What is Semaglutide?
By mimicking a hormone in the body, Semaglutide increases insulin secretion while slowing down how fast your stomach empties food. This suppresses your appetite, so you feel full longer, helping you eat less, and treats insulin resistance allowing you to lose weight.
How Does Semaglutide Work?
Semaglutide mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (or GLP-1) that targets areas in the brain that regulate appetite and food intake. Your digestive tract releases this incretin hormone after you’ve eaten a meal, lowering your blood sugar by triggering insulin release to more efficiently manage blood sugar levels. Doing so helps control appetite, and patients taking Semaglutide for weight loss can lose up to one to two pounds per week. Diet and exercise is key to results, as maintaining healthy eating habits is necessary..
Benefits of Semaglutide
-
Reduces Inflammatory Biomarkers
-
Lower blood sugar without any increase in hypoglycemia
-
Reduced body weight, lipids, blood pressure, and oxidative stress
-
Suppressed appetite
-
Enhanced insulin synthesis and secretion
-
Reduced glucagon levels in fasting and after eating
-
A promoted sensation of fullness sensed by the brain
-
Slowed gastric emptying in the intestines to help you feel full for longer
-
Significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors associated with obesity
Semaglutide Frequently Asked Questions
Semaglutide is new treatment for obesity. It is an anti-diabetic medication belonging to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Incretin Mimetics.
GLP-1 agonists like Semaglutide help to control your blood sugar, but people taking them also tend to lose weight. GLP-1, the key hormone involved, slows down how fast your stomach empties food (called gastric emptying). In addition to causing your pancreas to release insulin, Semaglutide also blocks a hormone that causes your liver to release sugar (glucagon). Together, these functions can help you feel less hungry, causing you to eat less food, and lose more weight.
Semaglutide works by binding with the same receptors as powerful, naturally-occurring GLP-1 hormones that exist in your body, which improve your metabolic function, and regulate your digestion so you can feel full longer and maximize nutrient absorption.
All individuals start at the .25mg. injection dosage with a recommended increase in 5 weeks to .50mg with another increase in 4-5 weeks to 1.00mg. If weight loss plateaus continue to increase every 4 weeks until you reach the optimal therapeutic dose. Never increase prior to 4 weeks and never exceed 2.50mg of Semaglutide.
Semaglutide will be prescribed as a weekly subcutaneous injection. Injections should be administered every 7 days in the abdomen alternating locations. Semaglutide is started at a low dose that is gradually increased so it is important you use the medication exactly as directed. One injection should be administered on the same day each week. Do not increase any dose prior to 4 weeks.
No, Semaglutide is not a type of insulin or a substitute for insulin. Semaglutide does stimulate your pancreas to release insulin when glucose (sugar) is present. Because Semaglutide relies upon your body’s own insulin to have this effect, Semaglutide isn’t used when your pancreas can’t make insulin, such as in patients in type 1 diabetes. We are unable to prescribe to patients with DM1 (Diabetes 1) and advise insulin to be regulated by your treating physician
Semaglutide is meant to be titrated up to help minimize negative side effects. You will START with 0.25mg for 4-5 weeks then increase to 0.50mg for 4-5 week then increase again another increase in 4- 5 weeks to 1mg, dose increases monthly thereafter until the optimal therapeutic dose is reached.
No. Semaglutide is not a stimulant and is non habit forming. Semaglutide can be taken in conjunction with an appetite suppressant such as phentermine or phendimetrazine.
Yes, it is believed that Semaglutide can help curb your appetite though not everyone experiences a curbed appetite. In addition to slowing gastric emptying to make you feel full for longer, GLP-1 also plays a direct role in how your appetite is regulated by your brain.
No. Semaglutide is not covered by insurance for people who are not diabetic type 2. Fortunately, we are able to offer our compounded medication at a very competitive, low price.
What's Included with our Semaglutide & Tirzepatide program
Check Mark | Monthly Weight Loss |
|---|---|
✓ | Always free consultations |
✓ | No hidden fees or contracts |
✓ | Medication |
✓ | Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly visits to our office |
✓ | InBody analysis throughout the program |
✓ | Monthly Lipotropic Injections |
✓ | Medication for nausea |
✓ | Stool softener to help prevent constipation |
Start your journey today
If you want to learn more about Semaglutide and whether or not it is right for you, schedule an appointment with us today. You can request an appointment online, or you can call our office, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
When you request an appointment online, please be aware that your selected time and date are pending our approval. Your appointment is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation from us. If you would like to have a confirmed appointment immediately, we recommend calling our office directly to schedule. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated as we work to confirm your requested appointment.
New patient weight loss appointments are available Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday - Please select New Patient option when requesting appointment
Safety and Transparency First:
Important Information for Your Care
At Pura Vida Wellness, we are committed to providing safe and effective treatments. We work with an FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facility that follows stringent quality control measures and complies with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). This ensures the highest standards of sterility, safety, and consistency in the production of our compounded medications.
Please note that while the facility we partner with is FDA-registered, the compounded medications themselves are not FDA-approved. Compounded products may still be legally prescribed, and your healthcare provider may issue you a prescription for compounded medications based on your medical consultation. These compounded medications are custom-made formulations designed to meet individual patient needs and are not subject to the same premarket approval process as commercially manufactured drugs.
As always, we recommend discussing any questions about your treatment with our medical team to ensure you fully understand the potential risks and benefits.