Sometimes it feels like weight loss drugs are everywhere you look! At NYBG, we are proud to offer our patients access to these medications alongside medical supervision and support to enhance the experience and the outcomes. While these medications work really well for some people, others are saying goodbye to injectable weight-loss medications. Here’s the part that you don’t see in the headlines: a lot of people ditch their injectables after about a year.
While oral and injectable weight-loss medications can be an effective short-term strategy, the long-term success and safety are still being researched and are unknown.
How Long Do People Stick With Weight-Loss Injectables?
Weight-loss medications, like Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Saxenda, often require users to stay on them for life in order to maintain their weight loss. However, on average, people stop using injectable weight-loss medications within 6 to 12 months after starting. This might sound surprising, but the reality of sticking, literally and figuratively, with these treatments can be more complicated than it seems.
Why Do People Stop Taking Them?
1. Side Effects:
One of the biggest reasons people give up on these medications is the side effects. Common issues include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, and fatigue, are sometimes too much to handle. Plus, those pesky injection site reactions – redness, swelling, and pain – can be quite a turn-o
2. Hitting a Weight-Loss Plateau:
At first, the pounds may seem to melt away, but many hit a point where the weight loss slows down or stops altogether. This plateau can be incredibly frustrating. When progress stalls, some people feel the medication isn't working anymore and decide to stop completely.
3. Cost and Accessibility:
Medical weight-loss injectables can be pricey. Not everyone has insurance that covers the cost, and paying out of p