Sudden severe gastro effects after 3 years?!

[LovelyCoconuts]

Hello

I have been on WLI for 3 years (MJ for the last 2 years). I have lost 7 stone and am now a healthy weight.

I've still been taking 15mg as I find so far I get hungry around day 5 if my dose is much lower.

A week past yesterday, not long after taking my dose, I experienced SULPHUR BURPS for the first time ever. This was followed by explosive diorrhea and gas.

The burps went after a few days but the diorrhea and gas remain, over a week later. (So can't be something I ate or a bug?) I had to take immodium yesterday as I had a meeting to attend. Otherwise I'm having to stay close to a toilet (and even get up during the night for explosions!)

Obviously I skipped yesterday's dose of MJ.

WTF is this?! Is it MJ related or something else entirely? When the hell will it go away and at what point do I need to get a Dr? I have Dioralyte on hand as I must be losing a lot of fluid.

Thanks

I think if you are on it this long, and these are all new symptoms, it might be a separate issue.

Be advised, I am not an expert in this, I’m just saying don’t blame everything on the medication as you have been on it a long time and these symptoms are new.

Giardia maybe?

I had this when away and it was resolved by taking metronidazole.

Thanks, had to google that!

I haven't been swimming or near children (!) but I suppose I could have picked it up from food.

It was the sulphur burps that made me think it must be the MJ. As I've read about them a lot.

Mind you the internet is telling me there are lots of causes of sulphur burps, including infections.

I don't have a fever or vomiting.

I would speak to your provider before contacting your GP, they should have knowledge and experience of this and be able to tell you what to try.

Thanks. @WeAllHaveWings bit scared they would stop prescribing tho!

My dad has pointed out that I only finished my (low dose) booster course of Roaccuate (anti acne meds) just before last week so I wonder if that is related. Had no ill effects from that for months tho.

It could be just after so long of tolerating it, your body is saying WTF. We’re only starting to see the effects of people on it longterm for weight loss, this is useful feedback for those of us planning to be on it forever though I hope to taper down. I’ve never stopped having the sulphur burps, occasionally have runs but take Imodium. I just see it as the price to pay, if I didn’t need medication I wouldn’t have these side effects but I’d rather not have the food noise

Yeah strange how it was so sudden and extreme after such a long time tho!

But Chat GPT (worth a shot!) is suggesting it's nothing to do with roaccutane and everything to do with the dose being too high now for my body size. And that I've to stop being scared of being hungry from time to time! (I suspect a low tolerance for hunger was the reason I was fat, as opposed to "bad habits" or deep-seated issues)

Definitely going to give it at least another week before I take even another small dose of MJ!

I’d go with this. 15mg on a healthy body weight is a very high dose.
You need to be looking at how to taper down.

To look on the bright side, at least I will save money if I can reduce my dose!

How long have you been this weight? What is your bmi? Are you still losing?

I've had regular sulphur burps when the dose has been too high. Solved each time by reducing.

I think getting hungry day 5 is reasonable... It might be you need to up what you eat day1-4 to even out.

Pepto bismal is good for sulphur burps.
It could be a side effect of the higher dose or it could be a bug. I thought I was having side effects suddenly last year - felt awful, nauseous, vomiting, sulphur burps etc. Turned out to be stomach flu. Lasted 2 weeks. I only realised it wasn't the mj when on day 3 my DH got it as well.

This happened to me week 2 using MJ. Started with the burps lasted for about a week. I think it was a bug that was made worse by being on MJ. My kids ended up having a lesser version of it the week after

Thanks. My BMI is smack bang in the middle of healthy and I've been this weight for months.

I'm defo going to lower my dose.

Good luck! And yes echo pepto bismol for now. It's how I manage going to work if I have a sulphur day!

Makes sense about the dose being too high, hopefully your body will adjust to lower dose and keep hunger away

@QueefQueen80s yes that's a good point, thanks. My body might be hungry for a while but should readjust. I've just been so scared as soon as I feel hunger again that I go running for the MJ!

I feel much better today. Haven't had any explosions for over 12 hours.
Have even managed to get up, showered, dressed and start the laundry.

I started to feel really hungry as I hadn't had a dose for 2 weeks. Took 7.5mg and having sulphur burps and toilet explosions. So this wasn't a 1 off.

Have taken immodium and gone to get Pepto Bismal but looks like I might have become sensitised to MJ and might need to either drastically lower my dose and put up with hunger or try going back to Wegovy/Ozempic.

3 years was a long time but I had this after about 10 months on Mounjaro with no problems. No amount of lowering the dose seemed to help I am afraid (apart from 2.5 mg which was ineffective). I had a break and went back to Wegovy (see my user name). It was ok for a bit but then the same happened. Another break and I started taking psyllium husk fibre supplements and probiotics with digestive enzymes. I went back on Wegovy and up to 1 mg - no more side effects but gradual weight gain. Now back on Mounjaro and up to 7.5mg with no side effects and very slow weight loss. But I do weigh more than I did when I had the side effects.

Hope my story is helpful. You can’t live with these side effects but there is hope in the longer term. I would suggest a break for now though but expect a gain. It’s like the food ferments in the stomach and then your body just has to get rid of it all from both ends. Really grim.

Thanks @BackToWegovy that is very helpful even if not good news.

Eurgh I'm so fed up. I really thought I had this weightloss malarky "solved"!

Yes it’s so annoying when it has worked so well for so long, no one talks about late onset side effects, it is all about your body getting used to the drug and side effects improving with time. I just don’t think I will be able to get my BMI below around 28 without side effects but it better than over 30 I guess.

That's me over halfway through the week following my 7.5mg dose. Gasto effects have subsided but I'm a bit hungry!

Going to cut right down on sugar, carbs and fat and increase protein. (fat causes diorrhea and protein should help prevent hunger) Hope body gets used to a lower dose. Plus exercise will help so can do some of that now the weather is nicer.

Various digestive remedies also on order for when I take my next dose!