Just to say .. as someone who has also ended their journey from size 22 to 8 over 18 months ago.. (maintain on 7.5) I am hoping that my experience will help.
I didn’t experience any side effects except very brief constipation between 7.5 and 10mg. Maybe a couple of days but that was literally it.
However .. with a lot to lose you have almost certainly become obese through insulin resistance. So please don’t get discouraged if you don’t fall into the incredibly unusual bunch of posters that get benefit from 2.5 mg and stay on that for months happily losing 3-4lb a week. It’s not ‘normal’ . If you read the leaflet and follow the actual instructions to the letter you will find that it is genuinely an amazing drug. 2.5 might work for those needing to loser Stone, but it won’t work and shouldn’t work for those of us who had a lot more to lose. 2.5 is what’s called a therapeutic dose. It is a tiny dose designed to ensure your body is happy to tolerate the drug. They are very few instances where this is not appropriate but it is absolutely necessary. You would Normally not lose anything much in the first month. In second month you will increase to 5 mg. You may notice a bit of appetite suppression. Personally It did nothing for me at all. I didn’t really feel any real difference until I got to 7.5 mg so that’s two months until I got my first inkling of the magic this drug makes happen. However, those first eight weeks are really important. Your body is learning to absorb the GLP 1. My weight loss began in week eight albeit very slowly. Perhaps 4 lb in The third month. However, when I increased to 10 mg, everything started to happen and whoosh. It started to fall off.
I began in April 2024, didn’t really start to lose weight until June, however by going up the doses until 15 mg, and staying there for 5 months I shed 7 stone. Was never hungry. Ate protein first every meal and whatever else I could manage in order . So for example ; small salmon, watercress and maybe 5 new potatoes meant .. all salmon first, then watercress, then potatoes as many as I could comfortably manage . TBH I didn’t usually get to the potatoes..
Once at goal (BMI 22.5) I rotated down to a place where I could eat more and maintain my weight without losing or gaining . For me that was 7.5mg but everyone is different .
only writing this because I am so happy to be ‘normal’ again. No BP meds , cholesterol statins, osteo arthritis injections in to my knees. To be able to ride my horse and kayak .. and pick up my
grandchildren .
I would be so disappointed if I had just come to this and tried 2.5 of 5 or 7.5 and given up believing it wouldn’t work for me - which can be an impression easily gained from social media.