Semaglutide vs. Tirzepatide: Which Is Right for Me?

About three-quarters of Americans are overweight or obese, and that means it’s a good bet most of us have struggled with managing our weight at some point during our lives. When diet and exercise fail us, it’s tempting to feel like just giving up. The problem is, being overweight isn’t just about how your body looks and feels — it increases your risk of serious and even life-threatening health issues, too.

Fortunately, today, a new weight-management tool helps people lose weight and keep it off — a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists. Traditionally used to treat diabetes, these medications are effective in helping women and men lose weight.

At STL Medical Weight Loss, Joseph Moleski, DO, and Margaurette Walsh, PA-C, offer both semaglutide and tirzepatide to help patients finally achieve a healthy weight. Here’s how to decide which medication is a better choice for you.

How GLP-1 agonists work

GLP-1 agonists are a class of medicines that imitate a chemical called GLP-1, a hormone released by your body after you eat. GLP-1 helps regulate blood sugar by increasing insulin production, which is why they’ve routinely been used to treat Type 2 diabetes.

In addition to controlling blood sugar (glucose), insulin plays a role in metabolism, helping your body burn more calories — one way these medicines promote weight loss. But that’s not all GLP-1 agonists do. 

Semaglutide and tirzepatide also help slow down the digestive process, helping you feel fuller for longer and reducing feelings of hunger. At the same time, they decrease glucose production in your liver, balancing glucose levels so your body loses weight more efficiently. And finally, they decrease the production of hormones that cause “hunger pangs” that can cause you to eat more often.

Although both medications share these characteristics, tirzepatide is a little different. This drug is also a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), a hormone that enhances glucose control by promoting the release of insulin during digestion.

Selecting the right treatment for you

Both semaglutide and tirzepatide can be very effective in helping women and men finally drop those extra pounds so they look and feel better. However, there are some differences between these two drugs that you should know about.

Amount of weight loss

Both medications can help people lose a considerable amount of weight and lose it faster than dieting and exercise alone. But because tirzepatide is a GIP agent and a GLP-1 agonist, it tends to be slightly more effective than semaglutide. 

However, the difference between the two is fairly small. Data show that people who use semaglutide have about a 12% loss of body weight on average, while those using tirzepatide have about a 20% loss.

It’s tempting to think of these figures as the only factor you need to consider when deciding on the best medication for your needs. But there are other considerations, too.

Delivery route

One major difference between semaglutide and tirzepatide is how they are administered. Semaglutide can be given as either an injection or a pill, while tirzepatide is only available as an injection. 

Considering you need to have injections every week during treatment, tirzepatide is probably not a good option if you’re fearful of needles. It’s also important to note that most people can use self-injection methods, so if you really don’t want to administer injections into your thigh, buttocks, or belly, semaglutide’s oral form is probably a better choice.

Side effects

Both tirzepatide and semaglutide affect the digestive process, so it’s understandable that they involve some aspect of digestion when side effects occur. In fact, some patients using either of these drugs experience symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, nausea, stomachache, or vomiting.

For most people, these side effects are relatively mild, and they tend to lessen as your body gets used to the drug and its effects. Tirzepatide’s “dual role” as a GLP-1 and a GIP can cause these side effects to be a little more intense.

Personal or family medical history

Depending on your medical history and risk factors, like liver or pancreas issues, one medication might be slightly more effective than the other. Before recommending any treatment, we’ll perform a physical exam and lab tests to determine which medication is a better option or if you should avoid these treatments altogether.

Set — and achieve — your healthy weight-loss goals

Losing weight is important for your confidence and for your health, too. To learn more about these medications and how they can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, call or book an appointment online with STL Medical Weight Loss at our locations in Chesterfield, Missouri, or Dallas, Texas, today.