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GLP-1 medications for weight loss

GLP-1 medications are prescription medicines. FDA-approved GLP-1 products, used with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, are approved to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in adults with obesity, or with overweight and a weight-related health condition. A licensed provider decides whether one is appropriate for you, which one, and how you'll be followed up.1,2,3

The GLP-1 medication your provider prescribes may be a compounded medication. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed. The approvals and label information on this page apply to FDA-approved products only. Your provider tells you which medication you would receive, and whether it is compounded, before you agree to it.

These medicines carry a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors and can cause pancreatitis, gallbladder problems and severe stomach side effects. Important safety information

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Prescription treatment requires an evaluation by a licensed healthcare provider, who decides whether treatment is appropriate for you. Not everyone qualifies. Completing an assessment, booking a visit, or paying a fee does not guarantee a prescription.

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The GLP-1 medicines your provider may consider

If a licensed provider determines it is appropriate, they may prescribe a GLP-1 medication. The table lists each active ingredient and what the FDA-approved products that contain it are approved for. Each product has its own label.

Active ingredient How it works What FDA-approved products containing it are approved for, with diet and activity (does not apply to compounded versions)
Tirzepatide Acts on GIP and GLP-1 receptors Reducing excess body weight and maintaining weight reduction long term in adults with obesity, or with overweight and a weight-related condition; moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity1
Semaglutide Acts on GLP-1 receptors Reducing excess body weight and maintaining weight reduction long term; reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death in adults with heart disease and obesity or overweight. Some indications apply to only one semaglutide product2
Orforglipron Acts on GLP-1 receptors Reducing excess body weight and maintaining weight reduction long term in adults with obesity, or with overweight and a weight-related condition3

Some prescribed medications may be compounded. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed. Compounded medications are not generic versions of any brand-name drug and have not been shown to work the same way.

Your provider explains why they recommend one medicine over another for you, how often you'll check in, and what to do about side effects. For a side-by-side look at two of them, read Two GLP-1 medicines compared.

Boxed warning and who should not use them

All three labels carry the same boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors, and they are not used in people with certain thyroid cancer histories.1,2,3

Boxed warning: risk of thyroid C-cell tumors. Tirzepatide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rats, and semaglutide in rodents. Orforglipron is not active in rats or mice, but medicines that work the same way caused these tumors in rodents. It is not known whether these medicines cause thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in people. They must not be used if you or a family member has had MTC, or if you have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Tell your provider about a lump or swelling in your neck, trouble swallowing, shortness of breath or hoarseness that doesn't go away.1,2,3

They are also not used if you've had a serious allergic reaction, such as anaphylaxis or angioedema, to the medicine or its ingredients.1,2,3 Tell your provider if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.1

Other warnings on the labels

The labels list other serious risks, and your provider asks about them before prescribing and at follow-up.1,2,3

  • Pancreatitis: persistent or severe stomach pain, sometimes spreading to the back
  • Gallbladder problems, including gallstones
  • Severe stomach and bowel side effects; these medicines are not recommended with severe gastroparesis
  • Kidney injury from dehydration after vomiting or diarrhea
  • Low blood sugar, mainly when used with insulin or a sulfonylurea
  • Serious allergic reactions
  • Worsening diabetic eye disease in people with type 2 diabetes
  • Inhaling stomach contents during general anesthesia or deep sedation
  • Heart rate increase: a semaglutide warning, and also reported in the tirzepatide and orforglipron labels1,2,3

The most common side effects for all three are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation and stomach pain.1,2,3

Read the Important Safety Information for GLP-1 weight-loss medications

What to expect

Care starts with a call with your coordinator, then labs, then a visit with a licensed provider at your local office or by secure video. Some states require a physical exam before weight-loss medication is prescribed, and your coordinator tells you what applies where you live.

Your evaluation

Your provider reviews your weight history, health conditions, current medicines, thyroid and pancreas history, pregnancy plans and labs ordered for you at a lab near you. Lab testing

If a medicine fits

Your provider explains the plan, including diet and activity changes, how the dose is started and raised, and the side effects to watch for. If no medicine fits, nothing is prescribed, and your provider explains other options.

Follow-up

Follow-up visits check your progress, side effects and other medicines, and your provider can change the dose or stop. Your coordinator books them and handles refills your provider approves. Individual results vary and are not guaranteed.

Cost

Costs are explained before you pay, including the medicine, and you get a receipt by email. There is no membership, contract or automatic billing, and each supply needs your provider's prescription and your OK. How pricing works

Where to start

Start at your local office, or by secure video where your state allows. Find an office

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Prescription treatment requires an evaluation by a licensed healthcare provider, who decides whether treatment is appropriate for you. Not everyone qualifies. Completing an assessment, booking a visit, or paying a fee does not guarantee a prescription.

Providers who treat this

Questions

Which GLP-1 medicine is right for me?

Your provider decides with you, based on your health, your other conditions and medicines, side effects you've had before, and what each medicine is approved for. Not everyone is a candidate for any of them.1,2,3

Can I take two of these at once?

No. The labels advise against combining these medicines with each other or with any other GLP-1 medicine. Tell your provider about every medicine you take, including ones prescribed elsewhere.1,2,3

What side effects are most common?

Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation and stomach pain are the most common for all three. Tell your provider if they are severe or don't settle, because dehydration from them can harm the kidneys.1,2,3

I take insulin or another diabetes medicine. Does that matter?

Yes. Low blood sugar is more likely when these medicines are used with insulin or a sulfonylurea, and your provider may change those doses. People with type 2 diabetes and eye disease need their eyes watched.1,2,3

Does a GLP-1 medicine affect birth control?

It can for birth control pills. The tirzepatide and orforglipron labels advise switching to a non-oral method or adding a barrier method for a period after starting and after each dose increase. Tell your provider if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.1,3

I have surgery coming up. What should I do?

Tell your surgeon and anesthesia team that you take a GLP-1 medicine. The labels warn about a risk of inhaling stomach contents during general anesthesia or deep sedation.1,2,3

How do I get the medicine if it's prescribed?

Your coordinator explains how your prescription is filled and what it costs before you agree to it, and handles refills your provider approves. Each supply needs your provider's prescription and your OK.

Sources

  1. DailyMed. Tirzepatide prescribing information: boxed warning, indications and limitations of use, contraindications, warnings and precautions, adverse reactions, use in specific populations (label effective 2026-08-28) dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=487cd7e7-434c-4925-99fa-aa80b1cc776b
  2. DailyMed. Semaglutide prescribing information: boxed warning, indications, contraindications, warnings and precautions, adverse reactions (label effective 2026-06-18) dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ee06186f-2aa3-4990-a760-757579d8f77b
  3. DailyMed. Orforglipron prescribing information: boxed warning, indication and limitation of use, contraindications, warnings and precautions, adverse reactions, use in specific populations (label effective 2026-07-29) dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=8ac446c5-feba-474f-a103-23facb9b5c62
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