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Semaglutide Injection

Weight Loss Treatment

Semaglutide is an FDA-approved weight loss injection. Semaglutide increases insulin secretion while slowing how quickly your stomach empties food by mimicking a hormone in the body. This suppresses your appetite, making you feel fuller for longer, allowing you to eat less and lose weight.

  • Consultation Fee Currently Unavailable

    This consultation will go over lab work, how to administer medication, potential side effects, and receiving a prescription if a candidate. If the consultation is cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment, there is a $75 cancellation fee.

  • Medication Cost Currently Unavailable

    Medications typically start at $220 and top out at $285. (This is subject to change at any time at the pharmacy's discretion.)

  • 4 Week Follow Up Currently Unavailable

    The purpose of this follow-up is to assess weight loss and possible symptoms.

  • 8 Week Follow Up Currently Unavailable

    This follow-up is to repeat labs, assess weight loss, and receive a three-month prescription.

  • 6 Month Follow Up Currently Unavailable

    This follow-up is to repeat labs, assess weight loss, and receive a three-month prescription. Further follow up appointments will be determined on a per patient basis.

  • Injection Fee (Optional) Currently Unavailable

    This fee applies to patients who come to Saintly Skin to be injected by a staff member.

What is Semaglutide?

Semaglutide is a weight loss injection that has been approved by the FDA. Semaglutide increases insulin secretion while slowing the rate at which your stomach empties food by mimicking a hormone in the body. This suppresses your appetite, allowing you to feel fuller for longer, allowing you to eat less and lose weight.

The drug was first approved in 2017 at a lower dose to help with blood sugar control in Type 2 diabetes. As an added benefit, people who take Semaglutide for blood sugar control lose weight. The FDA approved Semaglutide for weight loss in qualified adults after studying a higher dose of the medication in people without Type 2 diabetes.

Saintly Skin Semaglutide Body Mass Index Table

How does Semaglutide work for weight loss?

Semaglutide mimics the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (or GLP-1) by targeting brain areas that control appetite and food intake. After a meal, your digestive tract releases this incretin hormone, which lowers your blood sugar by triggering insulin release to block sugar production. This allows you to eat less and lose one to two pounds per week. And, while a low-calorie diet can help you lose and keep weight off, dieting is not required to lose weight on Semaglutide.

Am I a candidate for Semaglutide weight loss injections?

Saintly Skin will assess your level of obesity to determine if you are a good candidate for weight loss with Semaglutide injections. Adults with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 can take Semaglutide.

Alternatively, if your BMI is 27 and you have at least one of the following weight-related conditions, you may be a candidate for Semaglutide weight loss.

  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Type 2 diabetes

Semaglutide should be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. However, these precautions are not required to lose weight with Semaglutide injections.

How does the Semaglutide Injection process work at Saintly Skin?

To begin, you must attend the initial consultation appointment to determine whether you are a candidate for Semaglutide. A thorough medical history, family history, and medication list will be reviewed. Patients with lab work completed within the last three months may bring it in for review. If you’ve started any new medications since your last labs, they’ll have to be tested again. CBC, CMP, and TSH must all be present. If the nurse practitioner believes you are a good candidate, the prescription can be written at this time and sent to the pharmacy. If you don’t have recent lab results, request them at Any Lab Tests Now or Quest Diagnostics. The prescription won’t be sent until the lab results arrive.

You will be scheduled to return in one week for your first injection after your consultation. You will be able to receive injections in the clinic until you are confident enough to inject yourself. You will be educated about potential side effects and have access to a nurse practitioner who will monitor your medication tolerance.

At 8 weeks, the bmp bloodwork will be repeated.

If you continue on the medication past 5 months you will be required to have yearly lab work.

Dosing Guidelines

Before adjusting the dosage, please will consult with the nurse practitioner. The dosing guidelines may be changed by the Nurse Practitioner based on how well you tolerate the medication. You will be gradually titrated according to the recommended schedule. The nurse practitioner will decide this based on how well you tolerate the medication.

Week 1 – Week 4

Semaglutide-L-Carnitine 1mg-100mg/1mL
Inject 0.25 mL (0.25 mg) subcutaneously every week, dispensed in 1 mL MDV for a one-month supply.

Week 5 – Week 8

Semaglutide-L-Carnitine 1mg-100mg/1mL
Inject 0.5 mL (0.5 mg) subcutaneously every week, dispensed in 1 mL x 2 MDVs for a one-month supply.

Week 9 – Week 12

Semaglutide-L-Carnitine 1mg-100mg/1mL
Inject 1.0 mL (1.0 mg) subcutaneously every week, dispensed in 1 mL x 4 MDVs for a one-month supply.

Week 13 – Week 16

Semaglutide-L-Carnitine 2mg-100mg/1mL
Inject 0.85 mL (1.7 mg) subcutaneously every week, dispensed in 4 mL MDV for a one-month supply.

Week 17 – Continuing

Semaglutide-L-Carnitine 2mg-100mg/1mL
Inject 1.2 mL (2.4 mg) subcutaneously every week, dispensed in 5 mL MDV for a one-month supply.

"After my Semaglutide treatments at Saintly Skin, my extra weight has started to shed! I am thrilled with the results I have seen after a few treatments."
Kelly
Age 43

What are the benefits of Semaglutide weight loss injections?

Semaglutide is the first of its kind as a hormone-based weight loss medication that is both safe and effective.

The following are some of the health advantages of Semaglutide:

  • Lower blood sugar without any increase in hypoglycemia
  • Reduced body weight, lipids, blood pressure, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress
  • Suppressed appetite
  • Enhanced insulin synthesis and secretion
  • Reduced glucagon levels in fasting and after eating
  • A promoted sensation of fullness in the brain
  • Slowed gastric emptying in the intestines to help you feel fuller for longer
  • Weight loss
  • More significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors associated with obesity

Semaglutide helped most patients lose 10% of their body weight in clinical trials. More than half of them lost 15% of their body weight, which most healthcare professionals agree can help reduce the risk of future chronic illnesses.

Are there any side effects?

In four 68-week trials, the FDA investigated Semaglutide’s safety and efficacy. When compared to those who received a placebo, those who received the injections safely lost 6.2% of their initial body weight. However, when deciding whether Semaglutide weight loss injections are right for you, it is critical to be aware of any reported side effects.

When taking this medication, the most common side effects are gastrointestinal (or GI), especially after increasing your dose. The following are the most common side effects:

  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Stomach pain
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Indigestion
  • Dizziness
  • Bloating
  • Burping

Why do I need bloodwork for the Semaglutide Injection procedure?

Bloodwork is essential for obtaining a comprehensive baseline evaluation of vital organ functions, including the kidneys, liver, thyroid, and electrolytes. This comprehensive panel also helps identify potential issues such as high cholesterol and diabetes. Establishing this baseline is crucial in determining whether you are a suitable candidate for the medication, ensuring that the benefits outweigh any potential risks.

Periodic follow-up labs are required to confirm that your body is responding well to the medication without causing harm. In some cases, underlying medical conditions may be discovered that hinder weight loss. If this occurs, addressing the root cause is recommended for optimal success with the medication.

Our primary objectives are your safety and success in achieving better health, and lab work is a vital tool in accomplishing these goals. For further information or guidance, please consult with our nurse practitioner.

Where can I get my bloodwork done?

Patients can visit their primary care physician or Any Lab Tests Now for lab work, which must include CBC, CMP, and TSH.

Saintly Skin recommends getting your bloodwork done at the Any Lab Tests Now on 17th Street behind Lakeside Mall. You can get a “Annual Checkup Panel” for $129. (This pricing is subject to change at any time at the lab company’s discretion.)

Any Lab Tests Now
3213 17th Street
Suite 10
Metairie, LA 70001

If you have any questions about your bloodwork, you can call them at (504) 838-2254.

Where will my Semaglutide prescription be delivered?

Saintly Skin prescriptions for Semaglutide are sent to Galleria Pharmacy.

Galleria Medical Pharmacy
3100 Galleria Drive
Suite 304
Metairie, LA 70001

If you have any questions about your prescription, you can call them at (504) 662-1772.