GLP-1 alternatives

What non-GLP-1 medications are approved for weight management?

Qsymia combines phentermine and topiramate in a once-daily extended-release capsule, first approved in 2012 and indicated, with a reduced-calorie diet and increased activity, for chronic weight management in adults and in patients aged 12 and older with obesity [1]. It is a Schedule IV controlled substance, is taken in the morning to limit insomnia, and is contraindicated in pregnancy, glaucoma, hyperthyroidism and with MAOI use [1]. Contrave combines naltrexone and bupropion in an extended-release tablet taken twice daily at the maintenance dose, approved in 2014 for the same adult indication, and carries a boxed warning for suicidal thoughts and behaviors [2].

Are there GLP-1 options that feel less like the usual injections?

Yes, and they are often what people actually want when they ask for an alternative. Oral GLP-1 pills now exist, covered under oral GLP-1 medications, and Saxenda, covered on its own page, is another GLP-1 injection. These remain GLP-1 medications, with the class's gastrointestinal side effects and thyroid C-cell warning.

Are supplements an alternative to GLP-1 medications?

No. FDA does not have the authority to approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and a product sold as a supplement that claims to treat or prevent a disease meets the legal definition of a drug [3]. See natural GLP-1 boosters for what the evidence on food and supplements actually shows.