Weight Loss
WEIGHT LOSS MANAGEMENT
At Southern Shores Medaesthetics, we offer a comprehensive weight loss management program tailored to the individual patient. This program includes our staff obtaining a comprehensive medical history, completing a full physical exam, and obtaining necessary laboratory values to assess your baseline nutritional staties. We then delineate a weight management plan to include nutritional recommendations, activity recommendations and often the administration of a weight loss management drug, semaglutide.
the WEIGHTLOSS JOURNEY
Weight loss management is an individualized journey. At SSM, we are committed to assisting our patients throughout their journey to success. Weekly visits are completed. During weekly visits, we evaluate your response and tolerance of medications, review of nutritional status, and continue monitoring your overall well-being.
SEMAGLUTIDE – What is it?
According to the FDA, Semaglutide belongs to a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Semaglatide mimics the GLP-1 hormone that is released in the gastrointestinal tract in response to eating.
Semaglutide promotes weight loss by three mechanisms:
- Improves insulin sensitivity. GLP-1 prompts the body to produce more insulin, which reduces blood glucose (sugar).
- Increased satiety (feeling full). GLP-1 interacts with the parts of the brain that reduce appetite and signal a feeling of fullness.
- Inhibits the production of glucagon, the hormone that increases glycogenolysis(release of stored carbohydrate from the liver) and gluconeogenesis (synthesis of new glucose). It reduces food intake by lowering appetite and slowing down digestion in the stomach, helping reduce body fat.
The potential results of semaglutide treatment for weight loss can be attractive to many people who struggle with diet and exercise. However, it is important to be aware that semaglutide is not the answer for everyone.
The FDA has an official statement for medications containing semaglutide used for diabetes and weight loss management. Please utilize the following link to read the official semaglutide FDA statement https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/medications-containing-semaglutide-marketed-type-2-diabetes-or-weight-loss
Southern Shore MedAesthetics follows clinical guidelines and FDA statements regarding patient care to encourage safe, positive outcomes of semiglutide weight management.
How effective is SEMAGLUTIDE for weight loss in non-diabetics?
An early study (https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183) of 2,000 obese adults compared people using semaglutide plus a diet and exercise program with people who made the same lifestyle changes without semaglutide. After 68 weeks, half of the participants using semaglutide lost 15% of their body weight, and nearly a third lost 20%. Participants who incorporated only lifestyle changes lost about 2.4% of their weight.
Can SEMAGLUTIDE be COMPOUNDED?
According to the FDA official statement, when a drug is in shortage, compounders may be able to prepare a compounded version of that drug if they meet certain requirements in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act. According to the As of May 2023, Ozempic and Wegovy are both listed on FDA’s Drug Shortages list.
What should patients know about COMPOUNDED SEMAGLUTIDE drugs?
Not all compounding pharmacies are equal. At Southern Shores MedAesthetics, we obtain our compounded Semaglutide from 503B pharmacies. This is a specific pharmacy designation that meets the following criteria:
- 503B pharmacies were created as a result of the Compounding Quality Act with the main purpose of offering safe compounded medications that would otherwise be commercially unavailable.
- A 503B pharmacy is a designation created by the FDA that establishes a new level of patient care and safety.
- 503B pharmacies are the only compounding pharmacies that are able to provide office-use (or “office-administered”) medications.
- 503B pharmacies must comply with strict CGMP (current good manufacturing practices) guidelines, the same standards pharmaceutical manufacturers are held to.
- 503Bs test every batch of medication for endotoxin, sterility and potency.
- 503Bs can offer extended beyond-use dates because of the rigorous testing performed under CGMP.
How is SEMAGLUTIDE administered?
This medicine is given as a shot under the skin of your stomach, thighs, or upper arm.
Semaglutide Dosing
- For injection
- Adults begin at a dose of 0.25 milligrams (mg) injected under the skin once a week for 4 weeks. Your doctor may increase your dose every 4 weeks. However, the dose is usually not more than 2.4 mg once a week.
What are SEMAGLUTIDE Side Effects?
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common
- Belching
- bloated, full feeling
- excess air or gas in the stomach or intestines
- gaseous stomach pain
- heartburn
- passing gas
- recurrent fever
- stomach discomfort, fullness, or pain
- yellow eyes or skin
Rare
- Burning feeling in the chest or stomach
- indigestion
- stomach upset
- tenderness in the stomach area
Who should (and should not) take SEMAGLUTIDE for weight loss?
The FDA recommends Semaglutide for weight loss if you meet one of the following criteria:
- Have a body mass index (BMI) of 27kg/m2 or greater and at least one weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol
- Have a BMI of 30kg/m2 or greater
Avoid semaglutide if you have:
- History of medullary thyroid cancer
- History of gallbladder disease
- History of pancreatitis
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN2)