What happens when you stop taking GLP-1RAs?
Key Takeaways
It’s considered safe to stay on GLP-1 RAs for the long term, so it’s not always necessary to stop taking these medications.
Some people choose to stop taking a GLP-1 RA, most commonly because they’re experiencing side effects.
When people stop taking a GLP-1 RA, they may regain some of the weight that they lost.
Lifestyle modifications can help to prevent weight regain after stopping a GLP-1 RA.
Blood sugar may also rise after stopping a GLP-1 RA, and any other diabetes medications may need to be adjusted as a result.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 RAs, are a group of medications that can be used to treat diabetes or to promote weight loss. This group includes semaglutide, liraglutide, and dulaglutide. These medications are considered to be safe for long-term use, and some people choose to stay on them for many years. However, there are also some people who decide to come off of a GLP-1 RA after a period of time.
It’s important to emphasize that GLP-1 RAs are prescription medications. This means that they can’t be purchased on your own, but are only available with a prescription from a doctor. Having medical supervision while taking the medication helps to ensure that you stay safe, and your doctor can also help you to manage any side effects you may experience.
As with any other prescription medication, it’s important to talk with your doctor before you stop taking a GLP-1 RA. It’s not recommended to simply stop the medication on your own. If you decide that you’d like to stop taking your GLP-1 RA for any reason, make an appointment to discuss this with your doctor. They may be able to help you manage side effects so that you’re able to stay on the medication. They can also talk you through the process of stopping the medication and can help you make a plan for this process.
When should you stop taking GLP-1RAs?
There is no specific timeframe for when people should stop taking GLP-1 RAs. These medications are considered to be safe for long-term use, based on current scientific research. People can choose to remain on them indefinitely. In fact, there have been several studies showing that long-term use of GLP-1 RAs may have benefits for blood sugar control, kidney function, blood pressure, and heart disease risk. If you’re taking a GLP-1 RA and are getting good results, there’s no reason that you need to stop taking your medication.
However, some people do eventually decide to stop taking their GLP-1 RA. Some people always intended to use the medication only for a short time. These medications can “kick start” a weight loss journey by helping your body get used to smaller, healthier portion sizes. Once you’ve achieved your goal weight, you may feel that you’re now able to maintain your weight on your own, and don’t want to keep taking the medication anymore.
Another common reason that people may choose to stop taking a GLP-1 RA is because of side effects such as nausea and vomiting. It’s important to give the body time to get used to the medication. While many people do experience side effects at first, it’s common for these to be significantly reduced or even to go away entirely over time, as the body adjusts to the medication. There are also ways to manage side effects in many cases.
If you’re getting good results from the medication but are thinking of stopping because of side effects, consider trying other methods of controlling the side effects first. However, if you still find that you’re bothered by side effects and you don’t feel that the results you’re experiencing are worth putting up with these side effects, then stopping the medication may be the right decision. Discuss this with your doctor.
There are also some people whose bodies don’t really respond to GLP-1 RAs. These are known as non-responders. Some people may simply need their dose to be adjusted, and will respond to the higher dose. Your doctor will assess whether your dose needs to be adjusted. In addition, only about half of people who are prescribed a GLP-1 RA actually take it as directed. Those who don’t follow their medication plan diligently may find that they’re not responding to the medication.
If you’re not seeing the results you’re looking for from a GLP-1 RA, then it’s possible that you’re one of the few whose bodies don’t respond to these medications. However, it’s also possible that your dose needs to be adjusted, or that you would benefit from some help in sticking with your medication plan. Talk with your doctor about the issue to find out what they recommend.
In recent years, some people have not been able to get access to their GLP-1 RA medication because of shortages. As these medications became more popular, manufacturers weren’t always able to produce enough to keep up with demand, and some people weren’t able to find their medication. Fortunately, the shortages are now easing as production has been ramped up, and finding the GLP-1 RA that you’ve been prescribed should be less and less of an issue. The number of people who stop taking GLP-1 RAs for this reason should decrease over time.
How to stop taking GLP-1RAs
It’s always important that your process of coming off of a GLP-1 RA is supervised by your doctor. Don’t simply stop your medication on your own. Talk with your doctor to create a personalized plan for the process of stopping.
When a person first starts taking a GLP-1 RA, they gradually ramp up the dose over time. This allows the body time to get used to the medication. When stopping taking the medication, a similar process occurs. It’s recommended to slowly wean off of a GLP-1 RA, rather than stopping it abruptly. This allows the body time to gradually get used to being off of the medication, which may help reduce the withdrawal effects that you experience.
Tapering off the medication also allows time for your medical team to adjust any other medications as needed. For example,
What happens to you if you stop taking GLP-1RAs?
After you stop taking a GLP-1 RA, it will take some time for the last dose to be cleared from your system. The amount of time that this takes depends on the specific medication.
Liraglutide will be mostly cleared from your body within a day or two
For dulaglutide and semaglutide, it will take weeks or even a little longer
As the medication leaves your body, you’ll likely find that your appetite slowly begins to increase. It may become harder to resist unhealthy foods, and you may be more tempted to reach for food for emotional comfort than you were before. At the same time, while taking a GLP-1 RA, your body will adjust to eating smaller meals. As long as you stick with these smaller portion sizes (so you don’t retrain your body to eat larger meals again), it should be easier to eat healthy amounts than it used to be before you took the medication.
You may also see increased blood sugar levels, particularly after meals. If you have diabetes, the doses of your other diabetes medications may need to be adjusted to account for not having the GLP-1 RA anymore. Tapering off the GLP-1 RA (rather than stopping abruptly) allows your medical team to gradually shift your medications with each decrease in your GLP-1 RA dose, helping to prevent huge spikes in blood sugar.
Some people also see a small increase in blood pressure as they come off of a GLP-1 RA. These medications typically decrease blood pressure for people who are on them, and as the medication is withdrawn, blood pressure will go back up.
Studies have found that weight regain is common after stopping a GLP-1 RA. In one large study, within one year after stopping semaglutide, people regained an average of about two-thirds of the weight they had lost while on the medication. The reason for this is that people often begin to fall back into their old eating patterns once they’re no longer taking a GLP-1 RA. As they start eating more again, they tend to regain some of the weight that they had previously lost.
Preventing weight gain after stopping a GLP-1 RA
While weight gain after stopping a GLP-1 RA is common, it’s not inevitable. It’s possible to take steps to help you maintain your new healthier body weight without the medication.
As your hunger increases after stopping the medication, you’ll likely find it tempting to eat more. To help combat this, there are a few lifestyle tips that can help:
Follow a diet that helps to prevent weight regain. Make sure you’re getting plenty of fiber (found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), and minimizing refined carbohydrates (sugars and starches).
Keep a food log. Track your food intake carefully for at least a week or two before you stop taking the GLP-1 RA. Taking photos to help you remember your portion sizes may be helpful. After you stop taking the medication, continue to track your food intake, and try to keep it as close as possible to what it was while taking the medication. Your body will be used to these smaller portions after having taken a GLP-1 RA, so most people find that it’s easier to eat these healthier amounts than it was before you took the medication.
Get enough exercise. At least 20 minutes a day is the minimum needed to maintain health as well as weight, and up to an hour a day may provide even more benefits.
Get enough sleep. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation increases the risk of weight gain – or regain. This is because sleep is important for balancing the levels of hormones like ghrelin and leptin that control hunger.
Monitor your progress. Weighing yourself up to once per day may be helpful to ensure that you’re staying on track. It’s best to do this first thing in the morning, and to remember that small daily fluctuations in weight are normal – it’s the longer-term trend that you’re watching. If you see that you’re beginning to gain weight, that’s a signal that you need to adjust your lifestyle plan.
In many of the studies showing weight regain after stopping a GLP-1 RA, people didn’t have support to help them keep the weight off. They simply tried to do this on their own. While it’s certainly possible for some people to maintain their new healthy weight on their own, having support from a health coach can make a huge difference.
This is why our NOVI Optimum Plus weight loss clients have access to support from health coaches. This can make a huge difference in helping people to prevent weight regain after stopping a GLP-1 RA. Our custom-designed NOVI app also makes it easy to track exercise and food intake, and we encourage clients to use it for as long as they need to.