Medical Weight-Loss Medications: A Physician Guide to Options, Safety, and Monitoring

Prescription weight-loss medications now include several drug classes. Choosing among them requires more than comparing headline weight-loss numbers. This physician guide organizes our educational resources about medication options, safety, side effects, nutrition, switching treatments, and monitoring.

If you are looking for individualized treatment rather than general education, learn about our medical weight loss program in Los Angeles.

GLP-1 and GIP-based medications

• What studies show about semaglutide and weight loss
• Tirzepatide and kidney safety
• Switching from semaglutide to tirzepatide
• Wegovy side effects

Stopping or changing treatment

• What happens when you stop Ozempic?
• What happens when you stop Wegovy?
• How long is Wegovy treatment continued?

Eating, storage, and common treatment questions

• What to eat while taking Ozempic
• Managing stomach symptoms on Ozempic
• How Wegovy should be stored

Other prescription options

• Long-term phentermine side effects in women
• How long phentermine stays in the body
• Contrave vs. Wegovy

Medication comparisons

• Rybelsus vs. Mounjaro
• Ozempic vs. Wegovy
• Ozempic vs. phentermine

When medical supervision matters

Medication selection should account for medical history, current medications, contraindications, side effects, response, nutrition, body composition, and metabolic health. This hub is educational; the dedicated service page remains the primary page for patients seeking evaluation and treatment.

Learn about medically supervised weight loss with My Concierge MD.

Medically reviewed by David Nazarian, MD on October 5, 2026