I think I’ve made a huge mistake

[UnderHisEyeOverMyDeadBody]

Please don’t judge me, I’m panicking - I got Ozempic from a friend of a friend and since taking my first dose yesterday, I can’t stop being sick - 1 bout before bed, 2 this morning. The nausea is so bad, I can’t eat. The smell of food makes it worse.

When will it stop? I won’t be taking the second dose next week as I can’t live like this.

I’ve been so stupid.

No, it was a week of a first generation typical antipsychotic called Pericyazine 😪😞

She is legit and not going to destroy her pharmaceutical/business reputation with counterfeit goods.

She has given you a drug that should not have been given to you.

She is NOT legit.

The criteria is much much higher than Nice guidance due to funding.

This dodgy market in WLI is going on all over. I mentioned to someone at work that my Dp has started taking it and immediately a nursing colleague mentioned that a former colleague who’s now working in ‘aesthetics’ could get hold of some at a much reduced price. She’s a nurse prescriber and ‘done a course’. I think it’s bloody frightening.

What a ridiculous fuss. It will peak at 1-3 days and then wear off. It's a licensed drug, not the Zika virus.

Currently only at tier 3 and you need to have high BMI plus 3 other conditions that are way above high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Realistically, unless you have type 2 diabetes or serious medical conditions, it is currently only available via private prescription. It's actually quite interesting reading up on the guidelines. There's hope that the criteria will reduce but that is going to take significant time and funding.

We don’t know for sure that what the OP’s taken really IS a licensed drug, that’s the problem!

Do you mean Mounjaro?

@mrsmiggins78 none of my post is making a fuss, let alone a ridiculous one. I take a similar medication (Mounjaro), I know exactly what they’re like and they’re obviously nothing like a mosquito born virus (!). My post was simply factual, answering the OPs original question.

You can’t get it on the NHS no matter your weight. It’s only for diabetics on the NHS

You need to calm down and actually speak to this ‘totally legit’ ‘pharmacist’ friend of a friend and tell them how you are feeling. You also need to phone 111 and explain. Are you at least able to keep fluids down??

@Justfreedom obesity has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with mindset. Nobody gets bloody ‘Ozempic face’ unless they are seriously underweight. And the plural of the word corpse is corpses.

0.5 is double the normal starting dose but I don’t think it’s a major issue IF it is actually Ozempic that was given. When I started on Ozempic three years ago I was using an online clinic based in London and I once I had filled in the consultation forms etc I had a phone call with the prescriber and they prescribed 0.5 to start on. I was fine. The 0.25 is the drug companies being very conservative in their advice - quite rightly. And I’m not saying it was right that I was given 0.5 but I was fine.

The bigger issue here is if it is actually Ozempic.

@UnderHisEyeOverMyDeadBody - depending on your BMI it is possible to be prescribed weight loss medication from more reliable providers. It’s not a choice of the NHS or the Wild West.

@MathsMagpie - why would she mean Mounjaro if she has an Ozempic pen?

I see OP has clearly stated that she does NOT meet the BMI so decided to go ahead anyway.

OK.

I was on Ozempic after being diagnosed with diabetes (which is what it was originally prescribed for). I had to go to a different provider to get it and pay for it myself because my weight wasn't high enough for my insurance company to pay for it (I'm in the US).

From what the nurse said, I got the impression that it was about money to the insurance company, not that the medication wasn't suitable for me, since I was diagnosed with diabetes rather than it being strictly for weight loss. Ozempic is more expensive than the older diabetes medications but I wanted something that would help with weight loss because even if you're not obese, weight loss can still sometimes bring blood sugar down to normal levels.

Anyway I lost 20 pounds on Ozempic and then I was no longer diabetic, so I've stopped taking the Ozempic. What I know is from what I learned while taking it myself, not from medical training, so for what it's worth...

I would never advise someone to not seek medical assistance but your symptoms sound to me like what's typical when someone starts at too high a dose or increases it too much at once. The typical starter dose is .25 per week and I see you injected .5, so that's double. If you decide to continue with it next week, I'd go with .25 instead.

Helpful.

You wouldn’t inject heroin so why are you injecting a random drug into your body without medical advice? Can’t cure stupid.

yeah, but you're winding her up while she's already upset. why not help to give her perspective instead of piling in to scare her even more. If you take mounjaro you should know better

I disagree, @mrsmiggins78

you did only take one injection from the pen yes ?

I get quoted an awful lot about my grammar no change there and i really cant be bothered to explain it either.
Hundreds of people over many decades even before weight loss drugs became a thing.
People done it the hard way.
I stand by my words mindset is key to start.
Ozempic is not the best for everyone and ozempic face well you only have to look online for that.
I have an opinion like everyone else.

I think you have started on double the starting dose!

As others have said, it’s not just a double dose - it’s a double dose for someone of a higher BMI.

If an adult takes a double dose of paracetamol as a one off, they’ll be okay. If a child takes a double adult dose of paracetamol that’s greater cause for concern.

And anyone who is willing to jeopardise their pharmacy business by illegally selling drugs is likely also willing to jeopardise it by selling drugs that don’t come from legitimate sources. They’ve already proven they’re willing to risk their licence for money - you have no idea where they actually draw the line if it’s not at breaking the law.

i think sadly for OP it’s a very needed post Asa reminder to others- especially if something is offered ‘cheap’ or not from one of the genuine online prescribers. Personally I don’t think for a BMI of under 30 it should be a first port of call either unless it’s prescribed for diabetes. It’s not as if it just melts the fat away overnight - one dose here and there won’t do much that eating 1000 cals a day can do in a week . If you can’t afford it or don’t fit the criteria , try some Berberin appetite suppressants, kind of a similar effect as make you feel somewhat full , if that’s your issue. Not as effective or quick I totally agree , but worked for me in a gentler way 18 months ago ( before I simply let it slide) - I’m going back to them , as didn’t have any side effects and no I have no association with them.

OP do you have any left? If so please get it checked out at A&E - yes you might well get a bollocking but better that than in a hospital bed - giving you the equivalent of a double dose as a first shot with a fairly modestly overweight BMI is really stupid of the person who did this- problem is a lot of beauticians etc are getting on the act as it’s a nice money spinner.

Is it illegal there, though?

Here in the US, compounding pharmacies can legally make up their own semaglutide preparations and doctors can legally prescribe them, or other healthcare providers can legally prescribe them under a doctor's supervision. They are far cheaper than Ozempic, Wegovy and the other big brands and it's not as hard to "qualify." Most medical spas offer it now.

The insurance companies here don't want to pay the high prices for the brand name meds so their criteria makes them hard to get. For ex. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and also have high cholesterol and sleep apnea. I was still denied Ozempic because I wasn't "overweight enough."

Fortunately, I was able to afford semaglutide privately. I soon lost 20 pounds and no longer had diabetes, so now I don't need any diabetes meds. It's been months ago and I've kept the weight off. Though many people do re-gain, of course, I find it a whole lot easier to keep 20 pounds off than to it would have been to get it off in the first place without semaglutide injections.