Zepbound here. Not impressed with the side effects but doing my best to stick it out until I get to the highest dose in two months. Until then I use Zofran for the nausea for three days after my weekly shot and Sumitriptan for the migraines that are becoming more frequent. Had a Dr visit two weeks ago, she said that side effects reduce once you're on top dose for awhile. I guess it is working as I don't eat when nauseous, and I get full while preparing a meal (disclaimer... Not really, but I'm amazed how quickly I become "full". It's that smaller appetite that gets me through the side effects).
I use Mounjaro and have a very similar experience to what @mjames1229 described above, including the use of Zofran as needed. The side effects suck, but if you can deal with them, it does work.
I've been using ozempic for 1.5 yrs now. Started on the .25 mg dose for the first month then moved up to .5 mg which is still on the low end. Body initially had to get used to the extra insulin that was being produced but didn't have the awful nausea or vomiting that you hear about.. But then again I'm on the lowest dose basically. I don't get hungry when I'm on ozempic. But you still have to eat obviously, so it can feel a little like forcing yourself to eat. Apparently there's "breakthrough eating" where people eat like they used to before taking the drug, so their body reacts accordingly and they vomit. So, definitely don't overeat but at the same time, eat something as you should. I find that since I can't eat as much as before, I need to focus on the nutrients first. Certain foods also make me feel super full immediately, like noodles. Fried greasy food makes me feel awful, no matter what quantity. Probably a good thing! Last but not least, you can still gain back weight even on the drug. If I have a big dessert at night, I'll definitely gain an extra pound in the morning when I weigh myself. Overall progress to date: went from 163 lbs to 136 lbs. A1C down from 6.2 to 5.3 Am I eating healthy all the time? No. But in moderation. Am I exercising any more than I used to? No. My fault but I don't have time.
I’ve been on it for about five years. Game changer for my A1C; down from 7.2 to 5.5. When I started taking it my doc told me one of the side effects was a somewhat diminished appetite. She was indeed correct. I went from eating two big meals a day to one normal sized meal with a couple of servings of fruit throughout the day. No other side effects - including nausea.
I’ve been on the compound since last November. Luckily I’ve had very few side effects. I’m never hungry and basically have no interest in food. I’ve lost a large amount of weight and am very happy with that. I need to up my exercise to make sure I maintain my loss.
I'm on .25 and first week was ok. Took 2nd shot Thursday and yesterday felt horrible. I used to remember when I knew i was empty previously and would take a drink of water or tea and feel it coat my stomach. Now my stomach doesn't seem to have any feelings lol. The lower GI is having issues too. Just didn't know how long the side effects last.. My a1c was pre-diabetic but my sugar was always on the 80/90 end when checked. I'm realizing that if I eat garbage my body doesn't like it and rebels. Lol.
I had issues with some dizziness/lightheadedness and vision problems in direct sunlight. Also very low blood pressure. Once it cleared out of my system, no problems. Had the same issue with Trulicity, both on starter doses.
Odd that your doctor would prescribe it if your pre-diabetic. The gateway drug of metformin is usually the first choice by doctors. As for your blood sugar, check it 10-15 minutes after eating and you'll probably see the spikes that are causing the higher A1C. If you can learn what foods do what to your body, you can control it much better and not need medications for many years. The reason I say this, once on Ozempic, you can get the above side effects along with such a loss of appetite that you get depressed because you can't enjoy food anymore. It's not a bad deal if you are an "eat to live" person, but us "love to eat" people, it's pretty depressing to have that taken away from you (for your own good, though.) Personally, I have to take the bad with the good to lower my A1C and keep me off other medications I don't want to take or deal with. But, if my A1C was lower than 7 without Ozempic, I would ask the doctor for other options.
I’ve been curious to find more data if people using these type of drugs don’t experience the side effects because they’re diabetic & the people who are using them for weight loss are the ones with the side effects.
As a Pharmacist who’s dispensed a lot of these drugs and also taken for weight loss. It doesn’t matter whether you are taking them for weight loss or diabetes some people have side effects. The doctors start them all at low dose and slowly increase dose because of the side effect possibilities.
Thanks for the reply but it’s not answering my question, stating “some people” isn’t the answer I’m looking for. I’m looking for hard data & details for what side effects people experience who are diabetic vs those who are not. I’m still seeking more details & if anyone has come across this research, please let me know.
I took a compounded version of sema for awhile till I stalled out and switched to tirz, lost a good amount of weight while on it
Perhaps a Las Vegas message board isn't the place to find what you're looking for. A trip to your family practitioner is in order.
HgA1C is a measure of average blood sugar over the past 60 to 90 days. Blood Sugar/Glucose meters are a time in point measurement. Its completely possible you are under/normal most of the time, but you spike at times you're not measuring. I knew someone who spiked while sleeping mainly. It might be good to get a Continuous Glucose Meter (CGM) to track your spikes. They are somewhat annoying but not much more than wearing a nicotine patch. Its a small probe you put on your arm or stomach and you can take readings with your phone and it the good ones/apps will poll and give you a full 24 hour picture. The probes are disposable and just a little pod that has some adhesive of some sort to stick to you and a small pin. You wear them for like a month and throw them away and get a new one. As for the original question. I can not use/tolerate Ozempic or of the other GLP-1 class of drugs. One of the ways these drugs work is mimicking the hormone your body uses to tell you that you are full. Ozempic would make me feel full after like 2 bites of food and sick after a few more. I couldn't eat enough to keep up with my daily required intake. Some people have high blood sugar cause they overeat and this effect is a godsend to them, but if you're not in that category these types of drugs can really suck. I don't actually eat that much just well family history of diabetes. Its a shame because I'd love a once a week drug.
The only time I've ever lost weight in my life was pregnancy. Like seriously. And starving myself. So dr said a1c of 6 is calling for ozembic. I had merformin for gestational diabetes and it made me miserable. So I'm sure it's only a matter if time before it does catch up.
It's unlikely you'll find a publication to tell if YOU will get side effects. I recommend research at the National Library of Medicine (or your university library if you have access, as I do because I work at one) These are publicly available journal articles, as all government funded research has to be publicly accessible. Example - I searched "semaglutide side effects" and these are the results: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Semaglutide+side+effects
I was in the prediabetic range and metformin was awful, ... Constant diarrhea. Ozempic was a godsend in comparison. Sure, I can't go to Michelin restaurants and indulge in those 12 mini course meals anymore. But that's just the trade-off. If you're doing weight loss not diabetes, then likely going to be on Wegovy which is the same chemical but higher dose.
