Experts warn of six health risks when discontinuing GLP-1 weight-loss drugs

Physician Frank Dumont, internal-medicine doctor and executive medical director at Virta Health, said patients often discontinue GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound because of side effects or a desire to avoid long-term medication. Common adverse effects include nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea, which can make adequate nutrition difficult. More serious reactions, such as acute pancreatitis, require immediate cessation, and the drugs carry a warning about thyroid tumors based on animal studies.

Dumont identified six risks that may arise after stopping a GLP-1. The first is a rapid return of hunger and cravings, sometimes described as “food noise.” He noted that unless patients substantially alter their eating habits, appetite is likely to increase. The second risk is weight regain; trial data show participants regained about two-thirds of lost weight within a year after stopping semaglutide, and more than half after stopping tirzepatide.

Third, biomarkers such as blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, which often improve on GLP-1 therapy, can deteriorate if diet is not adjusted. Improvements in fatty-liver disease may also reverse. Fourth, body-composition changes include loss of both fat and lean muscle mass, with studies indicating roughly 25% of weight loss on tirzepatide is lean mass. Repeated cycles of medication use and cessation can lead to a “ratcheting-down” effect on muscle.

Fifth, stopping the drugs can affect mental health, especially for patients who have struggled with weight loss for years; the loss of progress may feel “devastating” and undermine confidence. Sixth, an observational study in BMJ Medicine linked discontinuation among adults with type 2 diabetes to a higher risk of major cardiovascular events, suggesting loss of the metabolic protection provided by GLP-1s.

Dumont emphasized that lasting metabolic goals and sustainable eating habits are essential for maintaining benefits after stopping treatment. He advised patients to work with their prescribing clinician to develop a tapering plan and to monitor weight and blood-sugar levels thereafter.