Rybelsus for weight loss online

As a GLP-1 medication, Rybelsus mimics a gut hormone your body naturally produces called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Rybelsus supports weight loss through 2 main mechanisms: appetite regulation and delayed gastric emptying.

The active ingredient in Rybelsus — semaglutide — sends signals to your brain telling it you’re full, so you feel less hungry and eat less. Rybelsus also slows down the passage of food through your digestive system, so you feel fuller for longer. Together, these effects cause you to eat less and lose weight.

Clinical trials for weight loss with Rybelsus show significant promise. At its current FDA-approved dosage strengths for type 2 diabetes, people taking Rybelsus lost 9.7 pounds in 6 months. In a 2023 clinical trial, higher doses of Rybelsus led to 15.1% weight loss over 68 weeks (about a year and a half).

These results align with the known effects of other semaglutide-based treatments for weight loss, such as Wegovy. Although Rybelsus is less potent for weight loss than injectable semaglutide at its current dosages for treating type 2 diabetes, its daily oral administration may appeal to you if you want an alternative to weekly injections.

Rybelsus is an oral tablet you take once a day in the morning on an empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before you eat or drink anything else. You want to swallow the tablet whole with 4 ounces of plain water.

Rybelsus is available in 3 dosage strengths — 3, 7, and 14 milligrams. Since weight loss is an off-label use of Rybelsus, there are no specific dosage recommendations for weight loss, and your healthcare provider may follow the dosage recommendations for type 2 diabetes.

The typical starting dose of Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes is 3 milligrams daily. After 30 days, your provider will increase your dosage to 7 milligrams a day. After another 60 days, they’ll assess how well Rybelsus is working for you and either recommend you stay at the 7-milligram dose or increase your dose to 14 milligrams if you need added blood sugar control. 

Compared to other medications for weight loss, Rybelsus is less effective in its currently available dosage strengths. In clinical trials, people taking the maximum 14-milligram dose of Rybelsus lost 9.7 pounds in 26 weeks. But in a later clinical trial, people taking higher doses of Rybelsus lost up to 15.1% of their initial weight over 68 weeks.

By contrast, people taking weight loss pills, like Contrave (bupropion-naltrexone) or Qsymia (phentermine-topiramate), lost 5 to 10% of their initial body weight in 56 weeks. That would equal 12.5 to 25 pounds for a 250-pound person.

Injectable weight loss drugs can lead to equal or more weight loss. People taking Wegovy have lost 14.9% of their initial body weight in 68 weeks, while people taking Zepbound (tirzepatide) lost up to 20.9% of their body weight in 72 weeks.

Contrave, Qsymia, Wegovy, and Zepbound are FDA-approved for weight loss or weight management in people with obesity and overweight when combined with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Common side effects vary by drug, but may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and headaches. Serious side effects are also possible. 

If the FDA approves a new indication for Rybelsus for weight loss, it may be approved at higher doses that could produce weight loss that’s on par with these other medications.

The best way to find out which weight loss medication is best for you is to talk to a weight loss provider.