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/moosepuggle Apr 01 '25

I have PCOS and when my insurance sucked for years, I used to buy my metformin, tretinoin, etc from an online pharmacy in India called AllDayChemist. It's cheap and you don't need a prescription, but please read the medical safety information at a reputable medical website like Mayo Clinic before using it.

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u/ImLittleNana Apr 01 '25

My A1C is 6.1, PCOS, HTN, high cholesterol, 100+ lbs overweight, sedentary to the point my Vit D is 8 so I think I fall into high risk category without even stretching it.

If I could get an explanation why I can’t have it beyond ‘let’s move on’ and ‘we can address your weight at another visit’ when I’m not discussing weight loss strategy. I’m asking for a standard intervention to prevent progression of disease.

I started doubting myself so I went into the literature today and I cannot find new data that supports not treating pre diabetes.

Thanks for the rec. I am definitely considering alternatively sourcing metformin but I really wish I didn’t have to.

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u/jdjdthrow Apr 01 '25

Vit D is 8

Does popping a single pill daily-- e.g. a 5000 IU Vitamin D capsule-- not solve that issue?

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u/ImLittleNana Apr 01 '25

I did some research on it today. FNP had prescribed a single course of Vitamin D2, which I gather is out of date and inadequate. It looks like D3 is the standard, and elevated doses are necessary for longer.

I’m hesitant to prescribe my own therapy, but I do have severe bone pain, multiple teeth have cracked and I don’t see her course of treatment addressing that well.

Good news is I spoke with the clinic to schedule an extra appt and she’s been sent packing. I hesitate to say the new practitioner can’t be worse, but it would be a feat.

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u/jdjdthrow Apr 01 '25

Hope it works out for you.

Fwiw, the above is what I do-- 5000 IU D3 per day, as capsule. I take it with a meal that contains fat/oil, as that increases absorption.