Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Do Weight Loss Drugs Cause Hair Loss? Doctors Explain

wegovy hair loss

If you have nausea during your treatment, your doctor can help determine what may be causing this side effect. If you have additional concerns about Wegovy cancer side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. However, if the side effects last longer than that, bother you, or become severe, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Cholelithiasis has been reported in 1.5% and 0.4% of patients receiving 0.5 mg and 1 mg weekly, respectively. If your doctor confirms you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Wegovy, they may have you switch to a different treatment.

Some people taking weight loss drugs say they're experiencing hair loss

Next, she went on to lose another 50 pounds on the weight-loss drug Wegovy and got regular periods back for the first time in years. Read the Instructions for Use that is with your prescription and use this medicine exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to. Your healthcare provider should train you on how to use this medicine before you start using it. Tell your healthcare professional if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. You should talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while using this medicine. You should not use this medicine if you have tumors in your glands called multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2  (MEN 2) or a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).

What happens if I miss a dose?

Now, anecdotal reports are coming in of hair loss as a side effect of these weight loss drugs. The good news is that hair loss or hair shedding (telogen effluvium) is usually a temporary side effect of rapid weight loss with these medicines. It’s also relatively uncommon, occurring in less than 5% of people, based on available clinical data, and typically only affects hair on the scalp. WeightWatchers, which was founded in 1963, last year acquired telehealth provider Sequence, enabling members to get prescriptions for weight loss drugs. Ozempic and Wegovy are both brand names for the drug semaglutide, which has been prescribed for several years to treat type 2 diabetes (Ozempic) and, since 2021, to those who are overweight or have obesity (Wegovy).

Risk of thyroid cancer

Acute pancreatitis can be a severe or even deadly side effect, so call your doctor right away and stop taking Wegovy if you experience any of these signs or symptoms. Cases of MTC have been seen in patients treated with another GLP-1 receptor agonist known as liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza) after it was approved by the FDA. However, it is not known if liraglutide caused these tumors because there was not enough data in the reports to draw a final conclusion. If you consume alcohol, talk with your doctor to find out whether it’s safe to do so while taking Wegovy.

wegovy hair loss

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"This is particularly important for certain forms of bariatric surgery … since that can lead to malabsorption of specific vitamins and minerals that need to be periodically measured and supplemented." It’s up to the individual to weigh the benefits of treating obesity against the risks of the therapy, including the low risk of developing temporary hair loss, says one expert. McCauley said she factors in several things when considering weight-loss medications for patients of any age, including if the patient has already tried achieving weight-loss goals via other means, like exercise or diet changes.

How do patients inject Wegovy®?1

If you notice hair loss while using any of these medicines, or if you are losing weight more rapidly than expected, contact your healthcare provider. While telogen effluvium is typically a short-lived event and resolves on its own, you may need adjustments in your calorie or protein intake, vitamins or other nutritional supplements. When you start treatment, talk with your healthcare provider about your expected weight loss goal, the time frame, and how you should approach a healthy diet. You may also want to meet with a registered dietician for diet and meal planning advice.

Conditions

Tjelle had started a demanding career, and working night shifts as a nurse made it hard to develop healthy eating and exercise habits. While studying, Tjelle was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, which is linked to irregular periods and weight gain, and experienced plantar fasciitis, which can cause stabbing pains around the heel and arch of the foot. All that means that semaglutide isn’t exactly a cure-all, in the vernacular sense.

Now Ozempic patients say they're going BALD while on fat-loss shot - Daily Mail

Now Ozempic patients say they're going BALD while on fat-loss shot.

Posted: Tue, 25 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

In this case, you may be at a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer from taking Wegovy. Although the risk of thyroid cancer hasn’t been seen in humans, it was reported in animal studies. However, it’s important to note that animal studies don’t always indicate what may happen in humans.

Related medical questions

In contrast, a review of 18 mostly observational studies reported that 57% of patients had hair loss after bariatric surgery. Wegovy helps with weight loss and long-term weight management. It’s used as part of a long-term weight management plan, which also includes a reduced-calorie diet and regular exercise. Luxury athletic club operator Life Time launched a membership program last year that offers comprehensive medical testing, personalized training and a host of alternative therapies like cryotherapy. Members of the Miora program also can get Ozempic and other weight loss drugs through the medical staff of a clinic that opened in Minneapolis last year.

This is not the first drug to mimic the effects of GLP-1, but it has some exceptional properties not seen in other such drugs. Dr. Ali said that aspiration as a side effect of GLP-1 medications makes sense because one of the effects of these medications is it slows down the emptying of the stomach. Aspiration occurs when liquid, food, or something else accidentally enters a person’s airway and makes its way to the lungs. This can happen either when a person swallows something — known colloquially as “going down the wrong way” — or food or liquid coming back up from the stomach. It’s estimated around 24 million people in the United States, or 7% of the population, will take GLP-1 medications by 2035. Wegovy® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.

There isn’t a benefit to losing weight during pregnancy, so your doctor likely won’t recommend taking this drug during pregnancy. They will likely recommend that you stop taking Wegovy at least 2 months before becoming pregnant. Although rare, it’s possible for Wegovy to cause depression or increase your risk of suicidal thoughts. If you already have depression or a mood condition, taking Wegovy may make your condition worse. In this case, your doctor may recommend monitoring your mood more often while you’re taking Wegovy.

A boxed warning is the most serious warning recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The purpose of a boxed warning is to alert patients and prescribers about the possible risks of taking a medication. Although hair loss a shocking side effect, Dr. Vijaya Surampudi, assistant director of the UCLA weight management program in Los Angeles, said it’s relatively uncommon among people taking the medications. "It is rare, but we can see patients who have a period of diffuse hair loss, called telogen effluvium or 'stress shedding,' with rapid weight loss," said Michael A. Weintraub, MD, an endocrinologist at NYU Langone Health in New York City.

Tjelle wasn't in the right mindset when she tried to lose weight in the past, she said. Tjelle tried fad diets, but they only made her weight fluctuate, leading her to gain back what she'd lost and more. Tjelle had been an athletic kid, but she started gaining weight as she became less active after joining nursing school. Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially insulin or other diabetes medicines, such as dulaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide, Byetta, Trulicity, Victoza, and others.

Ultimately how widely Medicare Part D coverage of GLP-1s expands could have far-reaching effects on people with obesity and on Medicare spending. Wegovy (semaglutide)belongs to the class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists. GLP-1 receptor agonists are a manufactured version of GLP-1, a naturally occurring hormone in the body that acts in several areas in the brain to regulate food intake. When Wegovy is administered, it activates the GLP-1 receptors in the brain. This lowers appetite, reducing the calories consumed and leading to weight loss.

So, there’s a chance a person taking the drug will notice hair loss. Ali said there’s a reason for that, because the hair loss people are experiencing likely isn’t a side effect of the drug itself. Your doctor can also evaluate your diet and other stress levels, and be sure there is not another cause for hair loss, such as altered thyroid levels, polycystic ovary syndrome, or iron deficiency. Weight loss with these treatments usually continue over a year, before you stabilize at your goal weight, and then the medicines are continued to help maintain your weight loss. Although there are some cases in which genetic hair loss or hair loss due to another condition coincidentally overlap with telogen effluvium, in which cases hair will not grow back on its own, this usually is not the case, Surampudi said.

In studies, low blood sugar occurred in 6% of patients taking Wegovy and 2% taking a placebo (inactive treatment). Low blood sugar has also been reported in patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists who do not have type 2 diabetes. Wegovy (semaglutide) is a weight loss medicine approved to be used in adults and children 12 years and older with obesity, or excess weight and weight-related health problems (like high blood pressure or high cholesterol). You may experience constipation during your treatment with Wegovy.

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