4 Types of Stomach Injections for Weight Loss (2024)

There are various types of injectable medications for weight loss, which can be injected into the stomach or other areas. These include commonly prescribed drugs such as Ozempic or Wegovy (semaglutide), Saxenda (liraglutide), Zepbound (tirzepatide), and even Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA).

Most of these medications, with the exception of Botox, are glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and work by reducing your appetite. On the other hand, Botox relaxes the stomach muscles, which also helps regulate appetite.

1. Ozempic and Wegovy (Semaglutide)

Ozempic and Wegovy are brand-name injectable prescription medicines containing the active ingredient semaglutide. These medications are classified as GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Their Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved uses vary, however:

• Ozempic (semaglutide): Approved to treat type 2 diabetes in adults and to lower the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (such as heart attack and stroke) in people with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Healthcare providers often prescribe Ozempic off-label (non-FDA-approved use) for weight loss.
• Wegovy (semaglutide): Approved as a long-term treatment to help with weight loss and maintenance in adults and adolescents 12 years and older with obesity or overweight adults who have at least one weight-related medical condition, such as high cholesterol. It is also FDA-approved to lower the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in people with heart disease and obesity or overweight.

Other important information about semaglutide for weight loss:

• How it works: Semaglutide acts like the GLP-1 hormone, which controls food intake and appetite. It also slows stomach emptying, making you feel full for longer, leading to less food intake. It's recommended to use semaglutide along with lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise.
• How to take it: Semaglutide is started at the lowest dose. Your healthcare provider will gradually increase the dose. It is injected subcutaneously (under the skin) once per week. It can be injected into the stomach, thigh, or upper arm.
• Side effects: Common side effects of these medications are mostly gastrointestinal (GI)-related, such as nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, gas, indigestion, and constipation.
  

How Effective Is It?

One clinical study examined weight loss in people who injected semaglutide once a week for 68 weeks at a dose of 2.4 milligrams (mg). This translates to the highest dose of Wegovy, similar to the highest dose of Ozempic (2 mg).

Compared to a placebo (inactive medicine), a higher percentage of people who used semaglutide had a weight loss change of:

• 5% or more (86% vs. 32%)
• 10% or more (69% vs. 12%)
• 15% or more (51% vs. 5%)

Also, the change in body weight was about 34 pounds in people who used semaglutide, compared to just under 6 pounds in those who used a placebo.

People who used semaglutide also had heart health improvements, such as lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, and reported better physical functioning.

2. Saxenda (Liraglutide)

Like Ozempic and Wegovy, Saxenda is a brand-name injectable GLP-1 agonist. The active ingredient in Saxenda is called liraglutide. Saxenda is FDA-approved for chronic weight management in:

• Adults with obesity
• Overweight adults who have at least one weight-related health condition
• Adolescents 12 years of age and older who have obesity

Other important information about Saxenda for weight loss:

• How it works: As a GLP-1 agonist, Saxenda works the same way as Ozempic and Wegovy and is also generally recommended to be used along with lifestyle changes.
• How to take it: Saxenda is injected subcutaneously in the stomach, thigh, or upper arm. Your healthcare provider gradually increases the dose. Saxenda is injected once daily rather than once weekly.
• Side effects: Common side effects of Saxenda include stomach problems like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and upset stomach. Other common side effects may include dizziness, tiredness, headache, injection site reactions, and low blood sugar.
• Its effectiveness: In a 56-week clinical study, people who used Saxenda lost an average of about 18 pounds, compared to 6 pounds in those who received a placebo. A higher percentage of people who used Saxenda had a weight loss of 5% or more compared to placebo (63% vs. 27%) and 10% or more (33% vs. 11%) at week 56.
  

3. Mounjaro and Zepbound (Tirzepatide)

Mounjaro and Zepbound are brand-name injectable prescription medicines containing the active ingredient tirzepatide. These medications are glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors and GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Their FDA-approved uses vary, however:

• Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is FDA-approved to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is also prescribed off-label for weight loss.
• Zepbound (tirzepatide) is FDA-approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related medical condition.

Other important information about tirzepatide for weight loss:

• How it works: Tirzepatide acts on GIP and GLP-1 receptors to help control appetite and food intake.
• How to take it: You'll start tirzepatide at the lowest dose, which will be gradually increased. Tirzepatide can be injected subcutaneously once a week into the stomach, thigh, or upper arm. Like other weight loss injections, it is recommended to use this alongside lifestyle changes.
• Side effects: Common side effects are GI-related, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, burping, and indigestion. Injection site reactions are also possible.

How Effective Is It?

In a clinical study, people received various doses of tirzepatide (5, 10, or 15 mg) or a placebo for 72 weeks. The results are as follows:

• People who received 5 mg of tirzepatide lost about 15% of body weight, those who received 10 mg lost about 20%, and those who received 15 mg lost about 21%. People who received a placebo lost about 3% of body weight.
• 85% of people who received 5 mg of tirzepatide lost 5% or more of their weight, while 89% using 10 mg and 91% using 15 mg also achieved this. In comparison, only 35% of people receiving a placebo lost that much weight.
• Also, 50% of those using 10 mg and 57% using 15 mg lost 20% or more of their weight, compared to just 3% of the placebo group.

4. Botox (OnabotulinumtoxinA)

Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) has many approved uses, including both medical and cosmetic. It has been studied for its use as an injectable treatment for obesity, although it is not approved for this:

• How it works: Botox for weight loss works by relaxing the muscles in the stomach wall, which helps keep food in the stomach longer, slows digestion and makes you feel fuller faster and for a longer period.
• How to take it: The injection is performed as an outpatient procedure in an endoscopy center, where the stomach muscles are injected with botulinum toxin A. While you are under sedation, the surgeon uses an endoscope, which goes through the mouth into the stomach, to guide the injections. The effects of these injections last for about three months, but the procedure can only be repeated every six months.
• Side effects: While most people do not experience side effects, some may have a very small amount of bleeding in the stomach.
• Its effectiveness: Studies have found that Botox can lead to a weight loss of between 5% and 10% over six months.

However, this procedure is more complex than the weight loss injections listed above.

Summary

Injectable weight loss medicines, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, are popularly prescribed with diet and exercise. They can be injected into the stomach, thigh, or upper arm areas.

These medications work by acting like a hormone that helps control appetite and slow digestion, which can lead to less food intake and significant weight loss. Botox can also be injected into the stomach to increase feelings of fullness, but it requires sedation and repeated treatments.

Consult your healthcare provider for more information about weight loss injections.