What weight loss injections are and how they work
If diet and exercise alone have not moved the scale the way you hoped, you deserve a clear picture of your options before you decide on anything. Most weight loss injections are GLP-1 receptor agonists. GLP-1 is a hormone your body makes that helps regulate appetite and calorie intake, and these medicines also slow how quickly your stomach empties.
These medicines are used together with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, not in place of them. Your provider builds that plan around your current routine.
These injections sit inside our broader medical weight loss program, which also covers labs, nutrition guidance and follow-up visits.
Which weight loss injections we prescribe
Sparta prescribes semaglutide and tirzepatide, the active ingredients in Wegovy and Zepbound. Ours are compounded, meaning a licensed pharmacist prepares them for individual patients.
Your provider tells you exactly which product you would take and adjusts your dose as your body responds.
Who weight loss injections may not suit
Your provider’s decision starts with your health history and labs.
These medicines are not for everyone. Reasons not to use them include:
- A personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, a type of thyroid cancer
- A condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)
- Serious allergic reaction to the medicine or its ingredients
These medicines may also cause fetal harm, so tell your provider if you are pregnant or could become pregnant. Treatment should stop when pregnancy is recognized. Your provider also reviews the medicines you already take, because these medicines slow stomach emptying and can change how some oral medicines are absorbed.
Side effects and safety
The most common side effects include:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
Treatment starts at a low dose that increases in steps, and follow-up visits are where your provider checks how you are tolerating the medicine.
Acute pancreatitis and gallbladder disease have been reported, and persistent or severe abdominal pain deserves a call to your provider. Acute kidney injury, in some cases requiring hemodialysis, has been reported in people who became dehydrated from nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, so tell your provider if you cannot keep fluids down.
How weight loss care works at Sparta
Your first visit starts with a conversation. Your provider asks what you have tried, what a normal week looks like and what you want to change, then reviews your health history.
Next comes bloodwork, with labs starting at $75, and your provider explains the results in plain language. Thyroid function, hormone levels and other markers shape the plan, and if your labs point to a hormone concern, your provider may discuss hormone replacement therapy or menopause treatment.
If an injection fits, your provider explains how it works, what to expect and how it fits with nutrition and activity before anything is prescribed. Follow-up visits track how you are doing, and your provider adjusts your dose or your plan as your body responds.
Book a consultation to review your options with a provider.
Why patients choose Sparta for weight loss care
Naomi Kramer, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, is a family nurse practitioner at Sparta and among her specialties is medically managed weight loss. She has 22 years of healthcare experience, including work in a cardiac cath lab, an intensive care unit and emergency medicine.
Sparta is also a primary care practice, so if your labs point to something like a thyroid issue, your care team can follow up at the same practice. And you can get all of it in Caddo Mills, without the drive to Rockwall. Patients can also pair their program with IV therapy, including the Skinny Drip.
What weight loss care costs at Sparta
A new patient visit is $125, follow-up visits are $99 and labs start at $75. Medication costs depend on the medicine and dose your provider recommends. Sparta is cash-pay friendly and also accepts most forms of insurance, including TRICARE, so ask what applies to your visit.
Book your weight loss consultation
You don’t have to have it all figured out before you call. At your first visit, your provider listens to your history and goals, then walks you through your options before anything is prescribed. A new patient visit is $125, right here in Caddo Mills.
Call (903) 527-9055 or book online. We look forward to meeting you.
Michael Holloway