The effectiveness gap is large
The most important difference is how much weight you'll lose. Injectable GLP-1 medications produce 15–21% body weight loss on average, while oral tablets produce 3–10%. For a 100kg person, that's roughly 15–21kg vs 3–10kg — a significant gap.
This gap exists because GLP-1 medications work through a fundamentally different (and more powerful) mechanism — mimicking natural gut hormones that regulate appetite at the brain level. Older oral medications use less potent approaches: stimulant effects (Duromine), reward pathway modulation (Contrave), or fat absorption blocking (Xenical).
The injection isn't what you think
Many people assume the injection is painful or complicated. In practice, GLP-1 injections use a tiny needle in a pre-filled pen (similar to an insulin pen). Most patients report feeling little to no pain — often less than a blood test. The injection takes seconds, once per week.
After 2–3 weeks, most patients describe it as completely routine — barely noticeable.
Choose injections if...
- You want maximum weight loss (15–21%)
- You can afford $350–500/month
- You're comfortable with (or willing to try) self-injection
- You want a once-weekly dosing schedule
- You need long-term treatment
Choose tablets if...
- You have a strong needle aversion
- Budget is under $300/month
- You want a short-term kickstart (Duromine, 12 weeks)
- You specifically struggle with emotional eating (Contrave)
- You want the OTC option (Xenical 60mg)
Can you start with tablets and switch to injections?
Yes — this is a common and perfectly reasonable approach. Many patients start with Duromine as a 12-week kickstart (cheaper, no needles), then transition to a GLP-1 injection for long-term management once they've seen initial results and committed to the journey.
Guide to switching medications →
The future: oral GLP-1 medications
Novo Nordisk has launched an oral semaglutide pill (Wegovy in tablet form) in the US. This could eventually combine the effectiveness of GLP-1 medications with the convenience of tablets. It's not yet available in Australia — we'll update this page when there's news.