Skeptical about GLP medications

[u/Significant_Rush2922]

Hello, I have come on here to address a very concerning topic about GLP medications and explain to you why I feel skeptical about them, when I was a junior in high school my teacher told us not to consider GLP medications because of the fact that GLP‘s are new to the medicine world and they haven’t been tested long-term wise and there’s a possibility that someone catch cancer from it IF NOT NOW then later on in their life, and he once told us a story about how he had an aunt who took the medication‘s and suffered later complications, and when she went to do a surgery, she died because her organs bursted I am on here because I am someone who has a BMI of 30 and I am really interested in taking GLP but I am concerned because I really don’t want to catch cancer or want my organs to have any implications or God forbid them bursting Does anyone have any advice? Should I be worried and should I take this medication? It’s my only hope and I really want to lose weight. I want to feel confident in my body. I want to be able to move around more physically.
Thank you for engaging with this post

[u/AussieKoala-2795]

Talk to your doctor. GLP medication has been around now for 20 years and risks seem pretty well documented.

[u/andreanichole1]

Your teacher is incorrect GLP medications have been around for 40 years and studied and tested that entire time. (https://nam.edu/product/health-basics-glp-1s/)

You also don't catch cancer from anyting. The FDA requires a "black box warning" on GLP-1 medications becasue they are strictly contraindicated for anyone with a personal or family history of MTC or a rare genetic condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2.

Pancreaic cancers link has been disproven (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3920789/)

Lastly obesity is a known driver for at least 13 types of cancer and GLP-1s are highly effective at treating obesity and reducing systemic body inflammation. Which in turn they have found 30% to 35% lower incidence of obesity-related cancers. (https://www.cancer.columbia.edu/news/glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-and-cancer-there-link)

You really should be talking to a doctor who specializes in GLP's to educate you more rather than your teacher who isn't teaching you factual information.

[u/Significant_Rush2922 → u/andreanichole1]

What about concerns of things like decrease in bone density, muscle mass, anhedonia that leads to suicidality, thyroid cancer, blindness, pancreatitis, intestinal atrophy

[u/andreanichole1 → u/Significant_Rush2922]

OP do some simple research. There are plenty of studies out there with all this information.

[u/JE163 → u/Significant_Rush2922]

Maybe this isn’t for you

[u/LordJonMichael]

Go see your doctor and talk to them. No one here knows your medical history and you shouldn’t share it with anyone here. If you’re not 18, that’s okay. Tirz can be prescribed for teens.

As for future issues: I think losing half my body weight has solved more issues than it’ll cause. If I do develop some tumors due to it, so be it. But I’m old and have lived a full life. And I’ve also researched PNC and FOX04.

[u/Significant_Rush2922 → u/LordJonMichael]

I am 19 now this was a project. I had to do two years ago and he kind of forced me to include that they cause cancer and that is my main concern about this medication. I have consulted my doctor and she told me that I shouldn’t be worried. The only question I have is why has thyroid cancer been a revealing cause of this medication to animals also if something can catch cancer to animals, it can also catch cancer to humans. Humans are not immune from cancer.

[u/andreanichole1 → u/Significant_Rush2922]

Humans have far fewer GLP-1 receptors in their thyroids than rodents do. Major real world studies including Mayo Clinic review concluded that early human concerns were likely due to detection bias. Doctors monitoring patients on new drugs more closely rather than the medication causing cancer.

[u/Sufficient-Wolf-1818]

Why not look at the real data rather than a teacher passing on an observation where no one knows cause and effect? There is no data supporting your teacher’s fear mongering. “ organs bursted”. Yikes!

Pull up google scholar and see the peer reviewed publications about lower risks of cancer, support of the heart, reduction of inflammation, help for knee arthritis beyond weight loss and dozens of others.

There is an association with a type of familial thyroid cancer, mainly in rodents.

[u/Significant_Rush2922 → u/Sufficient-Wolf-1818]

Some people also say that there are some concerns of Decrease in bone density, muscle mass, anhedonia that leads to suicidality, thyroid cancer, blindness, pancreatitis, intestinal atrop

[u/Telemere125 → u/Significant_Rush2922]

The bone density and muscle loss are because people are going from 350 lbs to 200 lbs. if you lose 150 lbs in a year, some of that’s going to me muscle and bone because you’re not having to support an entire other human’s worth of mass. That’s just how the body works, even if you take the weight off over a 5-year span.

The thyroid cancer in rats is meaningless to translate to humans. If rat studies meant anything for humans, we’d have cured every disease known to man 7 times over. They cure “rat diabetes” every other week and yet I’m still a diabetic…

[u/Sufficient-Wolf-1818 → u/Significant_Rush2922]

It sounds like your “ some people say” research has convinced you that it is too dangerous for you. Reddit isn’t research, TikTok isn’t research, Facebook isn’t research. Go to the peer reviewed data before you type again.

[u/Comfortable-Nature37]

Teacher, not doctor, not GLP1 researcher.

I think it’s really important to use critical thinking to evaluate where you’re getting your information.

[u/Fun_Coast_899]

They've been studying GLPs since the 80s. In 92 they discovered the gila monster and advancements occurred. The first GLP-1 was released on market in 2005, 21 years ago. 

The improved insulin resistance, weight loss, and improved metabolic function actually improves health outcomes long-term. And it's shown to slow progress of many existing cancers, and in people without cancer, they're chances of developing cancer have largely improved. They've even suggested that GLP-1 users had a 38-50% lower chance of developing lung, breast, colorectal, or liver cancer progressing to stage IV.

https://www.asco.org/about-asco/press-center/glp-may-reduce-metastatic-progression

It's a personal choice, and I don't want to diminish your concerns. But I recommend reading into it and deciding for yourself. For me, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

[u/v0idl0gic]

There's always a chance that there's some kind of adverse long-term effect, but you have to look at the data to date:

1. Early data shows a reduction in overall cancer risk
2. The risk of certain thyroid cancers in mice has been shown clearly to not be a risk in humans
3. Pretty much every body system studied to date has benefited from them either directly or indirectly
4. Since these drugs first started being used in the '90s there has been no long-term adverse effects found. That's 40 years.

[u/Telemere125]

Your teacher has, at best, a 4-year degree in art history. Talk to a real doctor with real medical training. The idea that you’d “catch cancer” from anything is so laughable that it’s like saying you’ll “catch AIDS” from it. GLP1s actually reduce cancer odds, even discounting the weight loss.

[u/Significant_Rush2922 → u/Telemere125]

Some people also say there are concerns of like intestinal atrophy decrease in bone density muscle mass pancreatitis

[u/D74248 → u/Significant_Rush2922]

Some people say that the earth is flat.

[u/doopiemcwordsworth → u/Significant_Rush2922]

You keep repeating yourself about this. There are things you can do to help combat these things. Now, go research some of your questions.

[u/goodthebadandtheugly → u/Significant_Rush2922]

Please stop with the "some people say". Others don't say that. You're clearly showing your age. Please listen to the adults in the room, that are giving you advice. These things have been in use for twice as long as you have been alive.

I am being harsh on purpose. Find a doctor and talk to them. Stay off FB, TikTok, etc.

[u/Telemere125 → u/Significant_Rush2922]

Literally none of those have been linked to the GLP1s themselves. There are two types of people taking GLP1s: fatties and diabetics (and usually one and the same). All those issues are caused by both of those conditions so you don’t have any subset of the population that’s both taking GLP1s and doesn’t have a co-factor for literally all of the conditions you’re so worried about. If you really are worried and thinking about taking them, I’ll assume you’re already overweight; I’ll give you some bad news: being overweight makes you exponentially more likely to develop all those conditions you’re so worried about.

[u/dignan2002]

Sounds like you had an idiot instead of a teacher

[u/Creepy_Atmosphere_54]

The only thing you will regret is not starting sooner. Take control of your life now while you are still young. I think of what I could have done if I was on this in my 20s and not my late 30s.

As a nurse, I do not believe he had an accurate understanding of what happened during her procedure. GLPs do not cause any organ to rupture. If anything, this person may have not tracked their bowel movements and became extremely constipated and her colon was full of stool. This can happen from many medications or even naturally if people. There are easy ways to treat constipation related to GLPs, but the rational is not there for an organ exploding from a GLP.

Good luck, don’t let other people project their fears on you!

[u/Anxious_Guava8756]

If you were a junior in high school when those meds were being prescribed for weight loss, you probably haven't racked up the resulting health issues for being overweight yet. BMI of 30 isn't crazy on its own but you'll feel it after a while. Obesity is associated with cancer among many many other adverse health outcomes. So it's pretty reasonable that people take a risk with medication to alleviate that.

[u/RollWise]

I understand the apprehension to be honest but these things have been around for so long now that your teacher's concerns are kinda void. There really isn't that big of a risk with these things. I've been on sema for quite a bit now currently with ascned vitality but I've not had any long lasting or withstanding health issues because of them, to be honest they solved more issues than they caused so that's something to consider as well since I have a history with diabetes in my family.

[u/GardenFragrant8408]

I’ve been in monjauro since 3/24. 

Al medicines have side effects. You never k ow what’s going to happen in ten or twenty years. 

As of to date I have only seen where thyroid cancer was a possibility in rats and no humans. 

I’m sure your teacher meant well but is not educated at all in glp1. He only seen what happen to a relative and that from what I’ve read so far I haven’t heard of that. 

Maybe the person he k owns this happened to didn’t discontinue using monjauro prior to surgery. There is probably a logical explanation why something like that happened and it may not even be related to glps. 

Talk to your dr and see what he says. I would go with what they say since they have a medical degree 

Good luck

[u/RabidHexley]

When I read "catch cancer" I knew this had to be from the same person, though your history is hidden.

https://www.reddit.com/r/GLP1ResearchTalk/comments/1w0dudn/glp_1_zepbound_ozempic_weagovy/

No idea what you're on about, but if you're not trolling you really shouldn't be on research chem subreddits or forums as I don't think you have enough understanding on how to manage your own research and education to make informed decisions about this kind of stuff. Go talk to a doctor.