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The weight loss medication market explodes - and it should continue to gain popularity. In fact, analysts predict that 2024 will be another stellar year For these drugs, including diabetes and weight loss options from Novo Nordisk, Ozempic And Wegovy, as well as the comparable options of Eli Lilly, Mounjaro and Zepbound, by CNBC. However, due to their increase in popularity, these drugs are often very difficult to find, with Ozempic and Wegovy currently in shortage , according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Consequently, some patients are looking for older weight loss treatment options, which would be much easier to get.

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Christy Nguyen is one of these patients, speaking exclusively with CNN about his trip with Different weight loss drugs . After not having seen the results of the regimes and joining Deswelewswatchers, she began to take agonists from GLP-1 receptors, notably Ozempic and Mounjaro. However, she encountered current problems with insurance coverage, which resulted in financial pressure.

According to Jody Dushay , MD, endocrinologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Nguyen supplier, in addition to insurance struggles, many people just can't get their hands on these drugs.

"People come to the door in search of a treatment with a GLP-1, then for any reason, they cannot get it or change their mind," she told CNN.

There was a significant increase in prescription rates for semaglutide, the active ingredient in the Ozempic and the Wegovy, and the shooting, the active ingredient of Mounjaro and Zepbound. Last year, the prescription rate for the semaglutide doubled and the shooting increased by 141%, reported CNN, citing data from epic research exclusively provided at the exit.

With these shortage options (the FDA website notes that Mounjaro is currently in shortage, but all doses are listed as "available"), in progress insurance struggles and other factors, patients now consider other weight loss options, including older drugs such as Phentermine, metformin and bupropion, said Dushay to CNN.

In fact, prescription rates for old drugs also increase, even if they are lower than that of more recent options, according to EPIC data. Between 2017 and 2023, bupropion rates increased by 29%, while Phentermine rates increased by 34%.

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Dushay ended up prescribing bupropion for Nguyen. He is better known in his brand, the Wellbutrin antidepressant, first Approved by the FDA in 1985 . In 2014, he received another approval for weight loss when combined with naltrexone and marked as Relax . Dushay explained that bupropion can help desires, just like the way it helps people quit smoking (for which it is also approved).

Another option for these patients is phetermine, which has been approved for weight loss when combined with topiramate, marked as QSYMIE .

During clinical trials, patients under contrave and QSYMIE did not lose as much weight as those who took the GLP-1, CNN reported. However, these drugs can also be more profitable (even if you have to pay the pocket), are not also likely to be in shortage and are pills instead of injections, said Dushay.

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Dushay and Louis Aronne , MD, director of the full weight control center for Weill Cornell Medicine, should be older options when you find the right type for each person. For a patient with cardiovascular disease, for example, Aronne said to CNN that he would not prescribe Phentermine, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure.

Dushay stressed that new drugs produce different side effects, which patients have cited as painful And debilitating . They can also cause muscle loss, malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, Zhaoping Li , MD, professor of medicine and chief of the clinical nutrition division at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), told CNN.

Another means of deterrence is the novelty of GLP-1 drugs, which means that experts do not have as much information on how they affect long-term patients, which is aggravated by a updose trend of overdoses linked to the use of semaglutide. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

However, doctors highlight the advantages of new drugs, Wegovy demonstrating positive effects on heart health in recent studies. For Nguyen, new drugs are always his favorite approach. After the success she saw on Mounjaro, she now starts treatment on a lower dose of Zepbound, which has recently been approved and can provide increased access to patients.

Nguyen's insurance coverage was again refused, but Eli Lilly also offers a coupon to reduce the costs of the pocket, helping it financially before being able to go to a higher dose of Wegovy, which is covered.

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Best Life offers the most up -to -date information for high -level experts, new research and health agencies, but our content is not supposed to replace professional advice. Regarding the medication you take or any other health issue you have, always consult your health care provider directly.