Have we discussed Ozempic for weight loss

Here's a thread: 2peasrefugees.boards.net/thread/137424/ozempic-semaglutide-weight-loss

I am a type 2 diabetic and use two types of insulin-long acting and fast acting. I am also a cardiac patient with several cardiac issues. My dr started me on Ozempic last month and I did have to get prior authorization before our insurance would pay for it. It costs $2675 for a 3 month supply. Thankfully I have met our deductible for the year. I am taking .50 once a week. So far I have lost 21 pounds. I do not have an appetite for food. I eat about 1 meal a day. I had a little nausea when I first started taking it.
More often I have indigestion and burp way more than I ever did. My sugars are still a bit high at times but rarely over 200 now. I also use a Dexcom 6 continous glucose monitor.

I have also been doing a lot of walking, either on the treadmill at the gym or at one our local state parks. It has helped the arthritis in my knees so much.

I am at risk for stroke and heart attack and also take Eliquis. Ozempic is supposed to reduce my risk of stroke and heart attack. That makes me happier than the weight loss part. I am 57 and want to see my grandkids grow up.

the only person I know who took it couldn't deal with the nausea side effect.

I started a couple weeks ago on Wegovy. I've met my max out of pocket until the end of May, so my next two refills should be free. I've lost some weight and I'm not as hungry as before. I'm going to have my doc increase the dose for my second round of monthly shots.

I haven't had any noticeable side effects, but I am still hungry frequently, which is why I want to increase the dosage.

I've been on Ozempic for diabetes for a while now - probably coming up to two years. I did lose weight at first, mainly because I felt so sick and bloated that eating just wasn't pleasant or comfortable. After a while, those side effect wore off a bit, but then the weight loss stopped, and I actually put some back on. In the past week, my GP has uncovered some other gastro problems in my bloodwork, so it will be interesting to see how things go now. I am on such a restricted diet until I see her again at the end of the month that I am losing weight again, which is the only upside.

Right now, I can't get a repeat prescription for it filled, due to supply issues, which is really annoying. cost isn't an issue here - I pay €10 for the three month supply.

I am taking it for weight loss, my insurance does not pay for it, but I am getting it from Canada for a lot less.

I am at 1mg now and have lost maybe 12 pounds.

I had some side effects such as heart burn but that stopped.

The only other effect I get it feeling full from eating.

The interesting thing is that this has really reduced my shopping as well.

i would look in to gastric sleeve instead, but i am biased because i had the surgery almost 5 years ago. i did the med, diet, exercise routes over and over. i would change my habits for a while, maybe even a year or more, but eventually the weight came back because it wasn't sustainable. if you've gained and lost over and over your life, surgery might be right for you. it has significant metabolic advantages and is a tool that you will always have. it's not a magic bullet, as you've seen, and there are ways to defeat it. but it can be so, so great. changed my life 1000% and was better than any diet or med i'd ever done. i've been this weight before, but never maintaining as easily, for years, with this quality of life. 

I started on Mar 2, and I’m down 13 pounds. I’ve titrated up one level, so I’m now taking .5 weekly of a compounded semaglutide, and paying out of pocket.

* Definitely curbs my appetite, but I was never a big meal eater, more of an all-day grazer. I am making a conscious effort to eat more protein, because when I don’t I feel a little queasy.
* Fatigue has been my main symptom, and I take a B12 shot to combat that.
* I had quite a few drinks on Friday night and felt slightly nauseated all day on Saturday. This was new to me, as I have never had a hangover or gotten sick from alcohol, no matter how much I drink.
* I have a severe needle phobia, so that’s been a thing. The subcutaneous shot for the semaglutide is barely noticeable, but I still struggle with the intramuscular B12 injection, so my husband does it for me.
* I haven’t had any burping, but I don’t really burp in general.
* I haven’t thrown up.
* I haven’t had gastrointestinal issues, although I’m drinking more water and preemptively taking pills to try to avoid it.

Also, because others have commented on the cost, mine is covered by insurance. I pay $25 a refill (which is about monthly).  I believe this is at least partly because both are FDA approved. Ozempic is not.  And I know from experience that both Saxenda and Wegovy have programs that will help with cost if need be. I can't speak to Ozempic in that regard.

Jen[/quote]


Just a point of clarification - Ozempic IS FDA-approved (as a diabetes medication). Using it for weight loss is an off-label use, but many many drugs have totally valid and safe off-label uses.

What are the parameters for this? I always sort of assumed it was for people who needed significant weight loss, not someone looking to lose 60 pounds.

ETA: Not that 60 pounds is insignificant, but hopefully you know what I mean.

I've been on Ozempic since the first of the year. I've lost 20 pounds, which is about 1.5 lbs per week. Isn't the fastest, but slow and steady, right? I've had zero side effects. Right now I'm at the weight my body seems to want to be at (it's been this way since I had kids...almost 28 years ago). I'm hoping the weight loss continues right through this setpoint instead of being stalled up, which has caused me to give up in the past.

I asked my doc about Ozempic in December, at my last yearly check-up. She was very open to it, especially in light of my blood work numbers and insulin resistance. I'm currently on Week 9 of .5. My insurance covers the medication, so my out of pocket is $24.

for insurance to cover it, it can vary. for mine, you had to have a BMI of 35-40 with 3 comorbidities like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea (my 3), others. or a BMI of over 40. other plans don't cover it at all. When my husband had it, our insurance had changed and tho he qualified under the old rules, he didn't anymore; so he went to Mexico Bariatric Center and had it done. 

On average, sleeve surgery will help you lose 40-60% of your excess weight. So people who are less overweight will lose less than people who are very overweight, according to their BMI. i lost 87# at my lowest, stabilized now at 74 which is a healthy weight for me, a size 6. i'm off blood pressure meds, no apnea,no longer prediabetic, cholesterol went down from the danger zone where they wanted me to be on meds. My husband is no longer on blood pressure or cholesterol meds, his back pain is so much better (he has degenerative disc disease and has already had one surgery 15 yrs ago). he only lost 45lbs, he's kept it off for 2 years so far and is doing really well. he was not as overweight as me, but was dealing with the same things- gaining and losing the same amount over and over and tho he worked out 5 days a week and was dieting and eating right, his metabolism was just "broken'.. nothing was working anymore.

a person can't be expected to eat lean chicken breasts and green beans and never a sweet or treat for months on end to maintain a 20# weight loss, in my opinion. it wasn't sustainable for us. we did keto, we did just healthy eating with the right carbs, healthy starches. we did all the programs. i've been this weight before, twice, once for several years. i was miserable and the second i slipped up, all the weight plus more came back. it was overwhelming to maintain. this surgery changed everything for me. it changed my metabolic set point so i'm not fighting my body anymore because it's trying to get me back to 230+lbs. now i eat like what i imagine a normal, thin person eats. basically what i want, small portions, mostly healthy but i have treats when i want and fairly often, but no binges because i don't feel restricted. it will be my 5 year anniversary in july.

ETA there can be downsides too. i have heartburn now, i never did before. it's worst if i eat too close to bedtime. it's pretty well controlled by tums. some people can have trouble with certain foods after surgery, like carbonated drinks you're supposed to avoid. i don't really care about pop so i was ok with that, i can handle a cider if i stir some bubbles out. some have trouble with milk products. it's not all roses for everyone. you lose hair from telogen effluvium, like after pregnancy. but it grows back. it was all worth it, to me.