What are the drugs like Ozempic, Trulicity, Byetta, Bydureon, Victoza and Rybelsus that we keep hearing about on the news and advertising? These drugs are Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). They are a type of hormone known as incretins. A 30- or 31-amino acid long peptide hormone normally produced and secreted in the gut, pancreas, and the brain. What researchers found was that GLP-1 will regulate blood sugar levels by enhancing insulin secretion and delay food absorption in the intestines.
Doctors started using this drug as a treatment for type 2 diabetes and early onset of Alzheimer’s. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the cells of your body become resistant to insulin. This can lead to various health problems such as stroke, heart, and kidney disease. Your body has to produce massive amounts of insulin to keep your blood glucose levels in the normal range. Simply, the body is overwhelmed. Carbohydrate addiction, starches and sugars in our processed food are contributing factors.
Doctors found that one side effect from GLP-1 drugs was rapid weight loss. The popularity of these drugs exploded in the marketplace. Companies that make the drugs like Ozempic, Trulicity, Byetta, Bydureon, Victoza and Rybelsus are capitalizing on this popularity. As of November 2023, Forbes states that sales of Ozempic are up 58%. Novo Nordisk total revenue in 2023 was $23.6 billion dollars.
What we don’t hear about is the problems with these drugs. According to eHealthMe.com, in a phase IV clinical study of Ozempic 19,762 people out of 20,469 reported having side effects. These side effects included weight loss, decreased appetite, back pain, dehydration, drowsiness, pneumonia, and death. As of November 2023, it has been reported that 121 people have died from taking this drug, all within the first two years. 61.54% of them were male while 38.46% were female.
According to 60 minutes Australia, Trish Webster wanted to lose some weight before her daughter’s wedding. She started taking an Opioid-Induced Constipation drug (OIC). She is believed to be the first Australian death from these weight loss injection drugs. General practitioners are prescribing these for weight loss. There are companies that have doctors prescribing these drugs after short video conference calls and verification, making it even simpler to acquire these drugs. Researchers from the University of British Columbia have been studying gastrointestinal type complications associated with taking these types of drugs. These researchers found that there was an 5% added risk in absolute terms. Even though 5% does not sound like a big number, when you consider the amount of people taking these types of drugs, it is a large number of the people who are affected.
I should note that I am not a doctor or a pharmacist and the information I provide is strictly from the research I have done. Now what I don’t understand is if you have insulin resistance, where your body can’t produce enough insulin would you be prescribed and take more insulin. I saw a very interesting quote from Calley Means, “If you have a dirty fish tank, you clean the tank, you don’t drug the fish.” If you want to fix the problem the answer is the correct food. We, as a society, are so lazy about doing the hard work that we will jeopardize and risk our health to get there on the shortest and easiest path available. And big pharmaceutical companies are reaping the rewards and profits. If you start taking drugs like Ozempic, then stop taking them the weight will return because you haven’t done anything to fix the cause. You will be taking these drugs for the rest of your life. This is great for the pharmaceutical companies because they will never run out of customers who are practically addicted to drugs, not wanting the weight to return.
Just so you know, type 1 diabetes is totally different. Type 1 diabetes occurs when an autoimmune attack on your pancreas results in a total lack of insulin production. So, using GLP-1 would not be effective.
I should note that I am not a doctor or a pharmacist and the information I provide is strictly from the research I have done.
