Miracle or Trade-Off? What It’s Really Like To Use a GLP-1

Using a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1) will change your life! Your relationship with food, in particular, will be different. Just not in the way you think it will...

Managing diabetes with a GLP-1

On and off since the early days of Victoza^®, I've taken a GLP-1 to help manage my diabetes. And it never ceases to amaze me that, inevitably, the first thing I get asked is, "How much weight have you lost?"

Zero. Zero pounds.

For the longest time, that was the answer. And people were shocked.

Of course, what they know about GLP-1s is what gets reported in the popular press. Celebrities dropping a quick 10 pounds. The quieting of "food noise." That kind of thing.

But there's a lot people don't understand about GLP-1s.

It still takes more than a daily shot to drop the weight. More often than not, that weight comes back when you stop taking a GLP-1. And, at some point, that "quieting" can turn into emotional flattening.

Managing expectations and blood sugar

When I started taking a GLP-1, I wasn't expecting to lose weight. Honestly, I'd given up on that idea long before. My doctor dutifully included weight loss in the list of potential benefits. I was more interested in how it was going to affect my glucose levels. Once I started, it helped. Noticeably, and quickly.

But it wasn't without its downsides.

Navigating sudden side effects

Gastrointestinal distress was the big one. That's the polite way of saying you might find yourself frequently and urgently running to the bathroom, especially after you eat.

For the first time, I developed food sensitivities. Fatty foods went right through me. Not just fried foods, but also full-fat dairy like butter and cream. Certain white breads and buns sat in a lump in my stomach, leaving me feeling nauseous. Strong coffee cleaned me out.

It forced me to be more mindful about what I ate, when, and where.

When the quieting goes too far

Then there was the "quieting." Food became less interesting. I wasn't repulsed or put off. I just wasn't interested. Deciding what to eat became a challenge because nothing seemed appealing. Nothing motivated me to decide, let alone prepare a meal.

I ate so little that it got dangerous. I experienced a lot of low blood sugar episodes. I'd feel dizzy and weak. Only after checking my glucose levels would I realize I hadn't eaten in hours. Then, only after eating glucose tabs (or gummy bears) could I decide what food to eat next.

My fridge filled up with grab-and-go meals. Boiled eggs and microwave, low-carb breakfast sandwiches became staples in my diet. They were glucose-friendly, but not well-balanced.

The hidden cost: emotional flattening

Gradually, that "quieting" started affecting other aspects of my life. Not only did I lose interest in food and activities, but I found myself simply not reacting to the things and people around me. It felt like I was floating in a bubble; able to take in what was happening, but not moved to respond.

I heard this experience referred to as "emotional flattening." It feels a lot like depression. And like depression, it often goes unacknowledged.

Oh great, the latest miracle diabetes drug can also cause one of the most detrimental, co-occurring conditions with diabetes.

The irony is not lost on me. In my experience, GLP-1s aren't so much a miracle as one more trade-off to manage.