How to find safe, affordable weight loss medications as demand rises

CHICAGO (WLS) — A weight loss drug warning is provided. There are also potential risks if these drugs are purchased online.

The ABC7 Chicago I-Team and ABC News are investigating the dangers, and finding out how people are getting cheap drugs, as demand soars.

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Many want lower prices when insurance doesn’t cover the cost of domain names, which can be as much as $1,500 a month.

“You never know what you’re getting. They’re not always safe, and they can cause problems,” said Amaria Cage.

Cage saves $1,000 a month in what he believes is a safe way.

“I lost the stubborn weight I wanted to lose,” Cage said.

Cage has lost about 40 pounds in the past year and a half. He is taking a so-called “mixture” to lose weight.

It is a type of commercial medicine such as Ozempic and Wegovy, made by a licensed chemist. He gets the shot himself at a local med center, with a doctor and nurse on duty.

Luxura is located in the South Loop. It is there that he is examined, and the drug is prescribed and administered.

“If you go to your doctor and they can write a prescription, if your insurance will pay for it, that’s great. But, we’re another option for that. We check you; we take your blood pressure, your labs; make sure you are a good candidate.

You can also ask your doctor to put you in touch with a trusted chemical compound. If you go to a med spa, make sure you get the compound from a licensed compounding pharmacy.

There is also another reminder that online shopping can be dangerous.

In a joint investigation, ABC News purchased the weight loss drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide from three different locations, purchasing 11 samples. They were lab tested to see if each and How many ingredients does one of them contain?

Lab results showed six contained between 90% and 110% of the listed active ingredient: the kind the lab says is accepted as the industry standard.

One sample did not have the active ingredient listed on the label.

And the local medicine was very inconsistent. Both bowls contained less than 90% of the listed active ingredients. While the other two had more than 250 strength than listed, which can lead to symptoms of overdose, such as fainting, nausea and pancreatitis.

One company declined to comment when the data was released, and two others did not respond.

“I can say: Use at your own risk. Unfortunately, I cannot give any medical advice on something that I do not recommend, and I will not use it in my work,” said Dr. Veronica R. Johnson. and Northwestern Medicine.

In January, ABC7 Chicago spoke with Mike Benson of Chicago, who took a shot from a pen he bought from an unregulated dealer. He thought it was the diabetes and weight loss drug Ozempic.

Instead, it was full of insulin, which diabetics use to lower blood sugar.

“The room started spinning, and I couldn’t, I couldn’t do anything. So, the first thing I thought to do was to get off, which I which I did. And moments after that, I was out, passed out,” Benson said.

Benson ended up in intensive care, after suffering a seizure and a diabetic coma, but emergency room doctors saved his life.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever felt that way in my life. I had thoughts that this could be, you know, the end,” Benson said.

Cage is comfortable getting mixed medicine from a place he trusts.

“At the med spa, I feel comfortable knowing there’s a doctor and a nurse on duty. They’re watching my blood pressure,” Cage said.

If you’re looking for a brand name, not a compound, and you’re not buying from a licensed pharmacy, make sure it’s not fake.

The biggest caveat is that the price is too good to be true for a brand name with a suitable pen, which measures your values ​​for you.