Does Trulicity Cause Weight Loss? All Your Questions Answered
speciality medications
Is semaglutide—the active ingredient in headlining diabetes and weight loss meds like Ozempic and Wegovy—the only GLP-1 medication that patients can take to achieve effective weight loss?
No. Far from it. Medications like Trulicity, which leverages the active ingredient dulaglutide, can also help patients achieve their weight loss goals.
Before taking Trulicity, though, it’s important to know the ins and outs of this medication.
Here, we’ll go through the most common questions we see about Trulicity and provide relevant, helpful answers to help you be a truly informed advocate for your own health.
Trulicity for Weight Loss 101: What is Trulicity?
We’ll start with some quick foundational information.
Trulicity is a medication that doctors prescribe to help patients manage their type 2 diabetes. The main active ingredient in Trulicity is dulaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, which works by regulating blood sugar levels.
How does Trulicity do this?
By mimicking a specific hormone—the GLP-1 hormone—to stimulate the release of insulin throughout the body. It also helps reduce the amount of glucose that the liver produces (further reducing blood sugar) and slows gastric emptying, which can help a patient control their appetite.
This helps people with diabetes because diabetes is, at its root, a glucose imbalance problem. Dr. Brynna Connor, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician who specializes in regenerative medicine, breaks it down like this: “In people with diabetes, the body either stops producing insulin or cells become unable to use insulin. The end result is that too much glucose stays in the blood. The excess sugar can then damage the eyes, kidney, and nerves.“
With Trulicity, less glucose leads to less damage (in a nutshell). It’s an effective drug.
Unfortunately for patients who live in the United States, this does tend to mean that it comes at a high cost.
How Much Does Trulicity Cost?
In the United States, the sticker price for a four-week supply of Trulicity—one pre-filled pen for each weekly injection—is around $1,100.00.
That is a lot of money for one medication.
Fortunately, you have options. Read on to learn how you can save more than 50% on Trulicity.
Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, an international and Canadian online prescription drugs website, you can buy that same four-week supply of brand-name Trulicity for about $499.99, or savings of up to 54%.
Does Trulicity Cause Weight Loss?
One of the key ways that Trulicity helps patients achieve weight loss is through appetite suppression. When you take Trulicity, you feel fuller for a longer period of time after eating, which can make it much easier to avoid eating when you haven’t planned on doing so.
For the most part, this does seem to work.
What Is the Average Weight Loss With Trulicity?
One scientific study involving Trulicity, the AWARD-11 Trial, sought to examine the safety and efficacy of Trulicity at various doses. In that study, researchers found that patients who took the highest normal dose of Trulicity experienced an average of about 10 pounds of weight loss over 36 weeks.
The AWARD-6 Trial, another scientific study involving Trulicity, found that a lower dose of Trulicity still resulted in observable weight loss.
Patients who took a much lower dose of the medication (about a third of the dosage studied in the AWARD-11 trial) lost between 6-7 pounds on average.
This may not seem like much, but it only takes the loss of a small percentage of your weight to kickstart significant health benefits.
Trulicity for Weight Loss in Non Diabetics: Who Can Take Trulicity?
It’s true that Trulicity is primarily approved for people who need to manage their type 2 diabetes.
This does not mean that only type 2 diabetics can take this medication. When medications seem to be useful for reasons outside of their main purpose, physicians can still prescribe them “off-label” to help people reach adjacent goals. is not something that patients can do without a physician’s help and authorization.
With Trulicity specifically, there are a few concerns about what can happen when a nondiabetic (with normal blood sugar levels) takes a medication meant for an individual who needs help with abnormal blood sugar levels.
For example, non-diabetic people who take Trulicity may be at risk for hypoglycemia, especially if they take Trulicity without carefully monitoring their symptoms.
The simple answer to the above question is this:
People whose doctors prescribe Trulicity can take it—as long as they do so carefully, and work with their doctors on an ongoing basis to keep an eye on their blood sugar and other important health markers.
Metformin vs. Trulicity vs. Ozempic for Weight Loss: Which Is Best?
Trulicity isn’t the only type 2 diabetes medication that can be very helpful for weight loss. How does Trulicity compare to the other options on the table? Let’s find out.
Trulicity vs. Ozempic for Weight Loss
Ozempic, like Trulicity, leverages an active ingredient (semaglutide) that can help diabetics manage both blood sugar and food cravings. They’re both GLP-1 receptor agonists, they’re both brand-name medications, and they’re both administered via injection once per week.
They’re also both very expensive, with retail prices in America hovering around $1,000.00 per month.
The differences between Trulicity and Ozempic include efficacy and side effects. There are some studies that seem to indicate that people on Ozempic lose a bit more weight, but that can be highly dependent upon each person’s individual biochemical makeup.
The side effects of each drug can also vary: Ozempic may, for example, cause a higher rate of gastrointestinal issues than Trulicity does.
If you are interested in trying out Ozempic and you have a valid, updated prescription for it after discussing this option with your doctor, you can buy brand-name Ozempic through NorthWestPharmacy.com for around $500.00 per pre-filled pen.
Metformin and Trulicity for Weight Loss
Metformin is one of the most common medications that doctors prescribe for type 2 diabetes management. It’s cheap, it’s easy to take (as a once-daily oral tablet), and it’s reasonably effective.
Unlike Ozempic, metformin and Trulicity have many differences. Aside from the ones we’ve already mentioned, such as their form, their dosage schedules, and their price, there’s the fact that metformin and Trulicity work very differently.
Whereas Trulicity affects blood sugar levels by managing insulin, metformin decreases glucose production in the liver and improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
The other primary difference? While Trulicity has a substantial and documented effect on weight loss, metformin’s contribution to direct weight management is a bit more modest. Patients on Trulicity can lose up to 10.1 pounds, while metformin typically results in a weight loss of a few pounds.
Both metformin and Trulicity can have slightly different side profiles as well. While both of these medications may cause gastrointestinal issues (including abdominal discomfort, nausea, and diarrhea), anecdotally, people who take Trulicity find these issues more manageable.
What Lifestyle Shifts Support Trulicity for Weight Loss
While Trulicity is a very effective medication, it’s not magic! Trulicity works best when paired with strategic lifestyle modifications.
If it works for you, your schedule, your body, and your goals, consider incorporating any of the following movement options into your routine a few days a week:
- Aerobic exercise, which might include activities like walking, running, and cycling
- Strength training, which might look like lifting weights or using resistance bands while doing exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, and bicep curls
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), or short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest periods, which can really help maximize calorie burn
- Yoga, which helps improve flexibility, build muscle mass, and reduce stress
- Swimming, which is a fun way to cool down and is also a low-impact full-body workout that’s easy on the joints
- Pilates, which enhances core strength, flexibility, and overall muscle tone
- Dancing, which improves your mood and can be a great way to have fun with other people or yourself…while also helping improve coordination and cardiovascular health!
Who Should Avoid Trulicity?
Trulicity is a powerful medication that can make a big difference in a patient’s biochemistry. For that exact reason, it may not be for everyone!
The contraindications, or the list of reasons why a person might not be able to take Trulicity, for this medication include:
- People with thyroid cancer, or with a family history of thyroid cancers—especially medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)
- People who already have severe gastrointestinal distress or diseases, as Trulicity slows gastric emptying and can thereby exacerbate their discomfort or complicate their prognosis
- People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, as the safety of Trulicity in these situations has not been established well enough for future parents to feel confident that their Trulicity use will not harm their child.
In addition, there are circumstances in which patients might be taking other medications that don’t interact well with Trulicity, or don’t have enough tolerance to deal with the side effects, or simply don’t want to commit to once-weekly injections.
Each of these situations and others merits thoughtful consideration and consultation with a seasoned healthcare professional.
Got More Trulicity Questions? We’ve Got Answers
These are the most common questions people ask about Trulicity, with quick answers for your reference all in one helpful place. Bookmark this resource for later!
- Q: How is Trulicity administered?
Trulicity is administered in a once-weekly injection, using a user-friendly, pre-filled pen. You can self-administer it or ask a trusted loved one to assist. Before prescribing the pen, your healthcare provider will walk you through the procedure.
- Q: Can Trulicity be used in combination with other diabetes medications?
Yes, Trulicity can be used in combination with other diabetes medications—as long as your doctor agrees that that’s the best path forward for you.
Work with your healthcare team to create a treatment plan that involves checking in on your blood sugar on an ongoing basis after treatment initiation to avoid any risk of side effects like hypoglycemia.
- Q: Can I drink alcohol while taking Trulicity?
Whenever possible, it’s a good idea to limit your alcohol consumption while you’re taking Trulicity.
Alcohol does have an effect on blood sugar levels and could even increase your risk of experiencing side effects (like nausea) while on this medication.
- Q: How long does it take to see results with Trulicity for weight loss?
Your personal timeline for seeing weight loss results with Trulicity might be specific to you!
Some patients may notice that they’re seeing results in a few weeks.
Other people may require a few months before they see the number on the scale start to shift. Using the medication consistently and pairing it with healthy lifestyle changes will help you work toward more significant weight loss over time.
- Q: What should I do if I miss a dose of Trulicity?
If you miss a dose of Trulicity, take it as soon as you remember—as long as you remember within three days of your scheduled dose.
If it’s been more than three days, it may be better to skip the missed dose and take the next as scheduled. Do not take extra medicine to make up for the missed dose.
- Q: Is it safe to use Trulicity for long-term weight management?
Trulicity is effective for long-term use in supporting weight loss and managing type 2 diabetes. However, since it is a powerful medication, you should always work with your doctor, even over the long term, to make sure that your medication is always working as well as possible for you.
- Q: Can Trulicity cause serious side effects?
For some people, Trulicity can cause serious side effects.
These risks may include:
- Pancreatitis
- Severe allergic reactions
- Kidney problems
- Thyroid tumors
If you experience any shortness of breath, abdominal pain, or swelling near your face and throat while taking Trulicity, alert your medical team at once.
- Q: Where can I buy Trulicity for less?
If you’re interested in saving up to 54% on brand-name Trulicity , you’re in the right place. By ordering your medication from Canada or internationally, through a reputable online and international pharmacy website, you stand to save a lot of time and stress.
Ready to learn more? Chat with our team of customer service representatives and pharmacists, or read our Canadian pharmacy reviews page. Then, when you’re ready, place an order online or over the phone.
Our team looks forward to serving and supporting you as your healthcare journey progresses.
