When you hear about the microdosing of drugs, it typically refers to psychedelics these days. But the Los Angeles Times reports the concept is now in play for weight-loss drugs exploding in popularity. The story begins with the example of Shauna Bookless, who was looking to shed pounds but found that she'd have to shell out $1,300 a month for Wegovy because it wasn't deemed "medically necessary" for her. A friend instructed her how to buy a "compounded" version of the main ingredient, semaglutide, directly from a lab for a lot less, and she now mixes her own doses and stays well below the standard target of 2.4mg. "I'm playing doctor," she says. And she's not alone.
- "As demand for popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound skyrockets, Bookless' DIY approach highlights the lengths some are willing to go to slim down while saving money," reads the story. "Some patients, with or without the help of doctors, are experimenting with 'microdosing' weight-loss drugs—using smaller-than-recommended amounts—in order to stretch limited supplies, reduce costs and even potentially curb side effects."
No hard data exist on the number of people doing this, but it's not difficult to find spas and clinics offering microdose options—for now. The practice relies on the aforementioned "compounded" versions of the medication. These are essentially copycat versions, allowed under federal law when shortages exist of the commercial varieties, explains the Times. If the shortages go away, so do compounded versions. Pharmaceutical companies, not surprisingly, hate the workaround and warn people against it. But doctors also raise concerns. "It's just a data-free zone," Sarah R. Barenbaum, an obesity specialist at Cornell University, tells Healthline. "I would say it's not impossible, it just hasn't been studied," Another doctor in the Healthline piece warns that microdosing is "not recommended. There are many things that can go wrong." (More weight loss stories.)
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