There has been a lot in the sleep apnea news this year on GLP-1 drugs (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) and how these type 2 diabetes medications have found a secondary home with those trying to lose weight… including some people whose sleep apnea ailments are believed – at least partially – to be caused by weight issues.
Now, before I go any further, let me – once again – make it clear there is no intention here to label sleep apnea as a medical issue caused by excess weight. I’m just making this clear before someone tries to hit me with an accusatory hammer-blow I don’t deserve.
It is true to say some people with sleep apnea have experienced a lower number of apnea events after losing weight. After all, considering whether the patient has a fatty neck is a common first check for many doctors when assessing if they should refer the patient to a sleep clinic for assessment. But… there are also a huge number of sleep apnea sufferers who have no weight issues at all. I have no idea what the split is (I tried to find the numbers but what is out there proved unreliable to print as fact), however, the gap is wide enough to agree weight CAN be a contributing factor but is not THE factor for all patients with sleep apnea.
Okay, disclaimer sorted… back to the show.
This article was meant to be a deep dive into the different drugs created for one ailment but have found another home as a weight loss alternative. However, I wasn’t expecting what came my way. At the point where I decided to stop, I had uncovered 43 different branded drugs being prescribed either officially or off-label for weight-loss.
The off-label (or other use) part isn’t uncommon, after-all… Nicotine is an appetite suppressant, although I’m not suggesting you start smoking. Another is Viagra (or rather it’s medical term Sildenafil) which was being trialled by Pfizer as a blood pressure pill in the late 80’s before they realised it had little effect on angina but positive unexpected side-effects on erectile dysfunction. So, side-effects are not always a bad thing.
That said, to cover 43 drugs in a short article would make it a book… not a 5 minute read. So, instead of doing that deep-dive, I’ve decided to give you the straight facts on a shorter list of 21, all of which are currently being used indirectly for weight-loss – so you can decide if any of these seem right for you to investigate further with your doctor… should that be your thing.
As manufacturers often market drugs under different brand names across the world, I’ve included the medical name (where known) in brackets too. Here we go…
GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) Receptor Agonists:
- Wegovy & Ozempic (Semaglutide): Probably the most widely known in this list. Initially approved for managing type 2 diabetes, Wegovy & Ozempic (which are essentially the same drug with different brand names) have been observed to promote weight loss by enhancing the feeling of being full and reducing appetite. Wegovy is now officially recognised as a weight-loss drug in the UK, and you can get it on the NHS if you tick the right boxes.
- Victoza (Liraglutide): Also approved for type 2 diabetes, Victoza has been noted to assist in weight reduction. In an unexpected turn-up for the books, there is a higher-dose formulation, marketed as Saxenda, which is specifically approved for weight management and also available on the NHS in the UK.
- Mounjaro (Tirzepatide): Approved for type 2 diabetes, Mounjaro has shown significant weight loss effects and is being explored for obesity treatment but doesn’t appear to have been approved as a weight-loss drug, yet.
- Byetta (Exenatide): Although less commonly used as an off-label weight-loss drug, possibly because of the market-grabbing nature of some of those above, these type 2 diabetes drugs are still out there and being use for this reason. Byetta also has a strong role in the treatment of hypertension, which sometimes goes hand-in-hand with type 2 diabetes.
- Trulicity (Dulaglutide): From the numbers I uncovered, this appears to be the least prescribed GLP-1 drug from this list… although it can be difficult cross-referencing sales numbers to get accurate results. Anyways… it’s still out there and being prescribed for weight-loss when that isn’t its main reason for being.
Other Diabetes Medications:
- Glucophage (Metformin): Commonly used to manage type 2 diabetes, Glucophage (and its many other names for Metformin) has been observed to cause modest weight loss and has been known to find its way onto off-label prescriptions for weight management. This seems to be one of those drugs that keeps finding second… and third… and fourth jobs. As well as the diabetes and weight-loss it has also been used to help the body process anti-psychotics, treat polycystic ovary syndrome AND as an anti-inflammatory. So much so, Monty Python could have written a sketch called ‘What has Metformin ever done for us?’
- Farxiga (Dapagliflozin): Approved for type 2 diabetes, Farxiga has also been noted to cause weight loss and is increasingly being used off-label for weight management. This is driven in some countries by Farxiga being cheaper to buy than the likes of Ozempic.
- Invokana (Canagliflozin): Used for type 2 diabetes, Invokana has also been prescribed in some regions as a cheaper alternative to GLP-1 drugs when used for weight loss treatment.
- Jardiance (Empagliflozin): Yet another type 2 diabetes drug rehabilitated as a weight-loss alternative.
Anti-depressants:
- Wellbutrin (Bupropion): Primarily prescribed for depression and to help stop smoking, Wellbutrin also has appetite-suppressing properties that can – allegedly – lead to weight loss.
- Prozac (Fluoxetine): Known widely as a depression drug, in fact possibly the most widely prescribed anti-depressant brand in the US, Prozac has been associated with weight loss in some patients.
- Zoloft (Sertraline): Used for depression and anxiety disorders, Zoloft sounds like it could take you to a higher place – but I guess that’s all part of the marketing department. It has been medically observed to cause weight loss in some cases.
- Effexor (Venlafaxine): Another one used for depression and anxiety disorders, Effexor has pretty much the same write-up as Zoloft. Although the marketing department of Zoloft still edge it with a name that makes you think of anti-depressants as something to transport you to soft clouds in the sky, where you can relax in the sunshine with cherubs and angels. Note: This is just me waxing lyrical. I am pretty confident none of these drugs will result in you genuinely having a good time with fictional cherubs. Absolutely none of them!
Anti-epileptics:
- Topamax (Topiramate): Although I may have missed something somewhere, this is the only anti-epilepsy drug I found that was also being used for weight loss and to prevent migraine headaches. Not sure what to make of that… it just is.
- Zonegran (Zonisamide): An anti-epileptic drug that has been studied for weight loss, Zonegran is just one of several brand names out there stuck over the Zonisamide label.
- Keppra (Levetiracetam): Approved for epilepsy, Keppra has been linked to weight loss in some patients and is also not a stranger to the off-label prescription.
- Neurontin (Gabapentin): As the Neuro name might suggest, this one is widely prescribed for nerve pain, although it is also approved in many places for the treatment of epilepsy. Although the weight-loss evidence appears to be lacking any great substance for Neurontin (or its other Gabapentin family members), apparently it works for some people.
Anti-psychotics:
- Abilify (Aripiprazole): Primarily used for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, Abilify has been associated with weight loss in some patients and appears to be occasionally prescribed off-label.
- Geodon (Ziprasidone): Another one on the list for schizophrenia and bipolar treatment, Geodon has been occasionally linked to weight loss in some patients, although from my own research, it appears to lag a bit behind Abilify in the sales league table. Why?... I do not know.
- Latuda (Lurasidone): Although this is another one primarily used for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, I discovered its side-job for weight-loss but struggled to find numbers to back it up. Still, I’m including it here just in case it’s one you would like to discuss with your doc.
- Lamictal (Lamotrigine): In a bit of a cross-over with the anti-epilepsy drugs above, this is officially used for both epilepsy and bipolar disorder… as well as the unofficial weight-loss bit.
So, there you go. 21 drugs that had no intention of having a second-job but found themselves making some extra cash anyway.
As a final note, it should go without saying… but I’ll say it anyway, drugs are a serious topic and I’m note trying to turn this into a flippant piece of work. What you have here is for information only. There is no inkling of medical advice intended anywhere in this article. I’m not a doctor and I have no intention of playing one on the internet.
Should you believe any of these drugs could be for you, I strongly suggest your first port of call is a medically qualified professional. Who that is, I’ll leave to you… but, just to be clear… if you go taking a drug based on what you read here without seeking and following medical advice… all bets are off. It was nice knowing you. Even from this distance.
Cheers,
Alan
P.S. I have taken to creating various bits on sleep and sleep apnea. If you would enjoy hearing more and find out where else you can find stuff like this, you can get my weekly Triple Whammy email, which has 3 short topics each week. Some written or recorded by me and others I’ve found out there in the strange world we live in.
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