The Great American GLP-1 Experiment. In the last few years, people have come up with all sorts of off-label uses for GLP-1s, including treating concussions, menopause, long Covid, IBS, drug addiction, anxiety, hair loss, and arthritis.
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As someone who is newly on the GLP1 Pill. It's amazing, my food noise and anxiety are gone. I love slowing down when I eat and feeling largely satiated. Is this how normal people eat instead of constantly snacking.
Such an interesting article. I wasn’t aware that GLP-1’s are resulting in all these other benefits. And it made me think – is this just a replication of our natural “feel good” hormone? Like what flows over you on those lucky nights when you’re trying to put yourself to sleep and you think, “everything is okay, everything is in its place. I can rest.” I try to cultivate that hormone in myself and send it out to fix things in my body – yes, silly, I know. But never underestimate the power of the brain!
I worry what happens to us if we hand over control of a hormone like that to pharmaceutical companies.
This sounds like a Black Mirror episode.
Scott Alexander MD of Slate Star Codex had a good write up of the many uses of GLP-1 RA drugs back in 2024-08. Since then more uses have been identified if not fully studied.
Why Does Ozempic Cure All Diseases?
"GLP-1 receptor agonist medications like Ozempic are already FDA-approved to treat diabetes and obesity. But an increasing body of research finds they’re also effective against stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, alcoholism, and drug addiction."
Links to studies provided, he tends to do deep dives
I'm in the unhappy minority for whom these drugs have zero effect. Well, not zero: I have less appetite for sure and struggle to finish a meal but over two years and countless thousands later, I've lost a meager 7 lbs. I plan on weaning myself off -- I'd rather feel normal again. I don't like realizing it's 4pm and I haven't eaten all day and then forcing myself to down a protein drink, nor do I enjoy the weird feeling of my upper GI tract still feeling full a day after eating thanks to the slow-emptying phenomenon. I never had the 'noise' of food cravings either so why am I paying dearly for this? If there are other upsides to the medication, I assume I'm ineligible for those as well given my reaction to its weight loss-related promises.
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