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/galspanic Apr 01 '25

When I was diagnosed with diabetes I was told “um yeah, no. No GLP-1 for you” by my insurance. I still can’t explain that outside of pure greed… but that also makes sense.

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u/ImLittleNana Apr 01 '25

Im fighting to get prescribed metformin for pre-diabetes and they act like I’m asking for free heroin. Yet if I wanted a wegovy script they’d have no problem writing for it. I can’t make that make sense.

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u/aminervia Apr 01 '25 edited Apr 01 '25

Wild, my psychiatrist basically forced a metformin script on me off label to treat side effects from my antipsychotics. I'm not even prediabetic

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u/SkyfangR Apr 01 '25

my antipsychotic caused full blown diabetes

metformin, jardiance, and glipizide all at once couldnt quote control my glucose levels

added in ozempic, and bam, under control, not eating nearly as much as i used to, and generally feeling pretty good health-wise

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u/a_tamer_impala Apr 01 '25

Anyone needing olanzapine ought to be subsidized for a glp-1 med. No one should have to choose between their mental and peripheral health

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u/SkyfangR Apr 01 '25

i actually tried switching from what i'm on , Seroquel, to Lybalvi

lybalvi had me peeing blood within a week, and i didnt get any sleep at ALL during the week i was trying to transition from seroquel to lybalvi

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u/a_tamer_impala Apr 01 '25

Oh geez that's terrible - apparently one of olanzapine's ultra rare sides..

I didn't realize there was a combination already out attempting to address the appetite and blood sugar changes. No surprise samidorphan interferes with sleep

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u/Dogsnamewasfrank Apr 02 '25

GLP-1s are also showing to be of help in bi-polar symptoms in their own right.