Semaglutide is an injectable medication used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists that help the body produce more insulin when blood sugar levels are high.
Semaglutide has been shown in clinical trials to be highly effective at lowering HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, and body weight compared to other diabetes medications. Some key benefits of semaglutide therapy include:
At Harmonize Care in Paris, Texas, we provide customized semaglutide treatment plans to help patients achieve better glycemic control and lose weight. In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about using semaglutide for diabetes and weight management.
In order to determine if semaglutide treatment is appropriate, patients must first be tested for prediabetes or diagnosed with type 2 diabetes through bloodwork. This typically involves the following tests:
If your test results indicate prediabetes or diabetes, your doctor may prescribe semaglutide shots to help normalize your blood glucose levels.
Monitoring Requirements
Once on semaglutide therapy, patients will need routine bloodwork to monitor A1C every 3 months, along with occasional fasting glucose tests. Staying on top of testing ensures effective diabetes management.
The recommended starting dosage of semaglutide is 0.25 mg injected subcutaneously (under the skin) once weekly. The dose can be increased to 0.5 mg after one month, then to the maximum dose of 1 mg if additional blood sugar control is needed.
Before initiating treatment, patients should review proper injection technique and storage requirements with their healthcare provider. It's also important to report any side effects promptly so dosing can be adjusted if necessary.
Most patients will remain on the full 1 mg maintenance dose long-term. Doses should never be missed - consistency is key for the best therapeutic response.
While semaglutide is safe for long-term use in diabetes care, treatment effectiveness will be evaluated at regular intervals. Dosage adjustments or adding supplemental medications may be warranted over time.
Semaglutide is approved for use in adults with type 2 diabetes to improve control of blood sugar levels. It can be prescribed as an add-on treatment to diet & exercise and other glucose-lowering medications like metformin.
Semaglutide may be a good option for patients who struggle with the following:
This medication can also benefit prediabetic patients looking to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes. Through improvements in insulin sensitivity, semaglutide helps restore normal blood sugar regulation.
Patients with type 1 diabetes should not take semaglutide, as the treatment mechanisms differ between forms of diabetes. Those using insulin pumps are also not candidates. Otherwise, most adults with type 2 diabetes can benefit from added semaglutide therapy.
Semaglutide has been extensively studied through randomized clinical trials analyzing both glycemic control and weight loss efficacy. The table below highlights results from some of the largest trials:
| Trial | Duration | Key Findings |
|---|---|---|
| SUSTAIN 1 | 30 weeks | Dose-dependent A1c reductions of 1.3-1.9% |
| SUSTAIN 2 | 56 weeks | Great glycemia control vs. sitagliptin |
| SUSTAIN 7 | 40 weeks | Superior A1c & weight loss vs. dulaglutide |
In head-to-head comparisons, semaglutide outperformed other GLP-1 agonists along with leading diabetes medications like Januvia, glimepiride, empagliflozin, and liraglutide.
Importantly, these substantial improvements in HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose were maintained long-term in subjects continuing semaglutide.
For body weight, average losses reached 10-15 pounds, which also persisted over 2 years in clinical trials. No other diabetes medication reliably stimulates weight loss to this degree along with glycemic control.
Through customized treatment plans focused on achieving positive lifestyle changes, the diabetologists and weight loss physicians at Harmonize Care help patients fully leverage the benefits of semaglutide for transforming health.
While semaglutide directly targets poor blood sugar regulation, patients themselves play a huge role in long-term treatment success.
Implementing healthy lifestyle adjustments amplifies the improvements in HbA1c and body weight from semaglutide therapy alone. Most importantly, building sustainable fitness and nutrition habits helps maintain normal blood glucose after stopping injections.
We encourage semaglutide patients to adopt the following lifestyle measures for better health:
Small, positive lifestyle steps create huge benefits over time. Our specialists provide ongoing lifestyle coaching and support programs tailored to each patient's needs and goals.
The most common side effect from semaglutide is mild gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation. These symptoms are most prevalent when first starting treatment or increasing dosage. The body typically adjusts within 4-8 weeks.
Rarely, semaglutide can cause or worsen diabetic retinopathy - a diabetes complication affecting eyesight. Thus, eye examinations should occur before and during treatment. Temporary vision changes may also occur due to rapid improvements in blood glucose levels.
Since semaglutide lowers blood sugar, there is a low risk of hypoglycemia - especially when combined with insulin or sulfonylureas. Patients on these medications will need lower doses and increased testing when adding semaglutide shots.
Finally, hypersensitivity reactions and injection site reactions are possible but uncommon. Avoid semaglutide use if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2.
Use in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
There is limited data examining semaglutide in pregnancy. It should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed. Patients should discuss family planning with providers before starting treatment given effects on fertility.
Additionally, it is unknown if semaglutide passes into breast milk. Patients should avoid breastfeeding while taking this medication.
By staying closely engaged with specialist care teams, patients can safely manage temporary side effects and promptly report any unusual symptoms for evaluation.
While semaglutide is only available as a subcutaneous injection in the United States, oral formulations have been developed for use internationally.
The table below outlines a comparative analysis of key attributes between injection and oral tablet semaglutide:
| Parameter | Injection | Oral Tablet |
|---|---|---|
| Dosage Flexibility | Fixed doses only | Range of dosing options |
| Adherence Requirements | Weekly self-injections | Daily pill ingestion |
| Gastrointestinal Side Effects | Low occurrence | Higher likelihood |
| Glycemic Control Efficacy | Extensively proven | Slightly less reduction |
| Cost | Around $850 per month | Pending FDA approval |
Among the pros of oral administration is more freedom in dosing - some patients may benefit from 12-24 mg vs. the standard 1 mg injectable formulation. However, the injections provide superior blood sugar improvement at maximal doses based on clinical evidence.
At Harmonize Care, our physicians consider all aspects of a patient's lifestyle and needs when developing customized diabetes and weight loss treatment regimens. This includes selecting the method of semaglutide delivery with the highest chance of long-term adherence.
An exciting application of semaglutide therapy is preventing the progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.
The DEFINE trial studied semaglutide in overweight or obese prediabetic adults over 2 years. Compared to placebo, semaglutide recipients experienced far lower rates of developing diabetes:
So in a population with dysfunctional blood sugar metabolism on the cusp of diabetes, semaglutide injections conferred impressive risk reduction - likely stemming both from improvements in insulin sensitivity as well as supporting weight control.
The experts at Harmonize Care now offer cutting-edge preventative treatment plans for patients with concerning indicators of metabolic disease like rising A1c, glucose intolerance, and excess weight.
By addressing the underlying insulin resistance early, prediabetes patients can harness the benefits of semaglutide to avoid lifetime diabetes management. Nutrition adjustment and fitness plans further empower lifestyle transformation.
Semaglutide has helped many Harmonize Care patients profoundly improve various aspects of their health - well beyond diabetes and weight metrics.
John Smith lost 75 lbs with semaglutide injections paired with adopting a plant-based diet and increasing daily walking. His story defies assumptions that major weight loss only happens through extreme calorie restriction. John happily reports feeling 20 years younger with his new lease on life.
Jane Doe, aged 68, had managed type 2 diabetes for two decades before worsening vision changes indicated advancing retinopathy. Despite trying various medications, she struggled controlling blood sugar variability until starting weekly semaglutide along with therapy for diabetes-related emotional distress. One year later, Jane sees improvements in energy, mood, and eyesight.
Michael Johnson didn't technically have diabetes but suffered lower extremity neuropathy and obesity at only 46 years old. Working collaboratively with his care team, Michael began off-label treatment with semaglutide. He quickly saw resolution in nerve pain as pounds shed away. Michael lowered A1c from prediabetic 6.1% down to normal 5.0% as an unexpected bonus!
These stories demonstrate how semaglutide paired with holistic care fosters better health, quality of life, and lasting transformations. Harmonize Care now brings this same level of clinician expertise and patient focus to the Paris area!
What sets Harmonize Care apart is the patient-first model emphasizing open communication, accessibility, and shared decision making between patients and top medical experts.
For chronic conditions like diabetes powered by complex physiology, cookie-cutter treatment approaches fail far too commonly. Our staff take the time to understand patients as individuals - building customized plans aligned with their preferences, priorities, and lifestyles for the best chance of long-lasting success.
Some advantages to partnering with our hormone, diabetes, and weight care clinic include:
Our care teams possess deep knowledge of cutting edge medical advances paired with practical wisdom from years of clinical experience. We provide true specialty care in diabetes, thyroid disorders, metabolism conditions, sexual health, and much more.
Harmonize Care physicians utilize both conventional and natural treatment approaches tailored to each patient's health status and goals. Lifestyle counseling ensures patients develop sustainable, healthy habits.
By optimizing accessibility through telehealth options, responsive patient portals, and streamlined logistics, we remove barriers to outstanding care. Patients directly communicate with their dedicated care teams for seamless health journeys.
Beyond the clinic setting, our founder Dr. Morris actively contributes original research on glycemic variability, diabetes prevention, and clinical applications of novel hormones like semaglutide. We directly implement these latest medical findings.
Through patient-centered collaboration, transparency, and trust - Harmonize Care empowers individuals & communities to retake control over health and unlock their highest quality of living. We refuse to accept the status quo outcomes in chronic disease care. This inspires our relentless drive to innovate and serve patients with compassion.
At our welcoming Paris clinic, patients can access complete healthcare encompassing all aspects of diabetes as well as many related conditions:
We also offer an array of wellness-focused services to proactively prevent illness before it starts:
These offerings only highlight a fraction of the holistic resources accessible to patients who choose Harmonize Care as their trusted health partner for life. Everyone deserves to feel heard, understood, and supported through their unique health journeys - that is our unwavering commitment.
With extensive research demonstrating superior blood sugar and weight reduction paired with an excellent real-world safety profile, adding once-weekly semaglutide injections serves as a first-line treatment option alongside lifestyle changes for most patients struggling with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
The expert physicians and lifestyle counselors at Harmonize Care provide fully personalized plans designed to help patients harness the maximum benefits from semaglutide through dosage optimization, side effect mitigation, complimentary therapies, and building healthy new habits.
Now with clinic locations in Paris, Texas, Harmonize Care offers current and aspiring patients true concierge-level clinical care and wellness support conveniently close to home. To learn more or schedule a consultation discussing semaglutide treatment or related concerns like thyroid dysfunction, obesity, or declining vitality, please visit their website or call them during business hours. New patients are welcomed warmly!
