Any experience with Wegovy?

[+ FreshFluff]

On 11/10/2024 at 6:35 AM, SometimesBi said:

 

Just a quick note about "expiration".

Manufacturers do tests to analyze shelf longevity. No, they don't actually set some aside for 2 years and check it - new drugs come out far too fast for that. But the FDA grants the manufacturers a license to sell each batch they make. Technically, it is that license that is expiring on the given date.

Medication with an expiration date doesn't magically become useless/void the day after. 

On the opposite side, food doesn't have expiration dates. It has Best By dates. Sometimes, the date is manufacture date (often canned goods). If you find a food product with an actual Expiration Date, either there is some medical element, or the maker didn't know what they were doing. 

True. I think suspensions lose efficacy faster than solids though. 

[samhexum]

On 9/20/2024 at 7:24 AM, samhexum said:

I've been eating non-stop for a couple of months and have put on almost 10 pounds.  I'm completely out of control. I saw my endocrinologist 9/6 and he said he'd see if he had any Ozempic samples if I thought it would help get me restarted. It turns out he had a 3 month supply.  

Ozempic seems to be kicking in, albeit slowly. I seem to have lost most of the weight I had gained back and my appetite has shrunk. No constipation problems yet.

Edited November 20, 2024 by samhexum
Does everything in life really need to have a reason? I don't really know; I'm just asking…

[samhexum]

On 11/20/2024 at 4:03 PM, samhexum said:

Ozempic seems to be kicking in, albeit slowly. I seem to have lost most of the weight I had gained back and my appetite has shrunk. No constipation problems yet.

The constipation issues have returned somewhat.

[marylander1940]

 

[samhexum]

21 hours ago, samhexum said:

The constipation issues have returned somewhat.

Edited November 28, 2024 by samhexum
because what else does one do on Thanksgiving?

[Kenny]

I only need to drop 10 lbs for ideal weight, so I’m blocked from using these. I was thinking of packing on 40 extra pounds so I could qualify, and then losing 50. Concern over stretch marks and loose skin scuttled that thought. 

[samhexum]

Just got back from the eye doctor… No sign of diabetes in my eyes.

 

[Vin Marco]

On 12/1/2024 at 8:22 AM, Kenny said:

I only need to drop 10 lbs for ideal weight

You're within striking distance ( or spitting distance ) I would like to think that  you got this. I've helped more than one person lose over 100 lbs and they've kept it off ( 7 years plus ) and I always encouraged them and told them to think "just 5 lbs" at a time ... lose the 5, pat yourself on the back, then forget that you lost 5 lbs and tell yourself "I just gotta lose 5 lbs" and repeat 🔁 This included dietary and behavioral changes ( exercise ) but they did it! Both off all the cardiac meds they were on, and knee surgeries are no longer eminent... 

[samhexum]

11 hours ago, samhexum said:

Just got back from the eye doctor… No sign of diabetes in my eyes.

How a hip, happening guy spends his Saturday night…

Updating and printing out his list of doctors and medications.

Party Hardy!

[Frenchjuris]

I lost 80 pounds with this drug in one year. I never had a single side effect and I’ve kept it off for the last two years. Everyone is different 🙂

[samhexum]

On 8/4/2024 at 5:31 AM, FreshFluff said:

These drugs are a big advance in medicine and are probably worth the side effects for diabetics or obese people.

 

On 8/5/2024 at 3:34 PM, BenjaminNicholas said:

Agreed that it's not fun, but it's effective in curbing appetite.

Most people can't stick to simply eating less and getting exercise.  They want the magic pill but with no magic side effects.  That's not the way life works.  You have to want it bad enough to suffer a bit.  It's kinda an important part of the process.

 

On 9/20/2024 at 7:24 AM, samhexum said:

I've been eating non-stop for a couple of months and have put on almost 10 pounds.  I'm completely out of control.

I saw my endocrinologist 9/6 and he said he'd see if he had any Ozempic samples to give me if I thought it would help get me restarted.

It turns out he had a 3 month supply.  It's still unopened 2 weeks later.

 

On 11/20/2024 at 4:03 PM, samhexum said:

Ozempic seems to be kicking in, albeit slowly. I seem to have lost most of the weight I had gained back and my appetite has shrunk. No constipation problems yet.

 

On 12/7/2024 at 9:58 AM, samhexum said:

Just got back from the eye doctor… No sign of diabetes in my eyes.

 

I'm so fucking healthy, it's sick...

 

Went to the doctor today:  A1C 5.9  (2+ years  6.4 or below)

 

Down 9 pounds since September, 53ish since diagnosed in Jan 2022.  (still too heavy by 20-25)

 

No signs of diabetic damage in my eyes or feet

 

BP 118/74

[+ FreshFluff]

On 12/1/2024 at 6:22 AM, Kenny said:

I only need to drop 10 lbs for ideal weight, so I’m blocked from using these. I was thinking of packing on 40 extra pounds so I could qualify, and then losing 50. Concern over stretch marks and loose skin scuttled that thought. 

Many telehealth shops will prescribe GLP1s with no questions asked if you’re willing to pay out of pocket. 

[Lotus-eater]

My BMI is in the 27-30 range, but most of my "excess" weight is muscle. Can I get Wegovy if I wear baggy clothes to a doctor's appointment?

 

[Vin Marco]

On 12/11/2024 at 12:54 PM, Frenchjuris said:

I lost 80 pounds with this drug in one year. I never had a single side effect and I’ve kept it off for the last two years. Everyone is different 🙂

That's WONDERFUL!!! Congratulations! 🎈🎉🎊 

[+ FreshFluff]

On 12/19/2024 at 12:32 AM, Lotus-eater said:

My BMI is in the 27-30 range, but most of my "excess" weight is muscle. Can I get Wegovy if I wear baggy clothes to a doctor's appointment?

 

Try sewing rocks into your underwear. 

Seriously, you can get it you have a comorbidity-- high cholesterol or sleep apnea. You may have to try Metformin first. 

[Archangel]

Adding my two cents…

I have been dealing with obesity my entire life, since I was at least 7. Right now I’m at my heaviest. I am well into “morbidly obese” according to my BMI, and while I’ve had moments of success like losing 110 pounds some years ago, I’ve always ended up gaining it back and then some. I’m now close to 400 pounds, and my doctor recently recommended Wegovy to help with weight management. I’ve tried SO much else: dieticians, nutritionists, programs, plans, you name it. Nothing has worked long-term, so I thought “why not?” This could be a real chance to get some control back.

Today, I called my insurance to sort out what would be covered and what wouldn’t. The clinic needs me fill out a questionnaire to help determine the next steps, so I assumed this was going to be straightforward. It wasn’t. The “patient care coordinator” I spoke with was barely helpful. He kept talking about whether Wegovy was “on the formulary” and what’s considered medically necessary. Then he said something that floored me: “Wegovy isn’t isn’t considered medically necessary unless it’s for morbid obesity.”

I told him, “I am morbidly obese. I’m almost 400 pounds.” That finally got his attention, and he responded with a weak “Oh…okay,” but the whole conversation left me frustrated and defeated.

How is this still such a fight? They’re always on you about your weight every doctor’s visit, every form you fill out, but when it comes time to actually provide help, they act like it’s not serious until you’re teetering on the edge of a medical disaster. It’s like insurance companies have created this impossible game: you’re too fat to ignore but not fat enough to help.

I wanted to share this partly to vent but also to hear from anyone else who’s been through this with Wegovy or Ozempic. Have you tried it? Did it help? What was the cost like for you, and how did your insurance handle it? I’m honestly curious about what to expect if I manage to get past this ridiculous process.

And one more thing, can we all agree that insurance is a scam? They drag their feet, deny people the care they need, and then wonder why nobody has any sympathy for those CEOs raking in millions. (To say nothing about the assassinated insurance CEO a few weeks ago.) The system makes it so hard to even start. If anyone has advice or just wants to share their own frustrations, I’m all ears.

[+ sniper]

In NYC about 20 years ago a hospital ran a pilot program to aggressively intervene with diabetics, providing them with nutrition counseling and additional followups, more coverage of the supplies, etc. And the patients had fantastic results...fewer heart attacks and amputation. But the dirty little secret is that heart attacks and amputations have a much higher profit margin and the intervention program was in the red. So they dropped it. 

[samhexum]

5 minutes ago, Archangel said:

If anyone has advice or just wants to share their own frustrations, I’m all ears.

My first Ozempic dose was $130 for 14 weeks but then I hit the (ironically named) Medicare donut hole and a refill would've been $755.  My endocrinologist had one sample for me and my brother in law had an extra half a pen after he was switched to a higher dose but after they ran out I had to switch to diabetes medication with no copay or appetite suppressing qualities.  I didn't gain anything back for 7 months but after I started to the doctor found FOUR samples (3 in Sept, one in Dec) that I'm stretching out a bit by taking the shots every 9 days instead of every 7 since Nov.  It's okay for me to do that because all of my #s are in very good shape.

[Archangel]

1 hour ago, sniper said:

In NYC about 20 years ago a hospital ran a pilot program to aggressively intervene with diabetics, providing them with nutrition counseling and additional followups, more coverage of the supplies, etc. And the patients had fantastic results...fewer heart attacks and amputation. But the dirty little secret is that heart attacks and amputations have a much higher profit margin and the intervention program was in the red. So they dropped it. 

Precisely why no one has sympathy for anyone in the upper echelons of health insurance.

[Archangel]

@samhexum, a colleague uses a coupon from Wegovy to get hers for free. Does Ozempic provide something like that?

[samhexum]

11 minutes ago, Archangel said:

@samhexum, a colleague uses a coupon from Wegovy to get hers for free. Does Ozempic provide something like that?

I don't know.  I never research those things because I never believe drug companies are really going to do anything like that except for people who can afford to not need them.  Why not just follow her lead to get some for free?

And I don't know if Wegovy works for diabetes and/or can be taken with other diabetes medication.  I think the answer is no on both.

[Archangel]

32 minutes ago, samhexum said:

And I don't know if Wegovy works for diabetes and/or can be taken with other diabetes medication.  I think the answer is no on both.

Wegovy and Ozempic are both the same drug, semaglutide. I’m no pharmacologist, but the difference might be in their usage, not the chemical makeup. Does anyone know? 

[+ ApexNomad]

21 hours ago, Archangel said:

Wegovy and Ozempic are both the same drug, semaglutide. I’m no pharmacologist, but the difference might be in their usage, not the chemical makeup. Does anyone know? 

I’m not a doctor, and you should always consult a physician, but based on my reading and understanding, you’re correct that Wegovy and Ozempic are both semaglutide. The difference seems to lie in their approved uses: Wegovy is for weight management, while Ozempic is for type 2 diabetes, with different dosages depending on the purpose. That said, many people do lose weight on Ozempic even when using it for diabetes, as weight loss is a common side effect of semaglutide. There’s also some off-label use, where doctors prescribe Ozempic for weight management instead of Wegovy, often due to availability or insurance issues. Definitely double-check with a healthcare professional for the most accurate information. Best of luck to you!

[+ purplekow]

Ozempic and Wegovy are the same drug.  They work the same but the companies that make them have done different testing for indications.  Wegovy has been approved for weight loss for people 12 and above and can be used for diabetes control as well.  Ozempic is only used for diabetic control and its use as a weight loss agent is off label.  So theoretically Ozempic is not a weight loss drug though it does aid in weight loss.  It should only be used in those over 18.  Ozempic starts at .25 mg once a week and then increases to .5 mg after 4 weeks.  Wegovy comes in 5 doses, .25 mg and .5 mg and then higher doses up to 2.4 mg.   

So Wegovy can be used for weight loss for persons over 12 with and without diabetes and it will also help control diabetes but should not generally be used with insulin.  Better glucose control lowers cardiac risk.

Ozempic is only approved for use for diabetes in those over 18 and comes in lower doses and can only be used for weight loss in non-daibetics off label.  By prescribing it  off label use, there is a broader legal exposure for the doctor prescribing it.  So many doctors prefer Wegovy if you are trying to lose weight and they will use Ozempic if you are diabetic and are hoping to get the side effect of weight loss.   

There are two other semiglutide drugs that are combination drugs Monjaro and Zepbound  which have semiglutide and another drug terzepitide.  They both work to delay gastric emptying and as a result decrease feelings of hunger

Edited December 28, 2024 by purplekow

[samhexum]

22 minutes ago, purplekow said:

Ozempic and Wegovy are the same drug. 

 

23 hours ago, Archangel said:

@samhexum, a colleague uses a coupon from Wegovy to get hers for free. Does Ozempic provide something like that?

So how does she get the coupon?  It would really help, as I'm sure she's in a higher income bracket than I am.