different effects on your body.

1. Ozempic (carry active element semaglutide)
2. Rybelsus (carry active element semaglutide)
3. Victoza (carry active element liraglutide)
4. Mounjaro (carry active element tirzepatide)
5. Trulicity (carry active dulaglutide)
6. Empagliflozin (Jardiance)
7. Canagliflozin (Invokana)
8. Metformin (Fortmeza and glutmeza)
9. Dapagliflozin (Farxiga)

Lets know about these medicine rugs one by one in detail here!

1. Ozempic and Other GLP-1 Agonists: These medications are the most well-known injectables for diabetes and help with weight reduction. Although their purpose is not weight loss, they help maintain your blood sugar level. They are injected once a week, and data shows they can lose an average of 10-15 pounds in 56 weeks. They are also effective and lower the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and heart disease.
2. Rybelsus: Rybelsus is the only oral diabetes medication with the same GLP-1 element as the Olympics. It is FDA-approved, and patients who take Rybelsus regularly report a weight loss of 8 pounds in 6 months.
3. Victoza is an injectable type 2 diabetes medicine that also helps patients lose weight. The medicine contains liraglutide, which prevents rapid spikes in blood sugar levels and helps in weight management.
4. Mounjaro: It's an injectable diabetes drug that contains active elements like GIP and GLP-1. It is generally prescribed once a week, and clinical data indicates that it can reduce a patient's weight by an average of 41 pounds in 72 weeks.
5. Trulicity (Carry Active Dulaglutide): The medicine makes you feel full for a long time after the meal. People with higher body weight and long durations of gastrointestinal side effects tend to shed more pounds with this medicine.
6. Empagliflozin (Jardiance) is another great diabetic medicine that removes the maximum amount of glucose from the body through urination and helps with weight loss.
7. Canagliflozin (Invokana): This medicine, which comes in tablet form, is used to treat type 2 diabetes. It helps the kidneys remove sugar from the body through urination.
8. Metformin: Metformin is a common oral drug used to fight diabetes and maintain blood sugar levels. It is taken daily and is also responsible for weight loss. Patients shed around 12 pounds of weight in 6 months.
9. Dapagliflozin: This medicine lowers blood sugar levels and helps with weight loss by increasing urinary glucose excretion. It can also improve heart failure symptoms.

Is There Any Side Effects Of Diabetes Medications?

Although the FDA approves some of these medications, even then, remember that each of these medicines has some side effects. For example, these medicines can cause diarrhea, constipation, low blood sugar, and stomach pain. Similarly, certain GLP-1 medications may increase the risk of developing some serious concerns if you have a history of the following diseases or medical conditions:

1. Gallbladder problems
2. Pancreatitis
3. Kidney and liver disease
4. High cholesterol
5. Eye disease
6. Digestive disorder

So, it is important to tell and consult with your medical practitioner about any medical history or disease before opting for any of these medicines. Sometimes, a combination of two medicines can control and bring down your high sugar levels. Still, it should be done with proper medical assistance and a consultation with your physician.

Conclusion:

Diabetes medications are made to manage and control your sugar levels. But, in some cases, these medicines can also cause weight changes due to changes in insulin levels and how your body uses sugar. Medicines like Mounjaro and Ozempic, in injectable form, can cause significant weight loss. However, oral diabetes medications such as metformin and radiance also cause weight loss, but at a much slower pace and not that significantly compared to injectables. Similarly, other medicines may also cause weight gain. Still, it all depends on your prescription and what medicines suit you best after proper consultation and suggestions by your health care professional.