14 Jan Types of Weight Loss Injections

Many weight loss injections are available, From HCG injections to lipotropic injections and more, it can be overwhelming to keep track of the differences between the types of weight loss injections. 

Today, we are here to help you get started finding the weight loss injection that is right for you. This article will cover some of the most popular types of weight loss injections, how they work, and if they are effective.

Vitamin B12 Shots for Weight Loss

This is a water-soluble B complex vitamin that is a natural ingredient in foods like meat, fish, and dairy products. It is also added to some foods that do not contain vitamin B12 naturally, or it can be taken in pill form as a dietary supplement. Vitamin B12 injections are usually used to prevent or treat pernicious anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency, but they may also help you lose weight.

Some researchers have theorized that vitamin B12 shots for weight loss might boost energy and endurance when you exercise, but there is not currently enough evidence to back up this theory. So far, vitamin B12 is only likely to improve performance and raise energy levels if you have a vitamin B12 deficiency.

For individuals with low B12 levels, vitamin B12 shots are given in doses of 1,000 micrograms (mcg) per injection. At first, you should get five or six injections biweekly until you reach a healthy level of B12 in your body. Once your levels have stabilized, one injection each month should be enough to maintain a healthy level of vitamin B12.

Receiving high amounts of vitamin B12 through injections is safe. Still, vitamin B12 levels can affect how some medications work, and some medications can affect vitamin B12 levels, so you should talk to your doctor before beginning vitamin B12 shots for weight loss.

Lipotropic Injections for Weight Loss

Lipotropic injections can offer a metabolic boost and correct vitamin deficiencies. They are made up of several different vitamins, nutrients, and other ingredients that can help with weight loss, including:

• Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)
• L-carnitine
• MIC (a combination of methionine, inositol, and choline)
• Vitamin B complex
• Phentermine
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12.

Lipotropic injections are administered on areas of the body with larger amounts of subcutaneous fatty tissues, such as the abdomen, arm (most common), buttocks, or thigh. They are given weekly for several weeks or until you reach your weight loss goal. The dosage depends on the ingredients of the specific injections you will be receiving.

Unlike over the counter and prescription medications, lipotropic injections are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You should talk to your doctor before you begin treatment with lipotropic injections for weight loss.

What are the Side Effects of Lipotropic Injections?

Lipotropic injections may come with many potential side effects. These side effects depend on the exact ingredients in the shots. For example, injections that contain phentermine could cause the following:

• Numbness in your feet or hands
• Insomnia
• Increased heart rate
• Incontinence
• Fatigue
• Dry mouth
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Anxiety.

You should call your doctor if these symptoms worsen or do not go away. You may need to stop getting injections or change to a medication that contains different ingredients. If you have anxiety, cardiovascular disease, or thyroid problems, you should not consider any shots with phentermine in them.

HCG Injections for Weight Loss

The human chorionic gonadotropin diet consists of getting hCG hormone injections and adhering to an extremely low-calorie diet.

The hCG diet requires you to consume between 500 – 800 calories each day for eight weeks, and you must receive hCG injections from your healthcare provider during this time. You can only eat two meals per day – lunch and dinner – and each meal must consist of one type of each of the following food groups: protein, vegetable, bread, and fruit. Cooking with or adding oil or butter to your food is prohibited. You can have up to one tablespoon of milk each day and drink as much water, coffee, and tea as you need, but you can only use sugar substitutes to sweeten drinks.

The hCG diet may be effective because of the extremely low amount of calories you consume each day, but there is no evidence that the hCG injections contribute to weight loss, and the FDA does not approve these shots for weight loss and recommends against using them for this purpose. Additionally, being on such a restrictive diet can be dangerous. People need at least 1,200 calories daily, and the hCG diet can cause vitamin and nutrient deficiencies.

Wegovy Injections for Weight Loss

This is an injectable form of semaglutide¹ that is FDA-approved for weight loss. Wegovy aids weight loss by delaying gastric emptying and reducing appetite. The medication works best when combined with lifestyle adjustments such as exercise and a healthy diet.

Wegovy for weight loss is self-injected once per week. The dose of Wegovy will go up every four weeks for the first 17 weeks of treatment. For example, you may receive 0.25 mg each week for the first four weeks, and by the 17th week, you begin the therapeutic dose of Wegovy, which is one 2.4-mg injection per week. However, the exact doses and the timeline may vary based on how you respond to increased doses.

In a 2022 study of 175 overweight and obese patients (some with type 2 diabetes and some without), the study participants lost an average of 5.9% of their body weight after using Wegovy for three months and an average of 10.9% of their body weight after six months of treatment. The study also found that patients with type 2 diabetes lost less weight than patients without type 2 diabetes.

In addition to Wegovy, Ozempic (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are subcutaneous injectable medications that may be used for weight loss. Unlike Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro are not FDA-approved for weight loss; they are FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes but may be used off-label to help patients lose weight.

Conclusion

Weight loss injections are safest and most effective under the supervision of a licensed medical professional. Talk to your doctor about your weight loss goals, and they will be able to provide the right treatment that will allow you to reach your weight loss goals without using dangerous or unproven treatments.

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