Doctors are warning people taking GLP-1 medications to be extra careful during extreme heat.
These popular drugs can hide body thirst signals, putting users at a higher risk for dehydration. When taking drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy, users expect them to curb appetite for food.
Dangers in Heat:
However, a local bariatric surgeon warns they also lower cravings for water, which can quickly lead to severe dehydration and heat exhaustion in extreme heat
“What it does is makes you feel full, so you’re not thinking of drinking anything. It happens to me all the time. Literally, I’m thirsty right now,” said Mark Stewart, owner of Gameday Men’s Health’s Chandler location
Stewart takes the GLP-1 tirzepatide, which Gameday prescribes
“Your appetite’s curbed, which also can convey you’re not as thirsty, so you need to force yourself to drink a lot of water and a lot of electrolytes, especially if you’re working out or if you’re outside,” Stewart said
How GLP-1s Impact You:
Dr. Shawn Stevenson, chief of foregut and bariatric surgery with Dignity Health Medical Group, says GLP-1s can decrease cravings for water, which leads to dehydration, especially during excessive heat exposure
“Part of GLPs work is to slow down the intestinal tract. That results in fluids and solids staying in the stomach for longer,” Stevenson said
Increasing Risks:
Stevenson says that full feeling can trigger nausea or vomiting, which only strips more fluid from the body. Anyone who is not strict about water intake outdoors could hit dangerous levels of heat exhaustion
“At the later degrees, you’ll stop sweating after you’ve been sweating profusely. That can be a big issue, and muscle cramping,” Stevenson said. “If you feel like you’re consistently dehydrated, you may be someone that needs to be on a lower dose of GLPs, so that’s all the more reason these things need to be managed by a weight-loss professional.”
“Your intake goes down and that’s the biggest, that’s the scariest part, is you need to make sure you’re drinking water even when you’re not feeling like you’re thirsty,” Stewart said
What you can do:
Stevenson encourages people to stay proactive in drinking water because the summer tends to last longer in Arizona
Themeday Men’s Health and a doctor with Dignity Health Medical Group
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