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Semaglutide and similar drugs can feel like miracle weight loss cures for people who have tried just about anything else, but that doesn’t mean it won’t come with its own downsides. This drug is known for producing fast results, something that makes it so effective, but if you’re concerned about side effects, especially depression, you might want to look into it before you start your treatment. Being prepared is ideal for getting started on a new medication. When you know what you are in for, there are far less surprises down the road.
Depression is a mental condition that can be tough to deal with, and can come in different levels of severity. How much of it you have to deal with can affect whether you want to continue treatment or not, or whether you’re even willing to get started. If you need to know what to expect ahead of time so that you make the right decision, we have you covered with all the information you need to get started. We’ll explain everything from how semaglutide works to its connection to depression to make sure you stay informed.
What Is Semaglutide?
Semaglutide is used to treat type II diabetes and excess weight. It is on the market as several different brand names, and those include Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. Semaglutide is the generic version, and tends to cost less than the name brands. Some semaglutide drugs are used to treat diabetes, some are used to treat weight loss, and some are used for both reasons. You also can’t simply pick it off of drug store shelves, it is a drug that needs to be prescribed by your doctor. You have to fit certain criteria to qualify for it, especially if you want it to be covered by insurance.
So who qualifies for semaglutide? You generally need to fit one of three categories to get a semaglutide prescription. The first type of person who qualifies is someone with type II diabetes. A patient with type II diabetes is the ideal candidate since that is who the drug was originally formulated to treat. semaglutide mimics the substance that prompts the production of insulin, which makes it an ideal drug for someone with type II diabetes. The next person who qualifies for semaglutide is someone with a BMI of 30 and up. If you have a BMI of over 30, the rapid weight loss that semaglutide causes can really benefit you, making you a great candidate. The third way to qualify is to have a BMI of 27 and up, and also have weight related illnesses.
How Does Semaglutide Work?
Semaglutide is something known as a GLP-1 receptor agonist. A GLP-1 receptor agonist is a substance made to replace the GLP-1 hormone in the body and perform the functions that it no longer can. GLP-1 is released into the intestines when you eat. It helps control blood sugar by prompting pancreas to release insulin. Semaglutide can change the way your body functions for the better when you have certain issues. It can be taken in mild or high doses, and the dose you get can depend on the brand of semaglutide or your doctor. The higher the dose, the more effective the medication, but the side effects will become more potent as well.
Semaglutide also reduces the appetite. The way it goes about replacing the GLP-1 hormone also has the added effect of suppressing the appetite. It does this by inducing a feeling of fullness in the stomach. Semaglutide causes the hormone levels in the body to rise up to the brain and give it a fullness signal. Semaglutide also slows down the digestion process, another thing that suppresses the appetite. The longer food stays in your system, the longer you will feel satisfied, leading you to eat a lot less on a day to day basis.
Semaglutide’s Side Effects
Semaglutide has the potential to cause one of many side effects, and those side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation. These are the most common side effects, and they are more likely to occur at the beginning of treatment or whenever you up your dose. The number one side effect happens to be nausea, and other side effects can still be prominent though not as common.
Other side effects of semaglutide include dizziness, fatigue, and low blood sugar. Low blood sugar isn’t simply a result of the medication, but a combination of factors. It isn’t likely to happen, but if a patient forgets about their appetite too much, they can potentially experience low blood sugar that can be remedied with a regular food intake. Skipping out on too many meals while using semaglutide isn’t ideal. Even though you will feel hungry a lot less, you need to make sure you get enough nutrients throughout each day. Otherwise, you can even suffer from malnutrition, which isn’t common, but can be an ordeal if you get to that point.
Semaglutide can also cause side effects that affect the skin, and those side effects tend to be the most visible. It can cause loose skin, a situation which is also labeled as “Ozempic face” or “Ozempic butt.” Ozempic is the most popular brand of semaglutide, which is why this phenomena is named after it, but any semaglutide name brand or generic brand can cause this side effect. This loose skin side effect is the result of rapid weight loss. Any place you have the most fat on your body is the place most likely to sag after rapid weight loss.
What Exactly Is Depression?
Depression is a common mental illness that you have likely heard about many times, and likely even experienced yourself. But what causes this common mood disorder and how does it function? Depression is known as major depressive disorder, a mood disorder that causes a severely low mood. It can make you feel as if your life isn’t worth living, cause you stress, and keep you from doing any of the things you would normally enjoy. And aside from the feelings of persistent sadness, depression can also come with a whole range of related issues.
Depression can lead to anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, and even unexplained physical problems. All of this stems from the depressive feelings. If they are severe enough, they come with a lot more than sadness. Depression can even lead to memory issues as well as aches and pains. It can also lead to serious personality changes and loss of appetite. It can even lead to suicidal feelings, one of the most serious effects of depression. These effects can be difficult to deal with individually or at once, but how likely is it that you will experience depression from taking semaglutide?
Semaglutide and Depression
Semaglutide can lead to several different side effects, but how likely is it to lead to depression? Depression doesn’t have a clear relationship with semaglutide. There are reports of it causing depression in certain users, but reports of it reversing depression for others. This is something that can depend on a few factors. Semaglutide can potentially cause depression, but it can also lessen depression depending on the reasons for it. And if you experience depression when taking semaglutide, there are measures you can take to turn things around.
One reason people can experience depression when taking semaglutide is because people with diabetes or obesity can experience depression without having medication involved. Diabetes and obesity can cause issues that lead to depression, so it isn’t always easy to figure out what semaglutide’s role is in it. Mood disorders like depression and anxiety are also really common among the general population, and that makes it even harder to figure out the role that semaglutide plays in the depression of its users. It is even the case that semaglutide can lessen depression if the source of it came from excess weight or diabetes.
There are many reasons why people on or off Semaglutide can experience depression, and you need to try to rule those out in order to determine if semaglutide is the cause. Whether or not you are on medication, sometimes the things in your life can be making you feel depressed, or maybe it has to do with a poor diet. Eating less than what you need is something that semaglutide can lead you to doing, but that doesn’t mean it directly causes depression. You can talk to your doctor to figure out what the cause of your depression is during your treatment, but whatever the cause, you can work to do something about it.
How To Work Through Depression
There are many ways to treat depression, and they can include anything from medication to natural remedies. If you want to fend off depression, you may need to change your routine in some way, and that can mean anything from a new diet, an exercise routine, or a daily pill. Here are a few ways to improve your depression:
Exercise
Healthy diet and exercise can help lift your mood. Even if it doesn't solve your problems, it will make you feel better on occasion because of the positive feelings that can come from exercise. Exercise releases endorphins, one reason it can have a positive effect on the psyche. You can add exercise to your daily routine or make sure to do it once in a while. Getting movement or getting sun can do a lot to improve your overall mood.
Medication
Another way to address depression symptoms is to visit a mental health professional to figure out your next steps. Depending on how severe your depression is, they may recommend you get talk therapy, get medication, or both. You can decide on the option that works best for you and your short and long term goals. You may decide that either of these options are needed for the short term or for the duration of your time using semaglutide.
Natural Remedies
Another way to treat depressive symptoms is with natural remedies. Natural remedies can mean improving your diet to achieve the best gut health, or it can mean taking natural supplements to change the way your body operates for the better. If you want to go the natural supplement route, Dr. Emil has what you need, and a supplement that works well for depression and other mood disorders is 5 HTP. 5 HTP can help turn things around for you over time.
Dr. Emil’s 5 HTP was made to fight off depression and its effects like anxiety. It can easily be taken alongside your semaglutide treatment with little worry. 5 HTP is a natural substance found in the body that plays a role in regulating mood. This supplement is also filled with vitamin B6 and SAMe, a serotonin synthesizer. Serotonin is known to improve low moods, and this supplement will help get it in order.
The benefits of Dr. Emil’s 5 htp:
- Improves mood. Every ingredient in this supplement is meant to improve the user's mood. With the strength of all of them combined, many people see an improvement over time.
- Improves brain function. This supplement helps raise the levels of serotonin in the brain, keeping it at healthy levels. The lack of serotonin can potentially lead to depression, and this supplement reverses that. It also contains vitamin B6 for an even healthier brain.
- Leads to better sleep. When taken about five minutes before you go to bed, 5 HTP can make it easier to sleep. Depression can lead to having issues sleeping, and this supplement works to address that potential.
Semaglutide can inadvertently lead to depression, but there is no concrete link as of yet. Depression is a common disorder that may or may not come from your semaglutide treatment, but wherever it came from, there are ways for you to treat it.
