Tapering Off GLP-1 Medications
Pinto says people taking a GLP-1 who want to adjust their dosing for whatever reason — finances, changes in insurance coverage, or they no longer want to be on the medication — should talk with their doctor about the best path forward.
“There’s no standard of care for how to de-escalate therapy, and so different physicians have different experiences and practices,” adds Biermann.
When Pinto has a patient who asks about weaning off their GLP-1 or spacing out dosing, he is very receptive to the conversation. “Patient-centered medicine is the best medicine,” he says.
First he’ll review with his patients what their goals were and what they’ve accomplished so far. “Let’s see if we were able to reverse your prediabetes. Did we improve your fatty liver, your sleep quality, your exercise, your diet?”
If the patient has improved their metabolic profile and reached a healthy weight, “I’m game,” says Pinto. After the new dosing schedule is agreed upon, he continues to monitor their weight and muscle mass.
“If after a few months the patient increases muscle mass and their weight doesn’t change, amazing, right? If there is a rebound weight, we have a problem, because we’re going to create the same problems that we started with,” says Pinto. Working with your provider, he says, can keep you on the right track.
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