Weighing benefits, risks of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs

In recent years, weight-loss drugs have become a common addition to diet and exercise routines.

The rise of GLP-1 medications has reshaped the weight-loss industry. These drugs provide fast results for patients with type 2 diabetes, obesity and other conditions. However, experts warn that the medications have risks patients may not be aware of.

These drugs come in different forms like pills, shots or drops, and they can be sold under different brand names like Wegovy or Ozempic. Some of the most popular drugs on the market are GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) agonists.

According to the University of Utahs HealthFeed, GLP-1 agonists are a type of medication that mimics the natural production of the GLP-1 hormone in our bodies that regulate blood sugar levels.

Jacquie Anderson, known as @itsnursejacquie on Instagram, is a registered nurse who promotes the use of GLP-1 drugs for women on social media.

Used properly, GLP-1s help reduce inflammation, calm cravings, balance insulin and bring metabolism back, Anderson said in an Instagram reel.

Liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide are the three drugs on the market. They are often marketed under the brand names Victoza or Saxenda, Ozempic or Wegovy and Mounjaro or Zepbound, respectively.

Holly Kurtzeborn, a stay-at-home mom in Arizona, has tried both forms of the drug.

After hearing about weight-loss shots from her friends at church, Kurtzeborn said she went to a mens health clinic to talk to a doctor and learn more. The doctor showed her how to administer the shot to herself and sent her home with a prescription for semaglutide. She took her first dose that night when she got home.

Honestly, it was awful, she said.

Immediately after taking the shot, she said her heart rate skyrocketed and would not come down. Her body was shaking, she started throwing up and she couldnt eat.

Kurtzeborn said she started experiencing severe anxiety that evening.

I had full-on anxiety and panic attacks that literally came out of nowhere, she said.

For the next few weeks, the drug took a toll on her mental and physical health.

I could only keep down one Fairlife shake a day, and I had to pace myself while drinking it, she said.

Kurtzeborns panic attacks wouldnt stop, and she said she started having suicidal thoughts, which was not something she had previously struggled with.

Kurtzeborn described feeling hesitant to take a second shot of the drug because of her poor experience after the first, but she decided to take it anyway. She said her anxiety and panic attacks worsened again after taking a second dose.

Thats when she decided to go back to the mens health clinic where she had been prescribed the drug, and she learned that about 1% of patients who take semaglutide end up having panic attacks. She said she wished she had been warned of those risks before.

Kurtzeborn did lose nine pounds in the two weeks she took the shot, but not in the way she wanted to. And because of her panic attacks, she had to meet with a psychiatrist and go on medication for mental health.

Kurtzeborn said it took her months to recover, and it was almost two years before she was willing to try a weight-loss drug again.

I was nervous, but I really wanted to go back on one to kick off my weight loss again, she said.

This time, Kurtzeborn was prescribed tirzepatide. She said there was a night-and-day difference from her experience on semaglutide.

I started on the smallest dose, and I handled it great. The inflammation went down in my body, I could still eat without getting sick, and my mental health was fine.

Kurtzeborn took tirzepatide for four months and lost 30 pounds.

One of the main concerns with weight-loss drugs is that patients will gain all the weight back once they stop taking them, but Kurtzeborn said she wasnt worried about that.

I gained a little bit of weight back, but I expected a rebound because a lot of friends said that would happen. Since Ive been off it, I dont feel like I crave sugar or fast food as much as I used to. Ill go home and have a protein shake instead of stopping at Taco Bell now, she said.

While Kurtzeborns experience with semaglutide was relatively rare, her tirzepatide use produced more typical results. However, there are common side effects and cautions associated with GLP-1 injections.

According to Genevieve Parker, a research assistant in Benjamin Bikmans cell biology lab at BYU, one of those concerns is muscle loss.

Parker and her team of researchers conducted a study on semaglutide and metabolism.

Up to 40% of the weight loss associated with using semaglutide is actually lean body mass, which is bad because you dont want to lose that, Parker said.

She explained that this loss of muscle can lead to a lower metabolic rate, sunken skin and even osteoporosis in severe cases.

You need muscle, she said. We want to lose fat, we dont want to lose muscle, and we really dont want to lose bone. Because of semaglutide, we lost fat and muscle, and then we might lose bone too.

Parker said if a patient is extremely overweight, the muscle loss associated with semaglutide is worth it to reach a healthy weight.

You would die sooner being 400 pounds than you would die losing your muscle, she said.

But for those just wanting to lose a few pounds, Parker said the risks of semaglutide are not worth it.

Another concern with taking weight-loss drugs is overdosing.

In 2024, the Utah Poison Control Center reported it had seen a 640% increase in calls related to GLP-1 drugs since 2020.

Amberly Johnson is the director of the Utah Poison Control Center. In a statement to the University of Utah, she described how easy it can be for patients to give themselves the wrong dose of the drug.

It really is confusing even for a pharmacist, she said. The way the drug is dispensed doesnt match up with the units on the syringe, so its supposed to be administered in milligram amounts. But a lot of these syringes are in unit amounts. You have to do a lot of calculations to come up with the right dose.

Although there can be side effects, many patients have positive experiences with GLP-1 drugs and gain more than just weight loss.

According to a 2025 study published in the National Library of Medicine by Maria J. Gonzalez-Rellan and Daniel J. Drucker, GLP-1 medicines have multiple benefits.

GLP-1 medicines, initially developed for blood glucose and weight control, improve outcomes in people with cardiovascular, kidney, liver, arthritis and sleep apnea disorders, Gonzalez-Rellan and Drucker stated.

The study said some of the benefits were independent of the amount of weight loss that was achieved.

Carley Collins, the social media manager for a weight loss enhancement prescriber on Instagram, often posts testimonials and before-and-after photos from patients so followers can see the results for themselves.

I think people like to see that it works on real, average people, and it gives them more hope itll work for them, Collins said.

Social media has become a common way for people to share their GLP-1 journeys, and for others to purchase the medicine.

Collins said that on the Flourish 4 Life Instagram, which she runs, patients can communicate online with doctors via direct message, email and video calls to discuss their health concerns and how they could benefit from a GLP-1.

I think social media is so beneficial and effective when it comes to weight loss advertising, she said. Its a more casual and stress-free approach.

Whether discovering weight loss drugs through social media, friends or physicians, patients should seek medical advice and know the benefits and risks of GLP-1 drugs before taking them.