05/07/2025
Microdosing GLP-1 Medication - Hype or Helpful?
Hey everyone, I figured if this was new to me, it might be new to some of you, too. So here are my thoughts about a new trend in the world of medication-supported weight loss.
Now, technically, we're still in the early days of understanding the ins and outs of using "GLP-1s" - traditionally used to treat type 2 diabetes - to help people lose weight. These drugs include Wegovy, Saxenda and Mounjaro, and their generic versions, semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide, to name just a few.
Most of us have heard of GLP-1 benefits:
- profound appetite suppression
- substantial weight loss
- many beneficial metabolic improvements
And we've heard about the drawbacks:
- side effects including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- people having trouble getting off the drugs without regaining the weight
The siren call of easy weight loss, combined with extremely high prices and demand outstripping supply, have driven a lot of interesting trends -- one of which is 'microdosing' (taking less of a drug than typically prescribed - sometimes even less than the minimum recognized clinical dose).
Why Might Someone Want to Microdose?
According to weight loss Dr. Fatima Stanford(1), here are a few potential reasons (paraphrasing):
- Hoping to minimize side effects typically experienced at higher doses
- Hoping if less is taken, it might be easier to get off the medication without re-gaining weight
- Trying to see how little can be taken while still getting the benefits
- Trying to stretch out a supply to weather shortages or just save money
Most people end up trying this on their own because there aren't many prescribers willing or well versed enough to coach them on a microdosing regimen. This approach just isn't mainstream enough to have data on effectiveness, dosing protocols or medical organization endorsements. But doing it on one's own risks potential health impacts, or maybe just wasting the drug, time and money without results.
This is one of the reasons I appreciate the in-house GLP-1 expert at Your Ideal Self, Jennifer Lynn, ARNP. Before I met her, I hadn't heard of microdosing, but she offers that approach if she deems it medically safe and appropriate for someone. Plus she offers ongoing 1:1 monitoring to make sure whichever dose you're trying actually works. She's who I would see if I wanted to give microdosing GLP-1s a try.
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