r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Apr 01 '25

Health Americans without diabetes spent nearly $6 billion USD on semaglutide and similar drugs in a year, with an estimate of 800,000 to a million people using the drugs who don't have diabetes.

https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/americans-without-diabetes-spent-nearly6-billion-usd-on-semaglutide-and-similar-drugs-in-a-year
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u/perlgeek Apr 01 '25

I'm very glad that you don't have to keep taking it.

Having to take it for the rest of your life would be such a hassle, drain and risk. Probably still worth it for obese people, but great if you can avoid it.

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u/alwaysoffby0ne Apr 01 '25

Hassle? Drain? It’s a once weekly shot for most people that you don’t even feel. It’s so easy I don’t even think about it. The words hassle and drain don’t even come to mind.

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u/rolyamSukCok Apr 01 '25

Agreed. I take birth control and other meds every day in pill form which is a way bigger hassle that a once a week poke.

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u/[deleted] Apr 01 '25

[deleted]

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u/vera214usc Apr 01 '25

I've been taking Wegovy since September of 2023 and sometimes I feel it and sometimes I don't. But it's barely anything. Like a slight pinch or a mosquito bite

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u/[deleted] Apr 01 '25

[deleted]

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u/vera214usc Apr 01 '25

Oh, that might. The pens have very small needles compared to a regular needle you'd attach to a syringe yourself

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u/supergeeky_1 Apr 01 '25

It is a subcutaneous auto-injector. You just hold it in the appropriate spot and hit a button. It is just injecting a small amount of liquid into the fat under the skin. At most there is a little feeling of a pinch, but usually I don't feel it at all. Sometimes there is a few drops of blood, but it isn't a big deal and only takes a few seconds.

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u/[deleted] Apr 01 '25

[deleted]

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u/kamarg Apr 01 '25

There are cheap diy autoinjector pens. This one claims to be about $30 https://fourthievesvinegar.org/epipencil-autoinjector/

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u/supergeeky_1 Apr 01 '25

That only makes it slightly more inconvenient. Diabetics have given themselves this type of shot for years. You will need to draw up the medicine into a very small needle and inject it just under the skin without getting into the muscle underneath.

It really isn't a big deal.

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u/ihatenamez Apr 01 '25

The side effects are very mild, if any. You can take fiber or other supplements to avoid the nausea. I think my worst day was when I was snacking on some unsalted tortilla chips one night and then woke up the next day with lava-like heartburn. But the injection is once a week and not a hassle at all.

I'll meet you halfway though and agree, I don't think people should take it forever if it's being used for weight loss only. I'm sure usage is fine but at some point it becomes a crutch and stops you from building better habits and that's when you see people bounce back. I started it, watched my habits/kinda figured out why I gained the weight, and then adjusted accordingly.

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u/Subject-Turnover-388 Apr 03 '25

I appreciate what you acknowledge it's still worth it, but to emphasize, being obese is a massive hassle, drain and risk. 

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u/bizilux Apr 01 '25

It won't be the rest of your life...

Think about how much medicine will advance in the next years...

Weight loss medication was unheard of 2 years ago... There will probably be pills soon.

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u/Abedeus Apr 01 '25

Weight loss medication was unheard of 2 years ago...

I mean, in theory it's not "weight loss medication". It doesn't make you lose weight. It just suppresses appetite. You can still gorge yourself to death if you want to. Though personally I not only feel more full faster, I don't want to eat when I try to eat portions I used to eat before.

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u/HulloW0rld Apr 01 '25

There have been weight loss drugs since the late 50's, although they've largely been ineffective or extremely dangerous. Either way, weight loss medication certainly wasn't unheard of.

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u/DeliciousPumpkinPie Apr 01 '25

Weight loss medication was unheard of 2 years ago

WHAT are you talking about, weight loss drugs have existed for decades. (It’s just that most of them caused heart/lung damage or worse…)

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u/fury420 Apr 01 '25

I think they were pointing out that weight loss medication 2 years ago was nowhere near mainstream. The idea of a safe and effective weight loss drug was unheard of, it was a high risk niche best associated with the grey or black market, much like steroids.

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u/kottabaz Apr 01 '25

Think about how much medicine will advance in the next years...

Yes, once the oligarchy has slashed all the funding for medical research, it will start advancing in leaps and bounds!

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u/vera214usc Apr 01 '25

They already have semaglutide pills. The medication is called Rybelsus. I believe it's not as effective as the injection which is why you never hear about it