More and more people are considering using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.
But there are concerns about products being advertised as so-called “GLP-1 patches.”
They are easier and cheaper to get than the actual drugs.
A research organization called RAND surveyed Americans and found about 12% had used GLP-1 drugs.
And 14% were interested in them.
RAND reports in just the last five years the number of prescriptions for the drugs has more than tripled.
GLP-1 medications are only available with a prescription and can cost hundreds of dollars a month.
And that might have some people considering alternatives.
“There’s a lot of products out on the market that, I guess, promote that they may be mimicking these products. And these are products that are not tested by the FDA,” said Dr. Darren Tishler, from Hartford HealthCare Bariatric Surgery.
Online you can find products advertised as so-called “GLP-1 Patches.”
They can cost less than $1 for a patch.
Many contain a plant substance called berberine, not the GLP-1 medications.
Experts say people who swallow berberine supplements can lose two to four pounds.
Though it’s not clear a patch would work the same.
“Those natural GLP-1 products, are they lying to you by saying that they’re GLP-1 products? Well, they’re not 100% telling you the truth,” said Dr. C. Michael White, of the UConn School of Pharmacy.
Some patches are marketed as supporting GLP-1 production.
It’s a hormone the body naturally produces sometimes just after eating.
The natural version lasts minutes as opposed to the drugs which last more than a week.
There are concerns with the patches.
Researchers note possible side effects including headaches, nausea, and other issues.
“We saw that there were dozens of cases of people that were reporting skin rashes. We saw one person had skin blisters. There were a number of different people that when they tried to remove the patch, they found out that the patch was stuck on,” Dr. White said.
And there are worries about possible undisclosed chemicals in the products.
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