Ozempic Perth
Understanding Ozempic and other weight loss medications
Get insight into weight loss medications available in Perth, their benefits and their integration with weight loss procedures.
Availability Ozempic Perth
Ozempic, a popular new weight loss drug
Originally intended for diabetes, Ozempic unexpectedly became popular as a weight loss tool. This once-a-week injection can help people lose 5-10% of their total weight. It functions by mimicking the body’s natural response to feeling full after eating, thereby reducing appetite.
It comes in an injection pen which you can purchase from your local pharmacist. Then you select a dosage on the pen and inject yourself once a week. You start off on a low dose and see how you go for a few weeks. Some people stay on a low dose and achieve good weight loss, others find they need to increase the dosage to start seeing weight loss results.
Ozempic mimics the body’s response to a meal, triggering hormone release in the bowel that signals the brain to feel full, reducing appetite effectively.
Ozempic disadvantages
- Cost: It’s relatively costly, priced at $140 a month in Australia, though cheaper than some alternatives.
- Discontinuing it often results in swift weight regain, leading many to believe it may be a lifelong commitment.
- Nausea: A fair number of people will experience nausea which can really limit use. It can be especially intense during the initial weeks but often subsides, allowing some to adapt.
- Constipation
- Increased risk of pancreatitis
- Increased risk of gallbladder problems
- Slight increased risk of a very rare type of thyroid cancer
Saxenda Perth
Saxenda, a daily weight loss injection
Saxenda is fairly similar to Ozempic. It’s also an injection but unfortunately you have to inject it every day, which is for a lot of people quite onerous. It’s probably as effective as Ozempic but it’s more expensive.
In Australia, the cost is around $440 monthly, totaling nearly $6,000 annually. It’s been available for several years and shares a safety profile with Ozempic.
Given the cost and ease of use, I'd prefer Ozempic over Saxenda.
Weight loss medication Perth
What’s coming to Australia in 2024?
By 2024, we anticipate the introduction of two US-available medications, Wegovy and Mounjaro. Both are weekly injections and may be more expensive when they arrive here.
Wegovy is the same exact medication (semaglutide) as Ozempic but a more powerful dosage. In the US-trials, participants lost up to 15% of their weight so fairly significant weight loss. The side effects are identical to Ozempic.
At a cost of $10,000 annually in the US, it’s pricey, but its Australian price might differ, likely higher than Ozempic. The arrival dates of Wegovy and Mounjaro in Australia remain uncertain as they build stocks in the US and gradually release worldwide.
Contrave is a pill for weight loss, combining two drugs: a mild antidepressant (Bupropion) and an anti addiction treatment medication (Naltrexone). Patients would be expected to lose 5-10% of their weight on it. It costs about $250 monthly, but can cause nausea, constipation, and some serious mental side effects. It’s not the first choice, but can be useful in some cases.
In this video, Perth based Bariatric Surgeon Mr. Jon Armstrong explains new weight loss medications available in Perth, such as Ozempic and Saxenda.
Ozempic or bariatric surgery?
Role of medications in surgical practices
These new medications are unlikely to replace weight loss surgery but rather complement the operations. They’re beneficial for:
- Patients with lower BMI, who might achieve their weight loss goals without undergoing surgery.
- Pre-surgery preparation, by aiding weight loss and making surgeries safer.
- Post-surgery they may accelerate weight loss and increase total loss.
- Maintaining post-surgery weight.
- Addressing weight regain issues and avoiding revisional surgeries.
We also know that when you stop these medications, you are likely to see fairly rapid weight regain.It remains to be seen how these medications pan out longterm.
At Advanced Surgical, we’re always open to discuss how these weight loss drugs can be integrated with surgical procedures, aiming to address any questions or concerns you might have. Get in touch today for more information about weight loss medications or surgery.
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