I’m using Wegovy and feel dreadful - anyone else?

[FranklyIgiveadamn]

So I started Wegovy in January 25… slowly but surely lost weight whilst gradually increased my dose to 1mg. Felt quite lethargic but nothing major. Come May, 2nd week of second month on 1mg started with major migraines and virus like symptoms… awful. Took advice from my provider (Boots) and stopped for a few weeks. Lost about 10kg by this point. Felt much better but want to lose another 12kg. Started Wegovy again a few weeks later, not much weight loss until I got to 1mg. Now 2nd week of second month and headaches plus lethargy and aches have started again. Going to have to stop I think. Anyone else experienced similar? It’s hard to know if it is really is Wegovy (or I’m very unlucky with viruses!) but the coincidence is too great to ignore.

I really struggle with the tiredness. I've gone down to a tiny dose. I am losing still, but at a much slower pace - perhaps 200g a week. I have a demanding job and I just couldn't do it on the higher doses. I was falling asleep at work.

I seem to be getting more headaches but other than that nothing else.

Covid was around may-july so it could have been that or a different virus.
As for the headaches lethargy, could it be dehydration and/or low blood sugar? are you drinking enough water and eating little and often to keep blood sugars stable?
This is common when many start using it. I had these symptoms for 2-3 weeks almost daily when starting and it went after upping protein and eating little and often, including breakfast, even some glucose tablets and electrolytes can help perk you up.
Going up a dose can cause some symptoms due to the suppression which can lead to nausea and less calorie intake and dehydration, tolerance after a week or 2 will help with these symptoms but in the meantime do what you can to drink more water and eat regularly and nutritious foods, taking vitamins helped me with the lethargy, I had to buy liquid vitamins as struggled to swallow them on higher doses and was exhausted.
I have noticed when I track my food and was having lower calories, I was a lot more exhausted, like a zombie and this has lessened since tapering down and eating 1200-1300 cals a day.

If its always the second week of the month, could it be related to hormones? Is it the same week as your period, for example?

Unless it’s life saving, I truly don’t understand why anyone would make themselves feel so bad. I say this as someone has been extremely overweight for many years. I seem to have got my head round calorie deficit and have lost around three stone so far. For the last majority of people calorie deficit will make you lose weight I’m not slagging anybody off for taking the medication, if it makes you feel so bad surely the alternative is diet. Also, it seems that people are not re-educating themselves and changing they’re eating habits, so what happens when you stop the medication?

🙄

Constipation 100% on Wegovy.

Want to poop for Britain on Mounjaro - every meal time, after breakfast, lunch, dinner, I empty .No pro biotics needed

It made my anxiety awful. I switched to Mounjaro and it went away.

What people? From what I can see most are eating a healthy balanced diet, as if you don’t eat healthy on these drugs you often have gastric issues.

People aren’t fat because they eat crap, and I’m surprised at the ignorance in that viewpoint that we need “re educating”. Speak for yourself there.. I. Like many other overweight people are fully educated and don’t need re educating.

and I’m not stopping. I’m staying on a low maintenance dose, maintained my weight for many months now. It’s a personal choice. Come off or stay on. It’s a life long medication should you chose it.

howeever I agree, if the op can’t take the drugs, then of course she should stop, sssuming she’s eating a healthy diet and that’s not what’s causing her issues. But many people see these drugs as last chance saloon and are desperate to lose the weight, which, unlike you, isn’t feasible for them to sustain a long term diet to do it.

but well done you.

I'm so sick of people coming onto WLI threads and spouting about the drug when they clearly don't actually understand it.

I drink lots of water and eat regularly. Maybe more protein could help. Thanks for the tips. I’m going to take a couple of weeks off and see how I feel.

Hope it helps! You could try Mounjaro as it's reported to have less side effects.

I’m perimenopause, or even menopause now, however it could be hormone related. Just considering whether it’s worth losing a week or two each month… probably not! I’ve got some ideas about how to progress having read some other MN threads. Thanks for your response.

Unfortunately I’m not a millionaire … so I think I’ve missed the MJ boat!

Yes, I think a lower, more manageable dose might be the way forwards. It’s one of the options I’m considering. Thanks.

The lower doses are cheaper and not gone up as much and you may be able to stay on them. Also, I save 75 a month just through my reduced food shop let along savings on eating out, buying as much treats etc. Never had a takeaway in 11 months on it! I don't drink but some say that they have stopped.
I'm not a millionaire lol 😆 I work full time in nhs, live alone, and always been a saver and don't have kids, paid off my mortgage when I was 39 with my house i bought myself, so I guess everyone is different financially with outgoings. Though I do spend £350 a month just to commute to work and back 🙈

Also boots are a very expensive provider, I'd look on www.monj.co.uk for a cheaper one!

It's worth tracking the amount of medication in your body using glp1plotter.com/

This is a plot for 1mg Wegovy across 8 weeks. As you can see the amount builds until the highest level at six weeks (only a tiny bit higher than week 5 though).

Actually, it looks unlikely from that plot that your week 6 symptoms would be explained by a build up of medication, OP. But the plotter might be useful when you are planning lower doses.

(Not a HCP, just find the plotter helpful at times.)

That looks interesting, thanks. I’ll explore when I drop down. Much appreciated.

I'm on mounjaro and tiredness has been my only side effect. Absolutely knackered for the first two days after each jab. It has gone away now though and I've realised 5 months in that it hasn't been an issue for my last few jabs even though I've increased the dosage.

I've been tired on MJ since day 1 too and have lots of hair loss and it got worse the higher up doses i got. I was a zombie on 15mg! But I also work full time and commute up to 3 hrs a day, so I'm on the go a lot and don't sleep enough as I'm up early at 6am, sometimes 5.30am.
My calorie intake was also too low 700-900 on 15mg as I couldn't eat much and 900-1100 on other doses, which could account for the lethargy, now I'm almost at maintenance I've upped calories to 1200-1300 and taking liquid vitamins and dropped from 15mg to 10mg and feeling a lot better and my hair loss has slowed down. Still tired on work days which affects housework etc, but not everyone has the same side effects.

Stop being smug! The OP came on and asked a question and doesn’t need a lecture!