Your experience with Ozempic?

[Doc]

Wondering if any of our members have tried or are using Ozempic.

I've read all the data I can find on it. So many warnings of horrible side effects. Warnings of the high price. And warnings of short supply.

But after talking to my Dr. I decided to give it a try. I am pre Type II diabetic (A1C of 5.7 last checked). Ozempic can lower A1C and help me lose weight. Both would help my overall health.

I've been on Ozempic since the beginning of May and have found all of the warnings to be overblown in my case. So far my drug store has been able to fill my prescription each month. Price is very reasonable for me and the horrible side effects have not been so horrible. I am trying to drop the weight gradually and so far that is working. Dropping 1 or 2 pounds a week. Seems reasonable to me.

Is anyone else on this bandwagon with me?

 

[baldy347]

Wondering if any of our members have tried or are using Ozempic.

I've read all the data I can find on it. So many warnings of horrible side effects. Warnings of the high price. And warnings of short supply.

But after talking to my Dr. I decided to give it a try. I am pre Type II diabetic (A1C of 5.7 last checked). Ozempic can lower A1C and help me lose weight. Both would help my overall health.

I've been on Ozempic since the beginning of May and have found all of the warnings to be overblown in my case. So far my drug store has been able to fill my prescription each month. Price is very reasonable for me and the horrible side effects have not been so horrible. I am trying to drop the weight gradually and so far that is working. Dropping 1 or 2 pounds a week. Seems reasonable to me.

Is anyone else on this bandwagon with me?

Messed with my eyesight, at times objects at arms length would disappear. could not see my hands while trying to tie my shoes or the dash and steering wheel would disappear . Not every time but too often; and very often [always] printed text would be VERY blurred. I quit taking it pharmacist agreed but state that it likely to take months to clear it from my system.
wayne

 

[Doc]

Messed with my eyesight, at times objects at arms length would disappear. could not see my hands while trying to tie my shoes or the dash and steering wheel would disappear . Not every time but too often; and very often [always] printed text would be VERY blurred. I quit taking it pharmacist agreed but state that it likely to take months to clear it from my system.
wayne

Thanks.
How long did you take it before that effect happened? How long ago did you quit? Has your vision cleared up?

I have not noticed any changes in my eyesight.

 

[tommu56]

I'm listining closley!
I was on metformin and couldent tolerate it I stopped it.
My A1C is 6.8 down from 7.2 6 months ago by diet and increasing my activity.
The Dr wanted me to try the slow release metformin I said no.
I test my sugar daily and average for the week is 140 ish it depends on what I eat and how active I am.
He didnt mention any other medicines my other blood tests are great.
My main health issues are Asthma amd allergies that kick my butt!
Many times the cures is worse than the problem!!!

 

[Doc]

I too tried metaformin and could not tolerate it.
For me, my dr said there was no downside to ozempic as long as the side effects did not bother me. Dropping my A1C and dropping 15% of my weight would both be very beneficial to my health.
Ozempic has been on the market since 2017. Knowing it had been around for 5+ years helped nudge me to give it a shot.

 

[Doc]

Interesting article:​

​

What We Get Wrong About Drugs Like Ozempic​

BY YONI FREEDHOFF

Full article: https://time.com/6290294/weight-loss-drugs-ozempic-demonization-essay/

Imagine a new medication was developed that not only provided meaningful improvement for the debilitating chronic condition it’s prescribed, but also helps to treat and prevent a myriad of other serious diseases. Imagine this same drug markedly improved a person’s quality of life with noted reductions in pain and improvements in mobility along with increases in confidence and mood. Now imagine that the media and medical coverage of its release are almost uniformly negative or sensationalistic.

This is precisely what has happened with the new generation of anti-obesity medications, that began with Wegovy/Ozempic and with many more rapidly on their way. Currently approved medications lead people with obesity to lose on average 15% of their body weight which in turn has dramatic benefits for multiple weight responsive medical conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, GERD, fatty liver disease, and more. Clinical trials of newer molecules demonstrate even greater losses with the most recent, for Retatrutide, demonstrating a 24% body weight loss after 48 weeks of use and where weight in those participants appeared to still be dropping. Sustained weight loss has been shown to decrease the risk of developing those same conditions as well as some of our most common cancers including breast, uterine, and colon.

 

[XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq]

Not on it but I can't seem to feel that all the complaints are either exaggerated or from people that think it is cheating. I'm sure some people have bad side effects but they are obviously a small percent in comparison to the people it has helped. The obesity epidemic is real and we need all the help we can get in fighting it. I would certainly give it a try if I was in worse condition.

 

[baldy347]

Thanks.
How long did you take it before that effect happened? How long ago did you quit? Has your vision cleared up?

I have not noticed any changes in my eyesight.

Was on the lowest dosage for three months and about 6 weeks in on the next highest before I started to have problems, but I also have glaucoma . One of the listed side effects is retinal damage. I quit a month ago, Druggist did not argue when I asked to stop using it, stated that it likely to take two to three months to clear up.
Wayne

 

[Doc]

Thanks. Glad they expect it to clear up.

I have had minor stomach issues the first few weeks. No diarrhea or constipation which many have complained of.
I talk to Dr. next week. Will ask when I can expect my A1C to drop down some. For the past couple years I've hit 5.9 but worked to keep it down to 5.7 for most readings. Looking forward to it dropping more, just no clue how long before that might happen.

 

[tommu56]

I too tried metaformin and could not tolerate it.
For me, my dr said there was no downside to ozempic as long as the side effects did not bother me. Dropping my A1C and dropping 15% of my weight would both be very beneficial to my health.
Ozempic has been on the market since 2017. Knowing it had been around for 5+ years helped nudge me to give it a shot.

Well loosing weight didn't work sofar (where is that whats for dinner thread )
After last visit my Dr suggested trying Trulicity.
I’m on the 3rd week of self-injecting
Shot is no problem physically

Side effects that I see

Burping occasionall
heart burn occasionally
bowels are definitely different than metformin in a better way
I feel full a lot of the time at meals I seem to be eating less

I go back the end of January with blood test just before.

 

[Jack Daniels NB]

Hello. I’m a lurker and enjoy the info here. I would like to add my experience on this topic.

I’m one that had the worst side effects to this drug. My doctor gave me a 4 pack sample of Wegovy, smallest dosage available. He did tell me of the benefits and side effects. He gave the first shot in his office and said one shot every seven days. Easy peasy.

First couple of days I didn’t notice any change. Day 3 my stomach kinda felt weird. Day 4 I had severe diarrhea. I mean I stayed close to a toilet. Day 5 was same as day 4. Day 6 I got better and by day 7 was back to normal.

I thought that maybe my body was now adjusted to the medicine and I should do the second shot. Oh my, hindsight is 20/20.

First couple of days was fine. Day 3 my stomach was worse than the first shot and starting ache/cramp. Day 4 and 5 were terrible. Bad stomach aches/pain, and again severe diarrhea. This time my body decided it needed to add vomiting. Because of the diarrhea I was drinking a lot of water to keep from getting dehydrated. Water was the only thing I put in my stomach but it wouldn’t stay down. At the end of day 5 I seriously thought about going to the ER. Morning of day 6 I was getting better. It was probably day 11-12 before I was normal again.

Yes, I lost some weight from Wegovy but not the way it was designed. Like I said above, I’m an example of worst case scenarios.

I would not tell someone to not take the drug. My experience was bad. Yours may be the opposite. If you can tolerate the drug, go for it. I think it has great potential to help those with health problems and need to lose weight.

 

[tommu56]

Hello. I’m a lurker and enjoy the info here. I would like to add my experience on this topic.

I’m one that had the worst side effects to this drug. My doctor gave me a 4 pack sample of Wegovy, smallest dosage available. He did tell me of the benefits and side effects. He gave the first shot in his office and said one shot every seven days. Easy peasy.

First couple of days I didn’t notice any change. Day 3 my stomach kinda felt weird. Day 4 I had severe diarrhea. I mean I stayed close to a toilet. Day 5 was same as day 4. Day 6 I got better and by day 7 was back to normal.

I thought that maybe my body was now adjusted to the medicine and I should do the second shot. Oh my, hindsight is 20/20.

First couple of days was fine. Day 3 my stomach was worse than the first shot and starting ache/cramp. Day 4 and 5 were terrible. Bad stomach aches/pain, and again severe diarrhea. This time my body decided it needed to add vomiting. Because of the diarrhea I was drinking a lot of water to keep from getting dehydrated. Water was the only thing I put in my stomach but it wouldn’t stay down. At the end of day 5 I seriously thought about going to the ER. Morning of day 6 I was getting better. It was probably day 11-12 before I was normal again.

Yes, I lost some weight from Wegovy but not the way it was designed. Like I said above, I’m an example of worst case scenarios.

I would not tell someone to not take the drug. My experience was bad. Yours may be the opposite. If you can tolerate the drug, go for it. I think it has great potential to help those with health problems and need to lose weight

Welcome to the Asylum

I had those same side effects with Metformin and I couldn’t tolerate

This has been different some stomach grumbling simular, stools are greasy and firm almost to the point that I am considering cutting back on my fiber but haven’t done that yet.

 

[Jack Daniels NB]

Everyone in Hollywood is on it so it must be good stuff.

 

[tommu56]

Just an update for me Dr put me on Trulicity and I've been on it for 2 months lost about 20-25 lbs
The side affects aren't like metformin thank God !!!! but they are constipation for me but with a few fiber pills im as normal as I can be.
Cost from CVS is $20 a month, so I log in to express scrips to check they show $308.51 for 3 months
Usually Express scrips is 0 or 1/2 the cost of CVS
I've been on the phone with Express 45 minuet's they cant tell me why its $248.51 more than CVS.
I guess I'll be driving the 30 minuets to CVS every month to save money?????

 

[KitKat2023]

My dad is looking into starting one of these types of meds (he's not diabetic) and his doctor approved and gave him another doctor's name to go see. He's worried about the expense.

 

[tommu56]

My dad is looking into starting one of these types of meds (he's not diabetic) and his doctor approved and gave him another doctor's name to go see. He's worried about the expense.

With my medicare part D its $20.00 a month so far not including my advantage plan of $36.00 a month extra over my social security deduction. Mine is "for weight loss" but I'm pre diabetic but with no insurance on line it say's its $1200 a month
most of my other meds are mail ordered and most are free but one max out at $20.00 except one that's $47.00

 

[KitKat2023]

With my medicare part D its $20.00 a month so far not including my advantage plan of $36.00 a month extra over my social security deduction. Mine is "for weight loss" but I'm pre diabetic but with no insurance on line it say's its $1200 a month
most of my other meds are mail ordered and most are free but one max out at $20.00 except one that's $47.00

Thanks for the report. My dad asked his doctor about it and he's paying $50 per shot weekly for the generic version and he's not diabetic. Hopefully it works for him and keeps him healthy.

 

[tommu56]

Unfortunately I'm just about to hit the donut hole in my insurance and I'll have to start paying 25% of the RX price for my trulicity list price is about $1000 a month so I'll be paying $250 a month until I get to $8000 I'm just below the $5000 so far for this year for the start of the donut hole so its unlikely I'll get to the $8000 by the end of the year for the catastrophic coverage.