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Home » Uncategorized » New weight loss medications offer help and hope in obesity fight – 2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa

TULSA, Okla. Americans are piling on the pounds. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of obesity in the United States had reached 41.9% by 2020. Health professionals agree it is a complex problem. While behavioral changes are first on their list of recommendations, three new medications are offering help and hope to patients.

"This is me being vulnerable!" Ali Herman stated in a recent Tiktok video from her account @lifeon120. "I'm scared of needles and I'm about to inject myself."

The first step in Ali Herman's weight loss journey was a tough one that she shared on social media. She showed her first injection of the new weight loss drug, Mounjaro.

"I was like, it's gonna hurt. It's gonna hurt it's gonna hurt," Ali Herman said. "and I completely psyched myself out."

Only Ali found that first injection did not hurt, after all. She insists she did not even feel it. Ali, who lives in Beggs, turned to

"I fought weight all my life. I fought obesity all of my life," said Matt Lee, APRN, CNP.

As one who has battled to keep weight off, Lee has tried the medications. So has his wife, Abbi, who has lost more than 80 pounds. His patients, who range in age up to their 70's have lost up to 100 pounds. Ali lost 43 after four months on the program.

Across the nation, patients are asking for obesity drug Wegovy and type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic - which share the same active ingredient: Semaglutide. Ozempic was approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes back in 2017. Then, a higher dose of semaglutide was approved for weight loss treatment. Pharmacists say the medication helps the body regulate blood sugar, makes you feel less hungry and fill up faster while eating. The most recent drug, approved in 2022, is Mounjaro. Tirzepatide was first developed as a new diabetes drug. However, after clinical trials found patients lost up to 22-percent of their body weight, more than triple the benefit of older drugs for obesity, it is now under fast-track consideration by the FDA for weight loss treatment.

At his Sapulpa health and wellness clinic, Lee says the phones ring constantly with people calling for information on the options for weight loss. Patients must have a BMI of 27 and not have certain medical issues such as pancreatitis.

However, Lee insists his patients must make changes for long term success.

"Because it's not a magic drug. I know there's a lot of people making it out to be that but we still want people to exercise, we still want people to improve their diet overall. Drink their water like they should," Lee stated.

In Tulsa, Dr. Micah Derby, who specializes in internal medicine at OSU Medicine, also prescribes the newer weight loss medications to some of his obese patients.

"We first talk about lifestyle modification, always and forever," said Micah Derby, D.O., internal medicine physician at OSU Medicine in Tulsa. "Like, 'Hey, are you are you exercising? Are you doing, you know, portion control? What are you doing to obtain your weight loss without medicinal help.'"

He also warned some patients can develop side effects ranging from headaches to nausea and gastrointestinal issues such as diahhrea. Dr. Derby also said it is not recommended for patients with a history of pancreatitis, slow gut syndrome or medullary thyroid carcinoma.

"These medications kind of help you forget to eat and drink," Dr. Derby said. "Forget to drink water, your blood pressure is going to get down and you're going to get a little dizzy. So, all kinds of different types of side effects but mostly it's mostly what we say gastrointestinal."

While drug manufacturers say these new medicines promise fewer side effects than their predecessors, Dr. Derby says every medication needs to be carefully considered. He encourages patients to discuss options at length with their physician and decide if one of the new medications is the best way to move forward. He has seen that the medications can help patients leap the weight loss hurdle they struggled with before.

For patients who reach their goal weight, there are options. Doctors say there is data showing patients can stay on the medication for an extended duration of time with close monitoring of health and dosage. However, those who come off the medication will have to stay vigilant to avoid weight gain.

"If they have not taught themselves good eating habits during the time that they're using it, of course, nature is going to do what nature does. You're still eating your pizza, your cheeseburgers, your weight is going to come back on," Dr. Derby added.

As for the cost, there is a wide range depending on whether it is prescribed by a physician or private clinic, if the patient has insurance, and if the health insurance company covers the medication. With complete health coverage, some patients pay as little as $25 a month for treatment. There may be coupons available online to patients who qualify for the drug manufacturer's discounts. Those without coverage may face expenses up to $1,000 per month. At Divine Health, monthly treatment is approximately $300 per month.

Matt Lee believes the health improvements his patients are seeing will improve their long term health. "We're preventing the high blood pressure, we're preventing the diabetes, we're preventing the high cholesterol," Lee said. "And hopefully we are preventing some of the cancers that are related to it as well."

Ali Herman found losing weight helped bring two key of her health conditions, Hashimoto's and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), under control. The weight loss has also greatly improved her outlook.

"Mind over body you can do this," Herman said. "You are strong, you are brave, you are confident and it's kind of given me the tools to do that. I think that's where my new goal is gonna lie not in the numbers but in the mindset of it all."

Ali clearly looks different from her TikTok feed on her first day of treatment and yet what remains the same is her ultimate goal for losing weight. She is hoping her new regimen of no sugar, a healthy diet and plenty of water - along with the medication - will help bring about the pregnancy she has been hoping for with her husband.

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New weight loss medications offer help and hope in obesity fight - 2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa

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Home » Uncategorized » New weight loss medications offer help and hope in obesity fight – 2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa