Any experience with Wegovy?

[+ FreshFluff]

16 hours ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

People want a magic pill without having to put in any real work.

Clearly, these drugs work on a weight-loss level, but it's also going to take some discipline and limiting one's self as well.

When the problem itself is food, eating and your mental relationship with either, what you need isn't a pill or an injection.  It's therapy to figure out how to better manage yourself and actions.

I'm good with magic pills as long as the risk-reward tradeoff makes sense. Just as antipsychotics turn off voices in the heads of schizophrenic people, GLP1s the constant feelings of hunger that cause obesity in the first place.  So far, so good  

Of course, the question is what are the medium- to long-term side effects of the drug itself? Big pharma's constant gaslighting ("These side effects are caused by rapid weight loss. Nothing to see here."  does not help. Time will tell.

Edited December 21, 2023 by FreshFluff

[Pd1_jap]

On 12/19/2023 at 7:19 AM, marylander1940 said:

is feeling nauseous and sick a lesser evil? 

Depends on your goals, if you just want to lose weight then sure. However, most people I know, lose weight so they enjoy life longer and better, like skiing, beach days, parties, and sex. All of which is easier and more fun while trim. For me, if I'm feeling nauseous and other digestive issues, I'm not leaving the house. And the walls and furniture in my apartment don't give two shits how fat I am.

On a more serious note, if you are not digesting food properly you can suffer from malnourishment and even starve to death. 

Best way to lose weight is no sugar, a healthy diet, and exercise.

[samhexum]

On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Pd1_jap said:

Best way to lose weight is no sugar, a healthy diet, and exercise.

  

 

[Simon Suraci]

These drugs sound like more trouble than it’s worth. And it’s not permanent. Even if you experience success without any major side effects, you still have to stay on the drug indefinitely… as soon as you stop the meds, the weight comes right back!

Meanwhile your body still needs adequate nutrients every day. Not eating enough quantity and variety of the right foods poses other problems.

What about good old fashioned lipo? 😛

[Monarchy79]

These pharmaceutical companies have a demonic sense of humor. 
 

It seems like any drug that has a convenient benefit to the consumer always has terrible side effects.

[+ augustus]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/ozempic-patients-are-going-to-the-er-over-severe-side-effects/ar-AA1lUyqn?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d91cc8a0ef9744f5aec6d96e6b7488c2&ei=15

 

Here's another interesting article about Ozempic.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

On 12/23/2023 at 12:46 AM, Monarchy79 said:

It seems like any drug that has a convenient benefit to the consumer always has terrible side effects.

It's less a sense of humor than 'there's no such thing as a free lunch.'

Most medicines, even the most innocuous, have side effects for some amount of the population.

It's more a matter of how much are you willing to endure to get the results you desire.

Edited December 26, 2023 by BenjaminNicholas

[+ FreshFluff]

11 hours ago, augustus said:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/ozempic-patients-are-going-to-the-er-over-severe-side-effects/ar-AA1lUyqn?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d91cc8a0ef9744f5aec6d96e6b7488c2&ei=15

 

Here's another interesting article about Ozempic.

The Novo Nordisk spokesperson also told Best Life that the company "cannot validate the safety or effectiveness of compounded products claiming to contain semaglutide that are not one of our own branded products. Compounded products do not have the same safety, quality and effectiveness assurances as our FDA-approved drugs and may expose patients to health risks. Patients can help protect themselves by only buying medicines from legitimate sources and with a prescription from a healthcare professional."

Pharma gonna pharma  😏

 

[samhexum]

On 12/23/2023 at 12:46 AM, Monarchy79 said:

These pharmaceutical companies have a demonic sense of humor. 

It seems like any drug that has a convenient benefit to the consumer always has terrible side effects.

 

8 hours ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

It's less a sense of humor than 'there's no such thing as a free lunch.'

Most medicines, even the most innocuous, have side effects for some amount of the population.

It's more a matter of how much are you willing to endure to get the results you desire.

Besides, with what would literally every stand-up comic in the country replace his/her 45 seconds about the drug side effects shown in commercials?

[BeamerBikes]

I've been on the journey since August 2023.  I'm plateauing out 1.7mg/week right now past couple months.  The side effects were manageable with little indigestion/nausea for me.  I've dropped roughly 25 lbs since August.  

It's not the right decision for everyone, but I feel this is the right decision for me. There's always a cost for any of our decisions.  Not doing anything to reduce the weight and continuing to lie to myself that I can diet and exercise my way out of 2 decades of obesity, comes with a side effect of remaining as heavy as I have always been.  

Family history has some significant overlaps, and I don't intend to repeat the same pathologies.  I know what my likely life expectancy would be if I stay on that path.  

[josh282282]

On 12/20/2023 at 7:52 AM, BenjaminNicholas said:

When the problem itself is food, eating and your mental relationship with either, what you need isn't a pill or an injection.  It's therapy to figure out how to better manage yourself and actions.

 

Primary care physician here. I practice Medicine in a primary care clinic on the east coast & see these issues daily. 

Some comments.

First, my love & support to all who struggle with obesity.  It's a terrible disease with significant & harmful consequences.  And losing weight is challenging.  And as we age, it only gets more challenging. 

I am, of course,  getting oh-so-many-requests for Ozempic from non-diabetic patients who desire it for weight loss. Daily requests. On Ozempic I've had a handful of patients really drop the weight, like 20-30 lbs. Its impressive.  And I've also had some not lose weight on Ozempic.  

And I'm also very much aware of my diabetic patients who have been prescribed Ozempic for diabetes.  This medication has really helped improve their glycemic control & reduced their risk of serious complications of uncontrolled diabetes. Its awesome.  Unfortunately,  since the Ozempic for weight loss craze started,   some of my diabetics struggle to get a prescription filled because the pharmacy is out, all the Ozempic went to weight loss.  And their health suffers. It's very disappointing.  

There are pros & cons to using these Ozempic products for weight loss, as outlined by several posters here which I wont repeat. But I highlighted Benjamin's note for the strength of its insight.  Weight loss drugs are doomed to fail if the patient does not change their lifestyle. And to be honest,  many (not all) of the patients requesting an Ozempic prescription from me have no cogent plan or strategy in specifically HOW they will change their diet & behavior.   They just demand their Ozempic NOW. I ask about their plans.  I listen & wait,  but the answers typically are somewhat weak & poorly formed,  tbh.

I am fearful some, not all, on this website who want their own prescription of Ozempic may fall in the same category.  The fear is many who lose weight on Ozempic will only regain it back unless they really change their behavior.   History will repeat itself.   

With this in mind, some of my physician colleagues,  including myself,  have followed bariatric surgeons path. Bariatric surgeons demand prior to surgery that the patient lose a bit of weight and THEN they are offered bariatric surgery.  My colleagues and I are doing similar: we inform potential Ozempic patients they must lose 5-10% of their weight THEN we will prescribe Ozempic.  Simply put: whether I like it or not, I'm a gatekeeper of this "magical" drug. Therefore,  I must keep many factors in the forefront of my mind: will this prescription take away an imperative drug from a patient who needs it for diabetes?   What is the risk the patient will eventually regain the weight? Is this patient demonstrating clear evidence that changed behavior is present now, and likely will continue once the  Ozempic course has ended?

This weight loss drug will cost thousands of dollars for several months for a course and prudence & honesty demand of me that my professional prescribing behavior be judicious and fair. It's a work in progress. 

Ozempic is a complicated drug, isnt it?

Obesity is a touchy & for some, a painful topic, especially in the judgemental Gay community where the Body-Beautiful pressure is ever-present.  So to those who struggle, fight on. My love & support goes out to you.

Hugs & kisses,

Josh

 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

12 hours ago, josh282282 said:

 

Primary care physician here. I practice Medicine in a primary care clinic on the east coast & see these issues daily. 

Some comments.

First, my love & support to all who struggle with obesity.  It's a terrible disease with significant & harmful consequences.  And losing weight is challenging.  And as we age, it only gets more challenging. 

I am, of course,  getting oh-so-many-requests for Ozempic from non-diabetic patients who desire it for weight loss. Daily requests. On Ozempic I've had a handful of patients really drop the weight, like 20-30 lbs. Its impressive.  And I've also had some not lose weight on Ozempic.  

And I'm also very much aware of my diabetic patients who have been prescribed Ozempic for diabetes.  This medication has really helped improve their glycemic control & reduced their risk of serious complications of uncontrolled diabetes. Its awesome.  Unfortunately,  since the Ozempic for weight loss craze started,   some of my diabetics struggle to get a prescription filled because the pharmacy is out, all the Ozempic went to weight loss.  And their health suffers. It's very disappointing.  

There are pros & cons to using these Ozempic products for weight loss, as outlined by several posters here which I wont repeat. But I highlighted Benjamin's note for the strength of its insight.  Weight loss drugs are doomed to fail if the patient does not change their lifestyle. And to be honest,  many (not all) of the patients requesting an Ozempic prescription from me have no cogent plan or strategy in specifically HOW they will change their diet & behavior.   They just demand their Ozempic NOW. I ask about their plans.  I listen & wait,  but the answers typically are somewhat weak & poorly formed,  tbh.

I am fearful some, not all, on this website who want their own prescription of Ozempic may fall in the same category.  The fear is many who lose weight on Ozempic will only regain it back unless they really change their behavior.   History will repeat itself.   

With this in mind, some of my physician colleagues,  including myself,  have followed bariatric surgeons path. Bariatric surgeons demand prior to surgery that the patient lose a bit of weight and THEN they are offered bariatric surgery.  My colleagues and I are doing similar: we inform potential Ozempic patients they must lose 5-10% of their weight THEN we will prescribe Ozempic.  Simply put: whether I like it or not, I'm a gatekeeper of this "magical" drug. Therefore,  I must keep many factors in the forefront of my mind: will this prescription take away an imperative drug from a patient who needs it for diabetes?   What is the risk the patient will eventually regain the weight? Is this patient demonstrating clear evidence that changed behavior is present now, and likely will continue once the  Ozempic course has ended?

This weight loss drug will cost thousands of dollars for several months for a course and prudence & honesty demand of me that my professional prescribing behavior be judicious and fair. It's a work in progress. 

Ozempic is a complicated drug, isnt it?

Obesity is a touchy & for some, a painful topic, especially in the judgemental Gay community where the Body-Beautiful pressure is ever-present.  So to those who struggle, fight on. My love & support goes out to you.

Hugs & kisses,

Josh

Very well-said. 

Much more erudite than I could have ever put it 👏

 

[+ FreshFluff]

23 hours ago, josh282282 said:

 

 

I am fearful some, not all, on this website who want their own prescription of Ozempic may fall in the same category.  The fear is many who lose weight on Ozempic will only regain it back unless they really change their behavior.   History will repeat itself.   

 

 

Josh, I appreciate your post and your empathy. I think we have to be careful with the bolded assumption. I was blessed with a great metabolism, and I had maintained a BMI of 19-21 all my life through portion control alone.  Unfortunately, I got into the habit of eating a lot right before bed (3 AM for me) to help me sleep. Studies published over the past year have found that this contributes to weight gain. So it did with me.

I started by correcting that.   I then slowly added new steps—reducing calories here, substituting protein for carbs there, walking more. Resistance training is next. I’ve lost 5% of my weight without too much sacrifice. I have  plateaued over the past week.

Losing weight gets harder with age, especially for women. The question is whether I will be able to lose another 15 pounds while eating enough that I feel satisfied and am not distracted by hunger. 

I was offered semaglutide and decided to try diet and exercise first. The hair loss and sarcopenia are just not worth it for me. I don’t  think we should judge non-diabetics who want to try it, even if they aren’t planning to go on an elaborate diet. After all, the whole point of the GLP1s is to allow people to lose weight with small portions without constant hunger. That’s a reasonable desire for any patient. 

Edited December 28, 2023 by FreshFluff

[samhexum]

On 11/23/2023 at 11:53 PM, samhexum said:

I've been on Ozempic since April.  I'm diabetic and was on Metformin, but my endocrinologist asked if I wanted to try it (then read off a laundry list of possible side effects). 

My biggest problem was cost.  The initial 3-month supply cost $130.  Because I'm now in the medicare coverage gap, the cost would be $755.  My doctor gave me one sample pen, and my b-i-l gave me a 1/2-full pen when he was bumped up from low to medium.

I saw my doctor Aug 29th & my A1C was 5.7, down from 8.5 Jan 2022, and from 6.7ish since May 2022.  I asked him if I could do a shot every 8-9 days to stretch out my supply since my #s were so good and he said yes.  I realized that wouldn't get me even close to the end of the year, so since mid-Sept I've dialed back from 1/2 mg doses to 1/4 and I'm doing it every 10 days, and taking Metformin every other day to supplement it.  I had plenty left on hand. My sister's doctor had her on both for awhile.  I had a home-health visit Tuesday and she measured my A1C at 5.9, which I'll take because I've been overdoing it on empty carbs for a few weeks.  

My doctor said I could try Monjaro if I want, since people lose more weight with it than Ozempic, but I was just on the phone with a very helpful rep from United Healthcare who explained to me that you fall into the medicare coverage gap the minute your drug costs exceed $5030, and that either drug costs $3000+ for a 3 month supply, so I think I'll stay with Metformin for now and see if I start to regain the weight.

[samhexum]

On 12/19/2023 at 9:51 AM, tassojunior said:

i googled and it's Tirzepatide 

‘I Lost 60 Pounds, Added Years To My Life, Thanks To Tirzepatide + Lifestyle Changes’

“It was a miracle drug.”

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a46106274/tirzepatide-weight-loss-review-before-and-after/

unfortunately behind a paywall.

[marylander1940]

On 1/3/2024 at 2:37 PM, samhexum said:

‘I Lost 60 Pounds, Added Years To My Life, Thanks To Tirzepatide + Lifestyle Changes’

“It was a miracle drug.”

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a46106274/tirzepatide-weight-loss-review-before-and-after/

unfortunately behind a paywall.

 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Fat positive influencers? 

I won't acronym this because I'm literally yelling this at my screen:  GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE.

[marylander1940]

2 hours ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

Fat positive influencers? 

I won't acronym this because I'm literally yelling this at my screen:  GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE.

[CDK]

Yes.  Good experience with it.  Been taking it since late May.  Down about 55 pounds.  

[marylander1940]

8 hours ago, CDK said:

Yes.  Good experience with it.  Been taking it since late May.  Down about 55 pounds.  

Do you also do diet and exercise? 

[samhexum]

On 12/20/2023 at 10:52 AM, BenjaminNicholas said:

People want a magic pill without having to put in any real work.

Clearly, these drugs work on a weight-loss level, but it's also going to take some discipline and limiting one's self as well.

When the problem itself is food, eating and your mental relationship with either, what you need isn't a pill or an injection.  It's therapy to figure out how to better manage yourself and actions.

 

On 12/22/2023 at 8:40 PM, samhexum said:

  

 

Rebel Wilson Says She’s Gained Back 30 Lbs. After Weight Loss Due to Stress: ‘It Makes Me Feel Bad About Myself’

Alongside a snap and clip of herself wearing a black swimsuit and sunglasses in a hot tub aboard a boat, Wilson wrote, “Working really hard has meant that, coz of all the stress, I’ve gained 14kg’s (30 pounds)! It makes me feel bad about myself…it shouldn’t…but it does.”

She continued, “I’m really proud of the work I’ve been doing on new movies and my memoir, it’s just been a LOT and I’ve lost focus on my healthy lifestyle. Anyone else going through the same thing?”

 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

6 hours ago, samhexum said:

 

Rebel Wilson Says She’s Gained Back 30 Lbs. After Weight Loss Due to Stress: ‘It Makes Me Feel Bad About Myself’

Alongside a snap and clip of herself wearing a black swimsuit and sunglasses in a hot tub aboard a boat, Wilson wrote, “Working really hard has meant that, coz of all the stress, I’ve gained 14kg’s (30 pounds)! It makes me feel bad about myself…it shouldn’t…but it does.”

She continued, “I’m really proud of the work I’ve been doing on new movies and my memoir, it’s just been a LOT and I’ve lost focus on my healthy lifestyle. Anyone else going through the same thing?”

 

 

Interesting. 

30 lbs isn't an overnight weight gain.  That kind of gain takes ignoring your routine for lengthy amounts of time.

[samhexum]

8 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

Interesting. 

30 lbs isn't an overnight weight gain.  That kind of gain takes ignoring your routine for lengthy amounts of time.

Or a REALLY good oink-fest weekend.

[+ FreshFluff]

On 12/26/2023 at 8:58 PM, josh282282 said:

 

And to be honest,  many (not all) of the patients requesting an Ozempic prescription from me have no cogent plan or strategy in specifically HOW they will change their diet & behavior.   They just demand their Ozempic NOW. I ask about their plans.  I listen & wait,  but the answers typically are somewhat weak & poorly formed,  tbh.

I am fearful some, not all, on this website who want their own prescription of Ozempic may fall in the same category.  The fear is many who lose weight on Ozempic will only regain it back unless they really change their behavior.   History will repeat itself.   

With this in mind, some of my physician colleagues,  including myself,  have followed bariatric surgeons path. Bariatric surgeons demand prior to surgery that the patient lose a bit of weight and THEN they are offered bariatric surgery.  My colleagues and I are doing similar: we inform potential Ozempic patients they must lose 5-10% of their weight THEN we will prescribe Ozempic.  Simply put: whether I like it or not, I'm a gatekeeper of this "magical" drug. Therefore,  I must keep many factors in the forefront of my mind: will this prescription take away an imperative drug from a patient who needs it for diabetes?   What is the risk the patient will eventually regain the weight? Is this patient demonstrating clear evidence that changed behavior is present now, and likely will continue once the  Ozempic course has ended?

@josh282282 I just crossed the 10% threshold. Do I get my Ozempic rx now? 😘

Because I eat out 1-2 times a day, I’m losing about a pound a week. That’s fine with me. The weight loss may slow down further. 

13 pounds to go..

Edited February 7 by FreshFluff

[+ FreshFluff]

Regeneron is combining semaglutide with monoclonal antibodies that preserve muscle mass. Stage 2 trials will start soon. This is a major step in the right direction. 

Btw, @samhexum @auguHow are things going with you? Sam, I hope you’re able to get more meds soon.