by Gary Pepper, M.D.
Chances are, if you have diabetes you have heard about a new class of drugs to treat high blood sugar (glucose). The first of these new medications to gain FDA approval in the U.S., in 2013, is Invokana manufactured and promoted by Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson. In the last year and a half the number of these drugs known as SGLT2 inhibitors, has multiplied faster than tribbles to include Farxiga, Xigduo, Jardiance and Invokamet. Prescriptions for these medications are also showing explosive growth, increasing 300% since January 2014. A recent forecast by Express Scripts calls for this one class of drugs to be responsible for about a 20% increase in the yearly cost of prescriptions per all members per year for the next 3 years . The explanation behind the eager adoption and dissemination of this brand new class of medications may eventually serve as a tragic lesson for diabetic patients and for the medical community in general. (more…)
A few days ago I was concluding a visit with a patient with thyroid disease, while her diabetic
husband, also my patient, looked on. They are a pleasant older couple I have known for
years, who are devotedly helping each other stay healthy. As they were leaving the exam room the
wife apologetically turned the subject to her husband mentioning he was having almost
daily “episodes†of weakness and confusion. “I hadn’t changed his diabetic medication recently
so why should his blood sugar be an problem now”, I thought. A number of other unpleasant
possibilities immediately occurred to me. I inquired about signs of a possible stroke or heart
condition. If these other angles were unproductive I faced the choice of sending him to the
hospital for an evaluation. We quickly ran through a routine systems review. He had lost 10
lbs in the past month, the wife mentioned. “Oh, no, cancer†, was my first thought. His wife
explained that as a New Year’s resolution he enrolled in a commercial weight loss program for
diabetics. With relief, I knew we had the explanation of his disturbing new symptoms.
Most of my diabetic patients are on medication since they are unable to maintain good glucose
control with diet and exercise only. If they succeed however, in achieving weight loss then the
diabetes medication must be reduced to prevent undesirable hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Hypoglycemia is potentially dangerous because the brain cannot function properly resulting in
abnormal behavior, loss of muscle control and even unconsciousness. Imagine this occurring
while behind the wheel? Down here in Florida this is all too common.
Many commercial weight loss programs have started targeting Type 2 diabetics (adult onset)
with their TV ads. These programs are generally administered by people without any medical
background. They cannot advise medication changes (not that you would want them to) without
breaking the law by practicing medicine without a license. The result, as with my patient, is the
development of potentially serious complications of hypoglycemia.
In a previous blog https://www.metabolism.com/2010/10/17/injured-diabetic-diet , I worried that this type of problem could develop with commercial weight loss programs. I didn’t expect to see evidence of it so soon and in my own exam room. If my patient’s wife didn’t stop and mention his new symptoms at the last moment
that day, I imagine a far worse outcome for her husband was possible.
The HCG diet has created a great deal of controversy among experts and the people who have tried it. Cami posts these words of warning about the HCG diet based on her own and her husband’s experience.
Cami writes:
What Dr. Simeons book does not tell you is that there is a good chance your hair will fall out aproximately three months after completing the 500 calorie phase of the diet. He also doesn’t mention that the shock to your system can cause adrenal fatigue, and hypothyroidism if you were already prone to these conditions.
My husband and I both went on the hCG diet and both lost the weight we had been hanging onto for years. I followed the diet perfectly, but as soon as the hCG stopped, the weight began coming back on, FAST! I had to do a steak day every other day, my blood sugar plummeted and I began to feel awful! I suffered fatigue, dry skin, dry mouth, no energy, no libido, and my muscles and joints began to hurt. The carb and sugar cravings were so intense I felt like a drug addict. I gained all the weight back plus 13 lbs. in three months, then the hair began to fall. My doctor was shocked and completely surprised. His only theory is that the usual dose wasn’t enough for me and I triggered a starvation response which affected my thyroid and adrenals. Together we are going to support adrenal health, then begin t3 therapy in an effort to repair my thyroid. My husband on the other hand, feel great! He has been able to keep off the weight, add some muscle and is happy and energetic every day. hCG does work, but if you have any health problems related in any way to the hypothalmus, I would consider taking the weight off very slowly to avoid starvation response.
The mission of the The Thyroid Project is to encourage sharing of information and experience between the public and the medical community about the treatment of hypothyroidism (low thyroid function). For at least the past few decades there is a growing awareness of “something missing†in the way suffers of hypothyroidism are treated for their disease.
Too many patients, as documented in an on-line study of 12,000 individuals conducted by the American Thyroid Association published in June 2018, (https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2017.0681) , complain of persistent symptoms of hypothyroidism despite what their doctors believe is successful treatment with levothyroxine (brands include Synthroid, Unithroid, Tirosent, Levoxl). We believe something needs to be done to resolve this conflict between patients and their doctors.
Without effective intervention the early stage of type 2 diabetes known as prediabetes carries a high risk of progressing to outright diabetes. Metabolism.com provides an up-to-date summary of recommendations from national authorities, for preventing and possibly reversing this life long affliction
Diabetes can be defined simply as elevated blood sugar levels. What exactly is high blood sugar and when should someone be concerned about their level? Does having prediabetes mean diabetes is around the corner? Metabolism.com tackles this tricky but important topic in this comprehensive review.
By Gary M. Pepper, M.D. Ozempic, Rybelsus, Trulicity, Wegovy, Saxenda are the central players in the weight loss craze sweeping across the globe. Metabolisim.com has been monitoring this phenomenon from its beginnings in 2008 with its report “Lizard Spit Reduces Blood Sugar and Appetite”, regarding the first drug in this class, Byetta (exenatide). Caught In the middle of the current chaos are the medical experts who treat diabetes and have been prescribing these medications for more than a decade. Here is a brief commentary from one such board certified endocrinologist; “I started treating Type 2 diabetics with GLP-1 agonists more than 10 years ago. In some respects, these medications have revolutionized the treatment of diabetes by lowering blood sugar effectively and promoting weight loss at the same time, a unique combination of benefits. Not everyone benefits from these drugs to the same degree unfortunately, and I have seen lots of patients experience unacceptable side effects from them. Nothing though, has prepared me for what is happening now. Too often, I find myself confronting someone who expects me to prescribe one of these drugs just so they can lose weight. Sadly, one extreme example was someone who, despite battling a life threatening medical condition, was insistent on getting a prescription. At the same time my diabetic patients are scrambling to find a place to buy their medications if they can even afford it. It is disheartening, to say the least, and I dread the negative interactions with some of my patients I now face almost daily.”
Off- Label Use
The FDA is the U.S. government’s department tasked with evaluating and approving drugs for specific medical conditions. When a new medication is approved for treating a medical condition by the FDA the agency will, at the same time, set strict guidelines for exactly which patients may use the newly approved drug. When a medication is used “off-label” it means that these limitations are being overridden by the provider for a potential benefit which outweighs the drugs risks. It is a general misconception that off-label means illegal; it does not. This practice has been going on for ages and more than 20% of prescriptions in the United States are prescribed off-label. A common example is the use of beta-blockers (approved for heart problems) for the treatment of performance anxiety.
GLP-1 agonist drugs, as discussed recently by metabolism.com. were originally approved for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes in adults. In the past few years most of these same medications have gained unprecedented popularity for their “off-label” weight loss benefit. Of the 5 GLP-1 agents presently in U.S. pharmacies only Wegovy (semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide) are FDA approved for treating obesity. Of these two, Wegovy is the newer and had been much more popular that its sister drug Saxenda, probably due to being dosed only once weekly compared to daily for Saxenda and less likely to cause side effects. Due to Wegovy’s soaring popularity, its manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, increased the price of Wegovy two times since its initial release.
by Gary Pepper, M.D.
