If you are currently considering using Wegovy for weight loss, you may want to think again and use a natural alternative instead. In addition to being safer, going this route could save you money. Buying Wegovy in Canada can cost upwards of CAD$1500 per month.
This article provides information about Wegovy and injectable drugs that are similar to it, and a couple of over the counter alternatives that are safer and cheaper to use.
How Much Does Wegovy Cost in Canada?
The FDA approved Wegovy, which contains a larger dose of semaglutide, to treat obesity in 2021; a 28-day supply costs about CAD$1,300. According to the Canadian Journal of Health Technologies, the medication costs about $4,726 Canadian dollars per year in Canada.
Wegovy Canada Alternatives – Weight loss Medication Like Semaglutide Over the Counter
What Are the Best Over the Counter Alternatives to Wegovy?
The two best alternatives to Wegovy are Zotrim and PhenQ. Although Zotrim works in the same way as Wegovy and is an ideal substitute, PhenQ offers a far greater level of weight loss support so we will look at it first.
PhenQ (Best Diet Pill for Overall Weight Loss Support)
PhenQ was created for people seeking a diet pill that works like Phentermine but doesn’t cause side effects.
As you may be aware, Phentermine is a prescription diet pill that can work well for losing excess weight but can present many risks, some of which may affect the heart.
PhenQ was an instant success and quickly became one of the most successful dietary supplements of the century.
Like Wegovy, Phentermine is an appetite suppressant. That’s all it does. PhenQ suppresses appetite too but does a lot more as well. The supplement’s multi-pronged approach to reducing body weight is one of the reasons behind its success.
PhenQ has no known side effects. If it did, it would be unfit for purpose as a Phentermine alternative. People seeking Wegovy alternatives are generally keen to avoid side effects too so PhenQ is an ideal choice.
VIEW PHENQ PRICE AND AVAILABILITY IN CANADA
What to Expect From PhenQ
PhenQ supports weight loss in several ways:
- Powerful appetite suppression and protection from cravings
- Improvements in metabolism and fat burning
- Feeling more energetic throughout the day
- Protection for diet-related fatigue
If you normally find your attempts to lose weight make you feel down and/or depressed, PhenQ can help with that too. Many dieters have this problem so PhenQ contains an ingredient that enhances mood.
It’s also been designed to inhibit fat storage to make sure your body continues breaking down fat cells instead of creating them.
PhenQ Key Ingredients
PhenQ has seven active ingredients. All of them come from natural sources and have been proven to be safe and effective.
It would be impossible to write about PhenQ without mentioning a-Lacys Reset because the ingredient gets so much attention and is often considered to be the driving force in the PhenQ formulation.
However, although a-Lacys Reset is a force to be reckoned with, all the ingredients are important. It’s their synergy that provides PhenQ with its fat-busting power.
If the PhenQ formulation has an unsung hero, it’s capsicum extract. It’s very easy to overlook this wonder of nature because so many people only see capsicum peppers as food.
However, capsicum pepper provides capsaicin. This powerful plant compound has been well-researched and has proven abilities as a metabolism booster and an appetite suppressant.
A clinical review of all the most notable clinical trials shows capsaicin supports weight loss in several other ways as well including decreasing adipogenesis (fat cell formation). [1]
L. carnitine is another important ingredient. It’s an amino acid that offers several benefits including offering protection from depression. [2]
Although it’s tempting to list all the PhenQ ingredients and their benefits, doing so would make this article unreasonably long so we’ll move along now and take a look at the Pros and Cons of using PhenQ as an alternative to Wegovy.
PhenQ Pros
- No needles or injections required
- Cheaper to use than Wegovy
- Supports weight loss in multiple ways
- 190,000 satisfied customers
- 60-day money-back guarantee
PhenQ Cons
- You need to take it every day
- You can only buy it from the official website
- Stocks occasionally run low due to high demand
Zotrim (A Diet Pill That Works Like Wegovy)
If all you want is an appetite suppressant that works like Wegovy but is safer to use, Zotrim is the best diet pill to pick. PhenQ is for people who are seeking an alternative that offers a greater level of weight loss support.
Zotrim has been around for a while. More than 20 years, in fact, and it’s as popular with dieters today as it has ever been. When people find weight loss supplements that work, word soon gets around and it’s not unusual for women who are using Zotrim to go down a dress size during their first month of treatment.
Many dieters also find this herbal diet pill attractive because it has such strong scientific credentials. In addition to being a clinically proven appetite suppressant, Zotrim has also outperformed three prescription drugs in clinical trials.
The other thing people find attractive is the money-back guarantee. It’s good for 100 days. That’s a long time. Compare that to Wegovy. Dieters using it get no guarantees at all.
Results to Expect from Zotrim
Like wegovy weight loss injections, Zotrim herbal supplements only suppresses appetite. When you are using it you will notice it becomes easier to eat smaller portions at mealtimes without having to contend with the annoyance of hunger. You will also be less tempted to snack and losing weight will become a lot easier.
Zotrim Key Ingredients
Zotrim provides six ingredients. The most important ones are guarana, damiana, and yerba mate.
Guarana is a tropical berry that’s native to the Amazon jungle. Damiana is a shrub that’s native to America and the Caribbean. Yerba mate is a plant that grows in many South American countries, where it’s brewed with water to make yerba mate tea.
Research shows this trio of botanical ingredients can be very effective for appetite suppression and weight loss. The combination suppresses appetite by slowing gastric emptying. In simple terms, it causes the food you eat to stay in your stomach for longer before it is released into the gut. This prolongs satiety. Once you know this, it becomes much easier to understand how Zotrim works. [3]
Zotrim Pros
- No need for painful injections
- Cheaper than Wegovy
- Works in the same way as Wegovy
- Clinically-proven formula
- Has outperformed prescription medications in clinical trials
- 100-day money-back guarantee
Zotrim Cons
- You need to take it every day
- Limited level of weight loss support (appetite suppression only)
- Only available from the official website
Where to Buy Wegovy In Canada – What Canadian Pharmacies Sell Wegovy?
Wegovy has been approved for usage in Canada for a year and a half, yet no prescription for the medication has ever been filled here because it is still not available. When Semaglutide is in stock it should be stocked in the following pharmacies in Canada.
- Shoppers Drug Mart (Pharmaprix)
- Rexall
- Loblaw Pharmacy
- Jean Coutu Group
- Costco Wholesale
- Walmart
What is Wegovy?
Wegovy is an injectable medication to treat diabetes and obesity that is available via prescription. It’s only prescribed to people who are extremely overweight or obese.
Wegovy is a brand of Semaglutide. It belongs to a class of anti-diabetic drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Drugs of this type mimic the effects of a gut hormone that stimulates the pancreas in ways that prevent blood sugar levels from becoming too high.
Semaglutide is also distributed under the Ozempic brand name. Ozempic is the original Semaglutide medication. It’s FDA-approved for treating type-2 diabetes but not for weight loss, though many doctors still prescribe it as a weight loss drug.
The FDA allows this type of “off-label” use of medications because doctors are qualified to judge which drugs may benefit their patients.
Weight loss is a Semaglutide side effect that’s common to all GLP-1 receptor agonist medications. When the company that developed Semaglutide realized the drug’s value in this area, it produced the slightly higher dose version that’s now distributed as Wegovy. Unlike Ozempic, Wegovy has FDA approval for weight loss but not for treating diabetes.
However, every rose has its thorn and, in this case, it’s a big one. GLP-1 receptor agonists have been linked to an increased likelihood of thyroid tumors and pancreatic carcinoma. Wegovy and similar medications have to be distributed with boxed warnings that highlight this danger.
Which Medications Can Be Used As an Alternative to Wegovy?
Several other GLP-1 receptor agonist medications are often prescribed off-label for weight loss.
Here’s a list of the main options available:
- Mounjaro (Tirzepatide)
- Ozempic (Semaglutide)
- Trulicity (Dulaglutide)
- Byetta (Exenatide)
- Bydureon (Exenatide)
Like Wegovy, all the above are medications that are delivered to the body via injections.
Wegovy and Weight Loss: How Does It Work?
Like Zotrim, Wegovy delays gastric emptying, causing food to remain in the upper stomach for longer.
The only difference is Zotrim is designed to do this. With Wegovy, loss of appetite is a side effect.
Who Should Use Wegovy for Weight Management?
The Canadian Medical Association in combination with Health Canada advises patients that are obese (Body Mass Index over 27) to be candidates for prescription drugs or prescription medication such as Wegovy Semaglutide or Ozempic. There should also be one comorbidity or chronic disease such as low blood sugar or heart disease.
Wegovy Obesity treatments: Is It a Good Option?
People who are using Wegovy to control type-2 diabetes have limited options. Most of the other prescription treatments work in a similar way. Wegovy belongs to the GLP-1 receptor agonists class of drugs. The benefits are similar. So are the side effects.
However, it’s worth noting many type-2 diabetics can control their low blood sugar levels without medical intervention. They use diet and exercise instead.
If you need help to lose weight or treat obesity, there are a great many options available to you. It goes without saying, a combination of diet and exercise should be the keystone that holds your weight loss regimen together.
It’s possible to lose weight safely and consistently just by calorie counting and making sure your diet provides your body with fewer calories than it requires per day. When you do this, your body will be forced to begin burning its fat and you will gradually lose excess weight too.
Exercise can speed things up by increasing the calorie shortage within your body but some people have medical conditions or mobility issues that may limit the options for physical activity available to them.
Wegovy can support your weight loss efforts by helping you to eat less without feeling hungry. That makes it a useful weight loss tool.
However, Wegovy is associated with dangerous side effects. Pick any half-good diet pill and it will be a better option than Wegovy but you won’t find a better option than PhenQ.
The Wegovy Side Effects and Dangers You Need to Know About
Wegovy provides Semaglutide. It’s known to have the potential to cause many side effects. The most common ones are stomach and gut-related. However, though unpleasant, are hardly likely to make your hair turn white overnight with fright.
Common side effects include:
- Nausea
- Heartburn
- Vomiting
- High blood pressure
- Serious allergic reactions
- Intestinal gas and bloating
- Abdominal pain and stomach pain
- Gallbladder problems
- Problems breathing
- Blurred vision
- Trouble swallowing
- Mood changes or suicidal thoughts
- Severe rash
- Constipation or diarrhea
Unfortunately for adult patients, Wegovy is also associated with more worrying side effects such as fainting, difficulty seeing, changes in heart rhythm, and breathing problems.
The main concerns Semaglutide presents are common to all GLP-1 receptor agonists. Strangely, the FDA takes the risks seriously enough to insist manufacturers distribute Wegovy and similar medications with boxed warnings about cancer yet it still considers the potential benefits outweigh the potential dangers.
But how great are the dangers? Scientific opinion is mixed. The results of a meta-analysis conducted in 2019 failed to show this type of drug increases cancer risks but acknowledged the need for further investigation. [4]
However, research published in Diabetes Care in November 2022 states there is an increased risk of thyroid cancer and medullary thyroid carcinoma in particular after 1-3 years of treatment. [5]
Wegovy Vs Over the Counter Cheaper Alternatives
Losing weight can make you look better. It can make you feel better too. If you are overweight or obese, it’s a healthy thing to do but there are many ways to lose weight and most of them don’t have side effects.
Wegovy weight loss injections often do have serious side effects too. Even if you dismiss the research that suggests drugs like Semaglutide present cancer risks, it’s worth bearing in mind the researchers that disagree with this admit there is a need for further study.
Diet pills such as PhenQ and Zotrim can suppress appetite without side effects. PhenQ provides extra benefits as well. That makes them both better options than Wegovy.
Over the counter supplements seldom cost more than $100 per month to use. PhenQ and Zotrim cost considerably less. With a usage cost of around $1500 per month, Wegovy is ridiculously expensive and it doesn’t even have a money-back guarantee.
Over the counter options are not only cheaper and safer to use; they are also less unpleasant to use because you swallow them instead of injecting them.
Which natural Semaglutide alternative should you choose? That’s up to you but we’d choose an over the counter diet pill such as Zotrim or PhenQ every time. Wegovy in Canada is still out of stock – maybe that is a blessing.
Wegovy In Canadian Pharmacies Research Sources and Clinical Trial
1. Dietary Capsaicin and Its Anti-obesity Potency: From Mechanism to Clinical Implications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5426284/
2. L-Carnitine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine: Potential Novel Biomarkers for Major Depressive Disorder: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8514700/
3. Weight Loss and Delayed Gastric Emptying Following a South American Herbal Preparation in Overweight Patients: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424516/
4. Glp-1 Receptor Agonists and Risk of Cancer in Type 2 Diabetes: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31420784/
5. GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and the Risk of Thyroid Cancer: https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article-abstract/46/2/384/147888/GLP-1-Receptor-Agonists-and-the-Risk-of-Thyroid?redirectedFrom=fulltext
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