Safe Microdosing of GLP-1s

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The powerful medications known as GLP-1s have transformed treatment options for conditions ranging from diabetes to obesity, but their side effects can be challenging. What if there was a way to harness their benefits while minimizing the discomfort? That's where the concept of microdosing comes in.

Many patients struggle with the conventional approach to GLP-1 medications, which typically involves steadily increasing doses. For those in maintenance phases or experiencing difficult side effects, microdosing offers a thoughtful alternative. Using fractional dosages—whether it's 2.5mg over four weeks, 0.8-1mg weekly, or other personalized protocols—this "low and slow" strategy helps patients continue treatment without suffering through debilitating nausea, constipation, headaches, or fatigue.

The science behind this approach is fascinating. When doses are too high, your body may actually shut down its own natural GLP-1 production. By scaling back to lower doses, you might reactivate your body's natural pathways, where your brain signals stomach L-cells to release GLP-1 naturally. This biological reset explains why some patients paradoxically experience better results with smaller amounts of medication.

Safety remains paramount with any medication strategy. Microdosing must be done under proper medical supervision with regular bloodwork and consistent monitoring. Not everyone qualifies as a candidate, making personalized assessment essential. When implemented correctly, this approach offers hope for those who need GLP-1 benefits but struggle with conventional protocols. If you've been challenged by GLP-1 side effects or are entering a maintenance phase, ask your healthcare provider whether a microdosing strategy might work for you.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Hi, how are you?
So we're discussing the usesafely of maintenance or
microdosing on GLP-1s, whetherit's a natural booster for
yourself or you're going to betaking it because you've already
run your maintenance dose or ahealthcare provider has decided
that might be a smaller dose foryou because of other health

(00:50):
issues you may have, or thatit's beneficial because a small
dose is actually effective toreduce your side effects but
still have some gain in themedication.
And the reason this has to bedone safely and under
supervision is because you don'twant to one underdose or
overdose or take something thatisn't needed for you if you're

(01:12):
not a right candidate.
So most clients, patients thatdo this are usually on
maintenance that I have seen orhave had some other
anti-inflammatory or arthriticissues.
So it does have major effectsfor that, um, it's so, first off

(01:32):
, we're talking about GLP oneswhere, which are glucagon, like
peptides, and they are, you know, for initially were for type
two diabetes, but now on themarkets for obesity, um, for
some sleep apnea I think there'snow rheumatoid arthritis has
been put in there and cardiacassistance.

(01:54):
So you know there's a lot ofgreat uses for this medication
if it's done properly.
But the you know they're high,costs also a lot of side effects
.
So main reasons to microdose ismore so for side effects and
for maintenance.
And to do that you can doselimit it by what patients may

(02:15):
need.
Majority of the time it's lowerdose, at a 2.5 over a four week
period, or they're really atlike a 0.8 or one milligram per
week instead of a 2.5.
Or if they're a little bit more, needing a little bit more than
they're, around one milligramto 1.5 milligrams per week.
Or they take a five milligramdose every four to five weeks.

(02:41):
That's kind of how it's usuallydone, but everyone is different
so it's so personalized.
Some patients need a little bitmore, some patients need a
little bit less and it's also,you know, avoiding the side
effects.
And it has to be done, you know, with under supervision, so
that it's done smartly, becausethe conventional way is just

(03:03):
going and titrating up and whatyou find is sometimes some
patients really do to as we'lldiscuss further their GI, due to
their gut health, due to theirgenetics, due to other parts,
that they may not tolerate thesedosages high and they may need
smaller amounts.

(03:23):
So that's kind of where thatcomes with microdosing.
Microdosing is is an alternativestrategy.
It allows fractional dosage.
It's not even though it's,since, unconventional, it's
still medication.
So everything has to be, youknow, low and slow.
I'm big on that low and slow.
So when you do things oops, oh,shoot, I'm sorry.

(03:45):
When you do things low and slow, you know you get that kind of
outcomes and and it's safer.
So I find if you're safer withit, you're doing the right
things.
Um, so it kind of reduces thoseadverse effects.
It reduces those side effects.
Usually the most common areconstipation, nausea, headaches,

(04:07):
fatigue.
Um, sometimes I'll, you know,have somebody use B12 as an
additional use for B12 lozengesfor the fatigue.
You know a lot of hydration andyou know I put in a lot of
other parts of this, of what youcan do to alleviate the side
effects.
But you know this is an optionthat is, you know, helpful for

(04:27):
individuals and they're stillgetting great benefits from the
GLP-1 medications.
You know it's available forthem and they're still needing
it.
And obviously this has to bedone under quality supervision
and if it's done properly, Ithink it can be done, you know,
very safely and effectively.
Now, not everybody qualifies inthis area.
Not everybody is a goodcandidate for microdosing, so it

(04:51):
really requires anunderstanding of that person's
blood work and them beingfollowed up and a good
understanding of how they'redoing the kidneys or CBC, cnp,
and where you know where theyare lying consistently and if
they are being consistent so andjust doing everything safely.

(05:12):
So transitioning to that microdosing will help those
individuals you know improvelike a therapeutic response,
because sometimes too, I haveseen what happens is is you go
up higher in dosage andsometimes the patients actually
don't get a therapeutic responseand they are actually like less
, like trick the system andstart pulling back the amount.

(05:41):
The body starts to reproducethe GLP-1 on its own and it kind
of kickstarts that again.
So, since it is like we hadstated that it's a GLP-1 comes
from the actively, from thebrain then to signal to the
stomach to L cells to bereleased.
That's where you're.
You know you're trying totrigger it back on.
So the body's kind of doing itsjob and sometimes when you put

(06:01):
it too high, it like turns offthe faucet and then it just your
body just doesn't realize itcan do it on its own.
So that's part of the otherreason why I'm big on going low
and slow and I think it's quiteeffective If you have any
questions, obviously reach outto me.
This is just a short overview ofthat and why patients have been

(06:24):
going to that as an option andkeeping it tolerable and keeping
it adequate and obviously verysafe.
Hope you have a good rest ofyour day and I'll talk with you
soon.
And, of course, reach out toyour healthcare provider for
questions or concerns and have agreat day.
Make sure it's a mindful one.