In this episode of Fitness Simplified Podcast, Brooke Davis delves into the topic of Ozempic in Perimenopause. We will be discussing the use of semaglutide, a GLP-1 agonist, specifically for women’s health and perimenopausal concerns. She explores the benefits, risks, and mechanisms of action of semaglutide, emphasizing its role in weight management and metabolic health. The conversation also addresses the potential side effects and long-term considerations of using semaglutide, as well as practical tips for effective use. Ultimately, Brooke encourages a holistic approach to health, weighing the benefits and risks of semaglutide in the context of individual health needs.

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Welcome back to another episode of Fitness Simplified Podcast, I’m Brooke Davis women’s functional nutritionist and fitness specialist with Elysian Women’s Wellness.  On today’s episode we’re breaking down the science, trends, and insights in women’s health on a topic that’s getting a lot of attention lately – semaglutide -also known as Ozempic and a lot of different names-  but talking about it particularly in the context of perimenopause. With more women considering it for weight management, hormonal balance, and metabolic health, I wanted to address the benefits, risks, and everything in between.

First off, I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Please always talk to your healthcare provider before taking, changing or quitting any medications.

Second of all, I will be totally honest.  I’ve looked into these a bit, I’ve listened to doctors on podcasts, I’ve read studies…but when I started researching specifically for this podcast, I had a slightly different opinion on these substances and digging in more has actually changed my opinion of them so I’m excited to bring some clarity and voice my thoughts on these peptides, and hopefully help anyone who is considering them or is already on them. Here we go.

Let’s start with the basics: What is semaglutide? The first type of semaglutide was Ozempic, which came on the market for use in 2017 and it’s a “medication” primarily designed to treat type 2 diabetes. It’s actually a bioidentical peptide, which is a short chain of amino acids, held together by peptide bonds and these are the building blocks of protein – which makes up almost everything in our body from, skin to hair, nails, to muscle.  Semaglutide specifically belongs to a class of “drugs” called GLP-1 (glucagon like peptide) receptor agonists.  It’s a bioidentical mimicry of the GLP1 peptide that is produced in our bodies by the small intestine, the colon, the pancreas and the brain in response to food that helps to regulate insulin secretion & blood sugar levels, slow down digestion and so much more which we’ll get into.

In the last couple years, semaglutide (ozempic specifically) has blown up and been used off-label for weight loss, which has led to the creation of many other brands and many perimenopausal women are wondering if it could be a solution for stubborn fat gain, especially as hormonal changes wreak havoc on their metabolism so I wanted to make sure to cover all the important parts of helping you decide if or which kind of these weight loss drugs might be best for you, if at all. 

As of now, there are many different variations of this drug including Ozempic, Wegovy, Trulicity, and Mounjaro being the most popular so let’s talk about the differences between them.

Starting with Ozempic so in this one, The active ingredient in this is semaglutide. Like I said before, this was designed and is currently only FDA approved for type 2 diabetes, but is often used off label for weight loss because of the results people are seeing on it.  Ozempic has a starting dosage of 2mg up to 8 mg and is given through a prefilled shot pen.

Next is Wegovy – which is virtually identical to ozempic, just now approved for weight loss specifically and given in a specific starting dosage at .25mg/ week for 4 weeks and increasing every 4 weeks up to 2.4mg and is administered by a prefilled shot pen. 

Trulicity is a GLP 1 drug, but it’s a different compound called dulaglutide.  It, like ozempic, was designed specifically for type 2 diabetes and is currently only FDA approved for that, but similar to ozempic is also used for weight loss because of the results associated with it.  It has a starting dosage of .75mg up to 4.5mg also in pre filled pens. Trulicity was associated with more gastrointestinal stress than semaglutide at a starting dosage, and did not elicit as much weight loss over a 6 month study but the A1C results they saw along with it were comparable.

Then we have Mounjaro & Zepbound – these are actually not semaglutide but tirzepatide and it is very similar to GLP-1 agonist drugs but it’s part of a brand new class of drugs called GLP-1/GIP agonists so it is the glucagon like peptide and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). When studied against Ozempic, after 40 weeks, the people taking it saw lowered A1C though it did take longer, and greater weight loss than semaglutide. The general starting dosage for tirzepatide is 2.5mg for 4 weeks increasing 2.5mg every 4 weeks after that up to 15mg.  

Then there’s compounded Semaglutide. I want to explain how compounded medications work because a lot of people aren’t really aware. We have brand name medications that are owned by big pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and others. Those would be like all the medications I just listed, Ozempic, Wegovy, etc. They have a patent on these specific drugs in these specific dosages, like the prefilled shot pens, or hormones that come in specific pill dosages. 

It takes about 20 years for a patent to run out where other companies can start selling the generic version of a medication.  In the meantime though, doctors can order medications from pharmacies called compounds, that are created to be the same exact chemical makeup of a brand name drug but in different dosages, or without some added ingredients  – like a common progesterone pill contains peanut oil and compounding pharmacies can make it without that.  I have to say, that these are also not “FDA approved” – if you’re concerned about that kind of thing. 

Just as an aside, raw milk is also not FDA approved and I’ve been drinking it for years. Back to my point, there are potential risks involved with this because pharmacies may change the amounts in a product from year to year, they may not include the right active ingredients, or could be contaminated with bacteria and are not regulated.  That being said, there are compounding pharmacies that are accredited, have undergone inspections to ensure proper practices and are as safe as one can get to use for doctors to prescribe medication from. 

The benefits of this come from being able to better control dosages because a lot of brand name drugs come in set prescriptions, like I said, the injection pens that don’t go lower than 2mg for Ozempic that you can’t manipulate well based on symptoms whereas you can get compounded semaglutide to use in any amount you want.  This is similar to hormones.  There are “FDA approved” brand name hormone pills that are set amounts that don’t always necessarily work well with every individual so good doctors will use compounded versions to get the best fit for you.  We’ll have a whole episode coming on that as well.  

I’ve also mentioned that some of these medications are only “FDA approved” to treat certain things.  The reality of it is that doctors can prescribe basically whatever they want for whatever they want if they see fit – which is good, I think they should be able to but it’s called “off label” because they’re not using it for what’s on the label. This is essentially how people are using Ozempic for weight loss who don’t have diabetes.  This gets a little sticky and controversial because it became an issue at one point (and somewhat still is) because of the demand of people using it for weight loss there people who had type 2 diabetes that couldn’t get their usual life saving medication because people who had 20lbs to lose were using it for weight loss.  But, this is when compounding pharmacies really come in handy.  

Okay, back to the drugs.  How do they work and what are some of the benefits of them? 

They essentially all work the same way.  They act on the GLP 1 receptor sites – which are actually all throughout the body.  It has became popular mainly because of the receptor sites in the small intestines, and pancreas – but they also exist on your muscles and your brain.

What they’re mainly used for is 

• They suppress your appetite. They’re naturally produced when you eat whole foods, high fiber foods, nuts seeds etc. and signal to your brain that your stomach feels more full.  So a mega dose or what’s called a supra-physiological dose of them makes it easier to eat less without feeling deprived. A lot of people report that while they’re using them they completely get rid of “food noise” or the mental distraction of wanting food, thinking about food or having cravings of any kind, which is obviously helpful for fat loss.  

• Slows gastric emptying meaning food stays in your stomach longer, also lowering your urge to eat and decreasing your overall calorie intake, which leads to weight loss. 

• They improve insulin sensitivity. It does this through the suppression of the release of glucagon – (glucagon like peptide) which is what signals the liver to make glucose.  This helps regulate your blood sugar and with better blood sugar regulation comes less insulin release and thus your insulin receptors become more responsive.  In turn you reduce your risk of insulin resistance.

It’s these mechanisms through which they support regulation of diabetes and weight loss.  What’s crazy though, is as I said previously, there are actually GLP1 receptors throughout your entire body – not just in your small intestines but on your muscles and in your brain- so there are a lot of other benefits as well.  

• Improves mitochondrial function: Probably the coolest and most impactful thing that these GLP1’s do especially for long term health, is actually improve mitochondrial function.  The mitochondria are responsible for the formation of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in the body so that the cell and your muscles can do their jobs.  They help manage oxidative stress and mineral balance, they play a role in the immune system.  They’re extremely important in the body and unfortunately, along with the deterioration of metabolic health from things like diabetes, reduced insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular disease, aging  – comes cell damage and damage to the mitochondria which begins a vicious cycle but the amazing thing is that these GLP1/GIP’s can actually reverse that.

Along with all of that comes more benefits like

• Reduced blood pressure
• Reduce inflammation: GLP 1’s act directly and indirectly on inflammation in a number of ways.  They block the signaling pathway for inflammation.  They reduce reactive oxygen species, which cause inflammation and they decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines which are part of your immune response.
• They also Improve blood lipids, lowering LDL cholesterol.
• It’s even being studied now for neurological benefits.  It can act on the brain reducing inflammation and shrinkage of the brain in areas that manage memory, language and learning. They’re doing more studies in patients for alzheimers and dementia.  There are a lot of reports of reduced brain fog to less anxiety and even reduced depressive symptoms.

Long story short – A lot of really powerful things.

But what impact does it actually have on hormones.  

This is where it gets a bit more nuanced. While the drugs themselves technically mimic a hormone, they don’t directly affect our sex hormones like estrogen or progesterone but they do have a pretty significant impact on of course insulin and then indirectly in every way – cortisol, which when used properly can indirectly support better sex hormone balance.

• Insulin Regulation is the first and biggest, as that’s what they were designed for like we talked about.  

Stable blood sugar levels can then help reduce the rollercoaster of cortisol spikes that a lot of perimenopausal women experience. And since insulin resistance can make hormonal imbalances worse due to stress on the body, especially with cortisol, reducing this might also help manage symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, even sleep dysregulation.

• Cortisol and Stress:

Moving down the line, if cortisol and insulin are regulated properly along with all the other processes that I mentioned earlier, the body has more energy to designate toward adequate sex hormone production reducing symptoms in many other ways.  Also, cortisol is an inflammatory regulator so if inflammation is down, cortisol has less work to do.  

I want to make clear however, that semaglutide is not a cure for hormonal imbalance. If you’re struggling with symptoms like night sweats, hot flashes, or low libido you’ll need to work on hormone-specific solutions as well. And of course there is one BIG caveat to ALL of this, which we’ll get to at the end – so make sure to stick around.

Now with everything you’ve heard – you might be like, Good Lord why WOULDN’T I take these…

Well, let’s talk about it. 

Of course, with any medication, there are risks and contraindications that need to be considered:

1. Gastrointestinal Issues:
   • Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are the most common side effects, especially in the initial stages of using semaglutide. These symptoms tend to subside over time, but they can be really bad for a lot of people especially with the generic starting dosages.
2. Pancreatitis:
   • There’s a risk of developing pancreatitis with semaglutide, because the GLP1 receptors being stimulated are on the pancreas.  This is especially a consideration if you have a history of gallbladder disease so definitely something your doctor would need to monitor if so. 
3. Gastrointestinal paralysis
   • Studies show that up to 1/20 people may experience gastroperesis or stomach paralysis. Most cases resolve when the medication is stopped but one case specifically has been reported to have required surgery.  This is a more rare side effect, and I would assume occurs mostly in the much higher dosages, but something to be considered.  
4. Thyroid Concerns:
   • Animal studies, rats specifically have suggested a possible link between semaglutide and thyroid tumors, although we haven’t seen this conclusively in humans. Rats are also apparently more inclined toward this thyroid cancer regardless of these peptides so just that’s something to consider. However, women with a personal or family history of thyroid cancer should of course be aware of this and discuss this risk with their doctor.
5. Mood and Emotional Well-Being:
   • Some people report mood swings or feeling more emotionally sensitive while on semaglutide. Since perimenopausal women already experience fluctuating emotions, this could be a compounding factor.
6. Kidney failure: 
   • This was reported early on and is even on the warnings on the Ozempic website, but more recent studies have actually shown the opposite.  A paper published in May 2024 showed Over 3.4 years, the group on semaglutide had a 24% lower risk of heart and kidney problems than the placebo group. They also had a slower decline in kidney function, an 18% lower risk of major heart events, and a 20% lower risk of death from any cause and had more adverse side effects reported in the placebo group than the semaglutide group.  
7. Potential Long-Term Impact on Metabolism:
   • The long-term effects of using semaglutide for weight loss are still being studied, particularly regarding whether it could lead to metabolic downregulation over time, potential reduced tolerance – meaning your body could require higher doses for the same effect and then of course we have the rebound weight gain when you stop using it.

And this is what I want to dive deeper into. Metabolism.  

The studies vary in results, but it ranges from 20-60% of people who lose weight on these drugs will gain it all back plus some within a year once they stop taking them…and people are losing and gaining MASSIVE amounts of weight. 

OR…”they have to stay on them forever” in order to maintain results, and for a lot of people this comes with constant nausea. 

And unless you have diabetes, was NOT what they were designed for.  

When you lose weight rapidly, you’re not just losing fat.  You’re losing muscle.  

Muscle is what drives your metabolism.  Muscle is what burns & stores energy, it supports blood sugar regulation, supports your hormonal health, and it doesn’t come in a shot.  

What we’re seeing is people coming off of these shots and they’ve lost all this muscle, and THEN they gain all the weight back…so now they’re not only overfat, but as Gabrielle lyon likes to call it “under muscled” and not only out a lot of money but they’re metabolically worse off than they were before. The goal for most people isn’t just to be “skinny” it’s to ultimately be healthy.

The amazing thing about GLP1 drugs is that they are actually muscle sparing.  Because of their impact on the mitochondria, they have the ability to help you build and maintain healthy muscle BETTER…when paired with the right…wait for it… diet, exercise and lifestyle or what I like to call the BIG 3.  The foundational habits of health. 

You knew this was coming right?  

There is NO MAGIC PILL… or shot.

Side effects…aside. Some of the biggest issues with these peptides being used solely for weight loss, is: 

1. That they’re being abused and mismanaged.  People who have 10lbs to lose are being dosed like they have 100lbs to lose, by doctors that never even have a conversation with them, have no clue how they’re eating, if they’re exercising, how they’re sleeping, what the rest of their lifestyle is like, or even listening to how they’re reacting to the dosages. 
2. Because the REST of these components (diet, exercise and lifestyle) are not being addressed when taking them – they are actually leading to WORSE metabolic outcomes for a lot of people.  

So

How can you combat this?

If you’ve never listened to my podcasts, some of this might come as news to you.  If you have heard me talk anywhere ever, this will sound familiar.

1. Eat adequate protein. This is already hard for people who have normal appetites.  It’s extremely hard for people taking semaglutide because one of the main side effects of semaglutide is appetite suppression. This makes it challenging to get enough protein, which is essential for preserving muscle mass, especially when you’re losing weight. Without enough protein, your body is more likely to break down muscle for energy.

To combat this, you need to be very intentional about prioritizing protein in your meals—you should be going for high-quality sources like lean meats, fish and eggs. If you’re struggling to eat enough, try incorporating protein shakes, or smaller, frequent meals, even essential amino acids supplementation. The goal is to maintain muscle mass while losing fat, and adequate protein is non-negotiable for that.

We also want to be very aware of nutrient quality.  Especially if you have fat to lose, it’s not necessarily a calorie issue that your body is going to have, it’s a nutrient deficiency issue when restricting food.  This is a place that proper supplementation can be really beneficial, so taking a good multivitamin, using things like greens, reds powders, fiber supplements, taking omega 3 supplements in some form can help support your body through this stressful process.

In addition to that, you need to do your best to be eating enough that you’re not losing weight too fast.  Even if you’re eating protein, there are other side effects to losing weight too fast including gallstones and pancreatitis (as I mentioned on the side effects) – which ultimately comes down to dosing management.  If you can’t eat enough to keep your muscle, you may need to chat with your doctor about lowering your dosage. 

2. The second key is strength training. Semaglutide might be muscle-sparing, but it won’t build muscle for you. Resistance exercises like weight lifting or bodyweight workouts are absolutely crucial for maintaining muscle mass during weight loss. Plus, strength training helps rev up your metabolism and ensures that the weight you’re losing is primarily fat, not muscle.  

Again, if your dosage is too high that you can’t eat enough to sustain the energy to exercise so you can build or at least maintain muscle while you lose fat – you’re doing yourself a disservice. 

3. Number 3 – prioritize recovery and manage stress. Stress can wreak havoc on your metabolism and hormonal health, and rapid weight loss can put your body under even more stress. Focus on getting enough quality sleep, managing your emotional stress levels and your to- do list, along with following a quality training program that includes adequate rest and recovery days is going to be a vital piece of long term health during use of these peptides. 

Now.  Here’s where we get to the goods.

If you’re doing these things.  You’re addressing the big 3 – you’re eating protein, you’re eating mostly whole foods, you’re eating ENOUGH food, you’re strength training, you’re doing what ‘s in your control to prioritize your rest – but it’s just not enough.  Maybe you’ve even hired a coach (which I would absolutely recommend if you’re not already very educated in these things), maybe you’re even using hormone replacement therapy and symptoms have improved and while you might be seeing results there’s still some things that are just off.  

As you might already know, during perimenopause, the body undergoes some significant hormonal shifts that impact almost every system. These hormonal changes have a huge impact on several systems in the body, influencing metabolism, appetite, insulin sensitivity, and fat storage—areas where GLP-1 agonists, like semaglutide, can offer crucial support. – areas where GLP 1 agonists could offer some support.

Estrogen and progesterone are the key players in these symptoms and their drastic fluctuations and ultimate decline are what cause the majority of them.  Similar to the GLP1, there are estrogen receptors throughout your entire body, from your brain to your joints, and even your gut.  

So how could GLP-1’s help support you through perimenopause when you’re applying the big 3? 

1. Metabolism & Fat Storage

As estrogen levels drop, a lot of women experience a natural slowdown in their metabolism, and energy levels which shows up as increased body fat, especially around the belly, a lot of times even if there haven’t been changes in diet or exercise. Estrogen helps regulate how fat is distributed in the body, and without it, the body tends to store fat more easily, especially visceral fat around the organs which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. This hormonal change can make weight loss more challenging and fat gain more likely.

Using GLP-1 could actually help the body to use fat for fuel more efficiently. This helps prevent the rapid fat accumulation that often comes with perimenopausal hormonal fluctuations.

2. Insulin Sensitivity & Blood Sugar Regulation

One of the lesser-known but major effects of fluctuating hormones in perimenopause is a reduction in insulin sensitivity. Estrogen helps the body respond to insulin and regulates blood sugar levels so as production slows, a lot of women develop insulin resistance, which leads to increased blood sugar levels and a greater risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

Of course as we know, GLP-1 agonists improve insulin sensitivity by reducing excessive glucose production by the liver. By better regulating blood sugar, it reduces the risk of insulin resistance and as I mentioned earlier supports cortisol regulation in turn – which can play a big role in the symptoms of perimenopause like belly fat, energy levels and even appetite regulation.

3. Appetite & Satiety

Hormonal fluctuations and stress can cause cravings and difficulty feeling satisfied after meals. Progesterone, in particular, can stimulate appetite, while estrogen’s role in regulating hunger hormones like leptin and ghrelin decreases. You can see why this is a problem.

Like I mentioned this peptides role in regulating appetite and increasing satiety could help perimenopausal women manage hunger and reduce overeating or reaching for the wrong kinds of foods when the natural hunger signals in the body become less consistent.

4. Cardiovascular Health

Perimenopause also brings an increased risk of cardiovascular issues, partly due to declining estrogen, which has a protective effect on heart health. The changes in fat distribution, insulin sensitivity, and blood sugar regulation further increase the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease.

Along with it’s many other roles, GLP1 peptides also have cardiovascular benefits, including reducing blood pressure and improving lipid profiles (cholesterol and triglycerides). For women in perimenopause, this means not only support for weight and insulin regulation but also a potential reduction in the risks associated with heart disease, which tend to rise as hormones fluctuate and metabolism slows.

5. Muscle Mass Preservation

And lastly, these wild hormone fluctuations lead to a decrease in muscle mass up to 10% throughout perimenopause, as estrogen plays a key role in maintaining lean muscle mass. This loss of muscle, combined with slower metabolism, makes it even harder for women to maintain their weight and metabolic health during perimenopause.

The amazing thing about GLP1 drugs is that while they don’t directly build muscle GLP-1 they are muscle sparing which means when applied properly can actually help protect muscle mass during weight loss. 

But how can you get all these benefits without the side effects? 

This really hasn’t been officially studied, but I’ve listened to multiple podcasts from different doctors and even went a little deeper on Dr. Tyna Moore’s 4 part series Uncovering Ozempic, on the benefits of microdosing semaglutide.  

What she shares to make a long story short is this:

The majority of risk from side effects, including nausea, gallstones, pancreatitis, gastroperesis, and of course muscle loss (as a byproduct of rapid weight loss), can all be at the very least greatly reduced by reducing the dosage at which you take semaglutide. A lot of these studies done that produced these side effects came from people who already had diabetes, which in and of itself, puts them at risk for these things.  Then of course, the supra-physiological doses that people are being put on, only increases the risk.  She discusses the benefits even of starting dosages at LESS THAN HALF of the full brand name prescription in the shot pens by using compounded semaglutide and seeing so many of the benefits, without the side effects.  

This makes so much sense to me.  It’s JUST like hormone replacement therapy.  GLP1 agonists are identical to a peptide that our body produces, and as we become metabolically unhealthy or as we age, our body reduces the amount that it makes which causes the vicious cycle of degradation. Everyone is different, everyone makes and needs different amounts but the current ability to manage that is difficult, if your doctor is even willing to do it.

So instead of doing keg stands of Ozempic for everyone and their mother, if we instead sip delicately with the pinky out and only replace what our body no longer makes ALONG with implementing the nutrition, exercise and lifestyle habits that support it, you may be able to actually reverse damage, improve your health, get the results you want – then maintain them with changed habits and remove the peptide completely, or possibly she mentions cycling it as needed like a 3-6 months on, 3-6 months off for anyone over 40. 

If you are someone who already has type 2 diabetes, has 100+ lbs to lose – you may need larger doses to get the same results as someone who isn’t, you MAY be at a larger risk for those side effects, specifically gastroperesis – but this is where you have to weigh the risks and benefits for yourself because being metabolically unhealthy comes with it’s own set of risks. 

But I can tell you that the expectations of this peptide have become far more than what the body can handle, which is why we’re seeing and hearing so much about the downsides of it.  You can’t just take megadoses of this peptide, continue to eat mainly processed foods, not exercise and come out on the other side happy & healthy.

I’ve had so many women come to me after attempting to use it in this way and now we’re dealing with the aftermath, and it’s not only money lost but health and potentially lifespan because of misuse.  

I also have to throw out that Novo Nordisk who created Ozempic has paid out 25.8 million dollars in the last 10 years to medical professionals to prescribe it, so doctors often have an incentive to prescribe it even to people who may not need it – and as we know there’s rarely any mention of nutrition or lifestyle from your general practitioner.

To conclude my thoughts: I believe semaglutide to be the best thing to come about for perimenopausal women since hormone replacement therapy.  It offers some really promising benefits for women in perimenopause, particularly when it comes to weight management and insulin sensitivity, not just offering longevity but quality of life. If you are doing “all the right things” but still have 15-20lbs of visceral fat that won’t come off, this could be extremely beneficial for you in SMALL doses.

I also believe it could be greatly beneficial for people who are metabolically damaged, obese, have diabetes – not only is losing fat hard for anyone – of course you have the usual battle of changing your mindset, your habits etc. but  once you’re obese it becomes extremely difficult as your body in so many facets is actually fighting against you, from hunger hormone dysregulation to fat producing estrogenic side effects, and this is the first thing we have to truly combat almost all of it.

I know there’s a stigma with it, it’s seen as cheating or taking the easy way out (I used to think that) – but the reality of it is that if you don’t ALSO do the things that “everyone else” is doing to lose weight like strength training, working out, eating the right things and changing your habits – you will end up not only less healthy at the end of it, but you will likely not maintain your results.  This just makes doing those things, actually produce significant change in someone who’s body is extremely resistant to it.

That being said – if you’re  20-30 years old, have 10-20 lbs of subcutaneous fat that is not impacting your organs, it maybe makes your thighs and butt a little bigger, is semaglutide worth the potential risks and cost?  Obviously you can decide but I’d say no.  And unfortunately this is a lot of what I’ve been seeing, again with detrimental outcomes because it’s not done right.

It’s not magic, and it’s crucial to consider the potential risks, side effects, and long-term impacts before starting it.

If you’re thinking about using semaglutide or are curious about microdosing, I strongly recommend having a detailed conversation with a healthcare provider who understands your big picture of health. While it may help with weight loss and metabolic health, don’t forget that perimenopause and hormone balance is multifaceted, and addressing it holistically is key.

Of course, above all else – it’s essential to have a thorough consultation with your healthcare provider to weigh the benefits and risks based on your personal medical history.

I hope this was helpful! I’m excited to have more of these resources and the ability to better support my clients in their decision making and even usage of these peptides.  I will link all the resources I’ve used while creating this podcast in the show notes so if you want to dive deeper you can.

If you have any questions, suggestions for future topics or just want to chat, feel free to reach out to us on Instagram at @Brooke_Elysian and Facebook linked in the show notes or via our website Elysian Women’s Wellness dot com.

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