The Problem with Natural Alternatives to GLP-1 Injections

It's really all about the stigma of taking GLP-1s

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

Patients who report satisfaction with their GLP-1 injections all seem to say the same thing: “I wish I'd started earlier.”

We wish we'd known about all of the benefits to taking these shots, and we wish we'd known how much they could improve our lives a long time ago. Instead, what most of us heard that prevented us from starting much earlier was a whole lot of fear mongering.

When I was first considering GLP-1s back in 2022, I felt inundated by messages that the shots would cause cancer, stomach paralysis, or pancreatitis. One of my relatives flat-out told me that Ozempic had “ruined” their health and pancreas.

When I finally did get the courage to try compounded semaglutide, I struggled with a difficult PCP and an unprofessional local pharmacy that made a lot of terrible errors. I quit after a couple of months, finding that while the medication made me totally disinterested and “bored” with food, I still wasn't losing any weight or seeing any benefits to encourage me to spend the $200 a month.

Eventually though, I began to hear of positive experiences with tirzepatide, the next GLP-1 to come after semaglutide, within the lipedema and lipo-lymphedema community. My lipedema surgeon's office also recommended the drug to me, mentioning that many advanced patients were finding significant relief.

Like Semaglutide, which is marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy by Novo Nordisk, tirzepatide is a GLP-1 agonist FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity in adults.

Manufactured by Eli Lilly, tirzepatide is marketed as Mounjaro for treating adult-onset diabetes, and Zepbound for treating obesity and more recently, sleep apnea.

Studies have given tirzepatide a bit of an edge over semaglutide in terms of weight loss, with many believing that's because the peptide works by two hormonal pathways versus one. It's also more effective for women than men.

What's even more interesting about tirzepatide beyond its ability to trigger weight loss is its ability to provide significant pain relief.

Once I began to hear from other patients with lipedema, lymphedema, or various autoimmune diseases that tirzepatide injections had given them relief from their joint pain and swelling, I knew I wanted to try it for myself.

Still, I was frightened to try it because of so much terrible press about scary side effects. And I didn't believe the drug was good for me since I had a close relative who said they'd suffered so many health problems from Ozempic.