Liraglutide for weight loss: what TikTok gets right and wrong
Quick answer
The creator describes being sequentially prescribed tirzepatide, semaglutide, and now liraglutide, each switch driven by availability issues rather than apparent clinical rationale. This trajectory moves from a higher-efficacy dual agonist to the oldest and least potent GLP-1 option for weight management, a step-down with real implications for expected outcomes. Her injection is subcutaneous via a dial pen, consistent with liraglutide delivery devices like the Saxenda pen.
Our take · Written by FormBlends editorial team · Reviewed by FormBlends Medical Team· This is not a transcript. It is our independent review of the video above.
What did @msamberray actually say?
She walked through her injection technique on camera, then explained she had been cycled through three different GLP-1 medications in a short period: first "tricep tide" (tirzepatide), then "semi-glute tide" (semaglutide), and now liraglutide, prescribed by her PCP. Each switch, she said, happened because the previous drug became unavailable. She ended by asking her followers for personal experiences with liraglutide.
To be clear, she made no dramatic weight loss claims. She did not prescribe a dose or promise results. This was essentially a vulnerable, curious post from someone trying to figure out what they just got handed at the pharmacy. That context matters when evaluating what she got right and wrong.
Does the science back this up?
The general arc of her story, switching between GLP-1 drugs due to supply issues, is completely plausible and reflects a real supply problem in this drug class. However, the direction of her switch raises clinical questions worth examining.
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) is a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist and in head-to-head data outperforms semaglutide on weight loss. Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) is a selective GLP-1 agonist. Liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza) is the oldest of the three for weight management and generally produces the most modest results. The SCALE trial (Pi-Sunyer et al., 2015, New England Journal of Medicine) showed liraglutide 3.0mg produced roughly 8% mean body weight loss over 56 weeks. By comparison, the SURMOUNT-1 trial (Jastreboff et al., 2022, NEJM) showed tirzepatide achieving up to 22.5% mean weight loss at the highest dose. Stepping down to liraglutide after tirzepatide is a meaningful clinical downgrade in expected efficacy, not just a lateral swap.
What did they get wrong (or right)?
Her injection technique, popping the cap, dialing the dose, tipping the pen to clear air, and injecting, is broadly consistent with standard subcutaneous pen injection procedure. She did not do anything visibly dangerous in what she described. Credit where it is due.
Where things get murkier is her framing of the medication history. The sequence she described, tirzepatide unavailable, then semaglutide unavailable, then liraglutide, tracks with the documented compounded GLP-1 shortage situation. The FDA had tirzepatide on its shortage list until early 2025, and semaglutide compound availability has been contested. But it is worth noting: if she was receiving these through a telehealth or compounding channel, the drugs she received were compounded versions, not the brand-name products. Compounded and FDA-approved brand-name GLP-1s are not the same product, and she does not appear to know that distinction or mention it.
There is also no acknowledgment that moving from tirzepatide to liraglutide likely means reduced weight loss outcomes. Her followers deserve to know that before they assume her results will match what they have seen from Wegovy or Mounjaro content online.
What should you actually know?
If you are on liraglutide after being on tirzepatide or semaglutide, the expected weight loss ceiling is lower. That is not a failure on your part, it is pharmacology. Liraglutide requires daily injections compared to once-weekly dosing for semaglutide and tirzepatide, which affects adherence in clinical practice (Davies et al., 2015, Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology).
The supply disruptions she described are real. The FDA shortage list for compounded GLP-1 drugs has shifted repeatedly since 2023, and many telehealth platforms have cycled patients between agents as a result. However, patients should ask their prescriber directly:
- Am I receiving a compounded or FDA-approved brand-name product?
- Why was this specific medication chosen over alternatives?
- What weight loss outcome is realistic on this agent at this dose?
- What is the titration schedule and how long before I assess response?
Asking followers on TikTok for anecdotal reassurance is understandable. But anecdotal responses will not tell you whether liraglutide is the right clinical choice for your specific history, weight, and metabolic profile. That conversation belongs with your prescriber.
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This page currently connects to 9 source-backed evidence items through visible references or structured citation data.
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Research sources used to frame this page
For Liraglutide for weight loss: what TikTok gets right and wrong, FormBlends checks the page topic against primary trials, systematic reviews, guidelines, and current PubMed-indexed literature where available. These citations are context, not medical advice, proof of eligibility, or a claim that every study applies to every patient.
Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity
Primary STEP 1 trial source for semaglutide weight-management efficacy and adverse-event context.
PubMed
Effect of Continued Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo on Weight Loss Maintenance
Used for maintenance, discontinuation, and weight-regain discussions after semaglutide response.
PubMed
Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity
Primary SURMOUNT-1 trial source for tirzepatide weight-loss ranges and tolerability.
PubMed
Continued Treatment With Tirzepatide for Maintenance of Weight Reduction
Used for continuation, stopping, and maintenance questions after initial weight loss.
PubMed
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Liraglutide for weight loss: what TikTok gets right and wrong is best used to compare access, oversight, pricing, pharmacy quality, and patient support before starting care.
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The creator describes being sequentially prescribed tirzepatide, semaglutide, and now liraglutide, each switch driven by availability issues rather than apparent clinical rationale.
FormBlends verdict
The creator describes being sequentially prescribed tirzepatide, semaglutide, and now liraglutide, each switch driven by availability issues rather than apparent clinical rationale. This trajectory moves from a higher-efficacy dual agonist to the oldest and least potent GLP-1 option for weight management, a step-down with real implications for expected outcomes. Her injection is subcutaneous via a dial pen, consistent with liraglutide delivery devices like the Saxenda pen.
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What it helps with
- The creator describes being sequentially prescribed tirzepatide, semaglutide, and now liraglutide, each switch driven by availability issues rather than apparent clinical rationale. This trajectory moves from a higher-efficacy dual agonist to the oldest and least potent GLP-1 option for weight management, a step-down with real implications for expected outcomes. Her injection is subcutaneous via a dial pen, consistent with liraglutide delivery devices like the Saxenda pen.
- Liraglutide (Saxenda) produced roughly 8% mean body weight loss in the SCALE trial (Pi-Sunyer et al., 2015, NEJM), compared to up to 15% for semaglutide and up to 22.5% for tirzepatide in their respective pivotal trials.
- Liraglutide requires daily injections, while semaglutide and tirzepatide are once-weekly. Adherence rates differ significantly with daily versus weekly regimens in real-world practice (Davies et al., 2015, Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology).
What it may miss
- It may not cover eligibility, contraindications, medication interactions, lab history, or dose escalation.
- Compound access, legal status, and product quality still need a separate safety check.
- Social video captions rarely show the full evidence base behind a claim.
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Start provider reviewWhat You'll Learn
- Liraglutide (Saxenda) produced roughly 8% mean body weight loss in the SCALE trial (Pi-Sunyer et al., 2015, NEJM), compared to up to 15% for semaglutide and up to 22.5% for tirzepatide in their respective pivotal trials.
- Liraglutide requires daily injections, while semaglutide and tirzepatide are once-weekly. Adherence rates differ significantly with daily versus weekly regimens in real-world practice (Davies et al., 2015, Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology).
- The FDA listed both tirzepatide and semaglutide on its drug shortage list between 2023 and 2025, which drove widespread substitution across telehealth platforms and compounding pharmacies.
- Compounded GLP-1 medications are not FDA-approved and are not considered equivalent to brand-name products like Saxenda, Wegovy, or Zepbound. Patients should confirm which type they are receiving.
- Switching from tirzepatide to liraglutide represents a reduction in expected efficacy, not a lateral move. Patients should ask their prescriber what weight loss outcome is realistic on the new agent.
- If you are cycling through GLP-1 agents due to supply issues, the clinical question to ask is whether the substitution was driven by availability alone or by a reassessment of your treatment plan.
- Asking for anecdotal experiences on social media is common but individual responses to GLP-1 drugs vary substantially based on dose, genetics, adherence, and comorbidities. Peer stories are not a substitute for provider guidance.
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About the Creator
Amber Ray · TikTok creator
10.7K views on this video
Doctor got me in a new medication called liraglutide, does anybody got any positive story’s on it ? #weightloss #shots #gpl
Sources & references
Citations extracted from our medical team's review. Click any citation to search PubMed.
Read More on This Topic
Our written guides go deeper with dosing details, comparison tables, and medical-team reviewed protocols.
Not medical advice. This video was made by Amber Ray, not by FormBlends. Our write-up above is an editorial review, not a medical recommendation. Talk to your doctor before making any decisions about medications or treatments.