Two women in Saskatchewan are describing sharply different experiences with GLP-1 weight-loss medications, CP24 reports, at a time when generic versions have made the drugs easier for Canadians to obtain than ever.
Chandra McMillan-Behrenz, 58, of Saskatoon began weekly injections of a generic GLP-1 drug in June after her doctor suggested it to treat her fatty liver. Lindsay Noble has cycled through five different brands over three years, losing 100 pounds but hitting repeated plateaus along the way.
Their accounts, given to CTV News and reported by CP24, illustrate how widely outcomes can vary on the same class of medication.
Why it matters
Roughly three million Canadians are currently taking GLP-1 drugs, according to a Leger online survey conducted in February and cited by CP24. Most respondents named weight loss as their primary reason for treatment, followed by diabetes and metabolic health.
As generic brands spread across the country, more patients will encounter the drugs — and the uneven results that come with them. Health experts told CP24 that responses differ because of medication tolerance, how consistently patients stick to treatment, genetics and other biological and medical factors.
An immediate change for one patient
McMillan-Behrenz told CTV News she had long felt drained, which she attributed to the way insulin was or was not working in her body. Within the first week of treatment, she said, she noticed a change.
She no longer experiences the post-lunch energy crash she used to have, and the added energy lets her take more walks and keep pace with her grandchildren's activities. The drug also curbed her appetite and cravings, which she said made it easy to cut out sugar and soda.
She has dropped 18 pounds in the four months since starting the medication. "It really made a big difference for me," she told CTV News.
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and constipation are among the common side effects. McMillan-Behrenz said she considers herself fortunate to have had only slight nausea, and she cautioned that individual bodies respond differently — what helped her might not help someone else.
Plateaus and switching brands
Noble's path was longer. Before her first GLP-1 injection in 2023, she spent years on fad diets and exercise and consulted dietitians, nutritionists and therapists. The initial results were encouraging: she lost weight, and more importantly to her, the persistent thoughts about food quieted.
"It wasn't necessarily about the weight loss," she told CTV News. Her main struggle, she said, was food noise and making sure she did not slide back into binge eating.
Over time the medication stopped delivering, and the food noise returned. On her doctor's advice she switched brands, a process she found frustrating because she was still following her diet and exercise routine without seeing further progress.
Such plateaus are common, according to CP24. A recent study in the National Library of Medicine found that weight loss peaked between 24 and 30 weeks of treatment before levelling off, and other research indicates that roughly five to 10 per cent of people lose no weight at all on the drugs.
Noble now takes a weekly injection of a brand that has worked for more than a year — one of her longest stretches of success. Earlier this year she passed a milestone of 100 pounds lost since her first injection. This past winter she went snowboarding for the first time in more than a decade.
"I actually lost the weight and my body doesn't hurt anymore," she said. "On top of that, my cholesterol is down, my blood sugars are better and I am just healthy."
Stigma and a caution
Noble told CTV News that some people still regard the drugs as a shortcut to weight loss. She pushed back on that view, describing the medication as one tool among several rather than a universal solution, and stressed that experiences and results differ from person to person.
She advised patients to work with the right professionals and make choices suited to their own bodies. Health experts echoed that caution, telling CP24 the drugs are not appropriate for everyone and that Canadians should consult their health-care providers about treatment options.
For patients and prescribers alike, the next thing to watch is how generic supply and provincial coverage evolve as usage continues to climb.
