Hi! Thank you for this terrific question! Like my heading states, no all of these medications are the same-Semaglutide is also known as Rebylsus (oral), Ozempic and Wegovy (Injectable). Liraglutide is also known as Saxenda (a daily injectable medication). Tirzepetide (Mounjaro or Zep bound) is a COMBINATION of two hormone targeting medications and works a bit differently than the others. ALL are used for glucose control primarily with a secondary finding of weight loss. Currently only Tirzepetide is approved for Obesity.Not all are the same, so to choose the right medication for you, I'd speak with your trusted physician!
Great question! Yes, patients can take these medications after liposuction. While liposuction does remove fat cells, adipose (fat cells) have an AMAZING ability to expand in size (unlike alot of other cells) so fat can accumulate and recur after such surgical procedures. have plenty of patients who have undergone weight loss or liposuction procedures that have had some egain and started injections. Speak with your physician to see if this is the right plan for you.
Currently three situations are occurring around coverage:-Medical indications regarding coverage are constantly changing (this space is changing regularly as are he logistics and legalities around it)-Insurance Coverage and whether that occurs (which varies from insurance to insurance and often does not follow true medical guidelines)-Supply shortages (You may get the first two squared away but then not be able to find it anywhere available to start or continue treatment)For this reason, the FDA allows for certain pharmacies to compound (or make) the medication during times of shortage, however you must be careful and utilize a trusted physician and pharmacy, with some knowledge of the FDA and compounding process, as some compounding pharmacies are doing the process wrong and harming patients.My suggestion to all my patients is to:1) Call you insurance and ask about coverage. Do not give too much information, you are simply asking.2) Ask if you are required to have a PA (Prior Authorization) document completed and what that entails- you then can decide if you would even like to proceed with the PA process or go straight to purchasing.3) For a large group of people, these medications ultimately (while currently extremely expensive) help patients SAVE money due to cutting down on consumption in a number of ways,a s I have plenty of patients that happily pay out of pocket.Hope this helps!Warmly,Dr. Misra
Hi and thank you for your question! It is a terrific one, and one I get often.Weight is complex and often involves stressors, environment, behaviors, genetics, culture, pleasure centers and more. The relationship people have with food is also very complicated, so the "path" that results in Obesity and Obesity related disease states is not the same for everyone, so getting off medication does not look the same for everyone.Currently, regarding Tirzepetide (Mounjaro or ZepBound), there are ongoing studies to see what "maintenance" or getting off the meds looks like, but from my own personal experience, weight gain after stopping treatment depends on a number of factors and does not occur with everyone. In myown practice, part of the membership is to try and break old habits while creating new ones, and figuring out the role people have with food and beverage and redefining that is paramount to preventing weight regain- but I do not like to pathologize things that may be normal. It is NORMAL to be afraid of weight regain after losing. It is NORMAL for some fluctuations to happen, but keeping in close communication with your physician about your fears, goals, dreams and having an understanding physician supporting you during this journey is key to achieving success. I wish you well! Weight loss is a transformative JOURNEY for a reason.
Hi- so sorry to hear you are suffering. For alot of people, acne needs more than just one approach to keep active acne at bay and help to prevent painful breakouts from occurring. Treatments also exist to help with scarring. Besides washes (unsure which washes you have tried as you have not specified) there are now many oral medications and topical creams specifically formulated for active acne that can be administered by a physician depending on what is causing you to break out. There are even laser therapies to help with painful lesions that also help prevent breakouts. For scar treatment, there are some wonderful chemical peels that can be implemented. Microneedling is also an effective treatment for scarring. Acne can be debilitating for alot of people for many reasons and even the slightest improvement can make you feel wonderful. It is important to get seen by a physician who can help figure out why you may be prone to breaking out and how to move forward with treatment. Best of luck, and hope this helps. Its important that people know there are many therapies available and face washes (while important as part of the process) may not be enough alone to target acne. Thanks for your question! It may help alot of people. -Dr. Misra
