It’s no secret that some people have taken to “microdosing” medications because they can’t afford the recommended dose and schedule.
When it comes to Ozempic, though – one brand name in a class of GLP-1 drugs, originally developed for diabetes treatment – even doctors say there could be benefits from taking it in smaller amounts.
One of those doctors, neurosurgeon Brett Osborn, spoke with USAToday about benefits other than weight loss, like lowered blood sugar and cholesterol.
Researchers believe that GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy work for weight loss by mimicking the gut’s feeling of fullness. Doses typically start at a quarter-milligram or half-milligram and come in pre-loaded pens.
Some believe this is a good way to wean themselves down as far as a dose, and help them maintain their weight loss instead of rebounding once they quit completely.
“The medications are not to be stopped. You just keep the gas pressed, albeit at smaller amounts, and that weight loss will be maintained.”
Cosmetic dermatologist Aria Vazirnia says he’s seen an increased interest in smaller doses of GLP-1s, too.
“Often in managing weight, there’s so much stigma and bias from both the clinician side and the patient side that often people’s brains want to try to tell them that they can outsmart the system. They’ll feel better about the fact that they’re on a medication if they go to a smaller dose, and, really, what we need to get to the root of is, let’s make this patient feel whole from the beginning, that there’s nothing wrong with using a medication.”
Neither doctor or USAToday goes into how microdosing works, or how much of the drug is considered a microdose.
Likely, these patients are using compounded versions of semaglutide, which are generic versions of Ozempic and Wegovy that do not come preloaded in a pen.
It’s worth noting that these drugs were not developed specifically for weight loss purposes, and very little research has been done on what negative side effects might be coming down the road.
No one would advise doing this without taking to some kind of health professional first.
But I’d wager that’s happening more often than not.
