any experience of ozempic

[robotchez]

I've ordered my first pen of ozempic which will arrive to tomorrow and wondering if anybody can share experiences?

I've not found much on here and not on Facebook. I was previously on saxenda but it just didn't work out for me in the end i just got used to it. I initially felt side effects on saxenda and wonder if they will be similar on ozempic?

I was obese but have since lost weight and am now overweight. I have PCOS and feel like at times I'm literally addicted to carbs. I am hoping to lose about 10kgs

Well done @Flashsally. Great weight loss. Just a word of warning. I read an article in the FT last week about Wegovy which is the same medication as Ozempic but the higher dose version and the manufacturer says some people may need to be on it for life. The comment was if you were prescribed blood pressure medication you would expect to be on it for life. I am a bit sceptical as they are obviously out to sell as much of it as possible but just thought I’d warn you. I think there are lots of factors to consider and I know I’m certainly not planning on being on it for life but like you would hope I could maintain my loss when I get to my goal. But for me it would certainly be a tool I would use to support maintenance if necessary I think.

There was a discussion on the Facebook group that I'm in about this.
They talked about tapering off the medication gradually rather than stopping abruptly, leaving longer gaps between doses but then monitoring your weight and stepping back up a bit if 5+ lb go back on.
It made sense, it's not that you'll be injecting 0.5 each week for the rest of your life, but more that management abs monitoring and using Ozempic as a tool will be in the background of your life for good. If that makes sense?

Agreed Lisa. It’s a good strategy. I’m also planning on going low carb and avoiding processed foods as much as possible.

I’m so jealous of you lot. I haven’t noticed any huge appetite decrease. It’s very minor, and it also seems to make me hungrier too. So it reduces appetite a bit, but makes me hungrier a bit. I haven’t lost anything☹️

What dose are you on? @ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I started the 20th June on .25,had my weigh in with GP last Friday ,4 weeks on that dose and she told me that had I had lost 9lbs. I was convinced it was more and rang her to check my previous weight again. I dont weigh myself at home. She checked again and I have lost 17lbs. I was 15 stone 7lbs,I'm now 14 stone 4lbs. She increased my dose. All good,no side effects.

I’m taking the tablet, and about to go up to the highest dose.

Oh ok no experience if that, would you consider trying the injection to see if it's any different?

Odd question for people on ozempic, I took my 4th dose today out of a 0.25 pen, initially I did the flow check bit until some came out the end, and every time I've clicked a needle in, a drop has appeared, however the pen still seems pretty full? Today (4th dose) was the first time I saw the black plunger move down... Have I not been getting doses? I've been a little less hungry, with worse reflux and some constipation. No weight loss but didn't really expect that from the initial dose.
This is how my pen looks now when it's technically finished?

@ScruffGin - there's a couple of extra doses per pen. I got my first 0.5 dose out of mine and still have some left, so I'll finish it off first.

@eggsellentwork thanks! I was worried I'd not been getting the doses 😀

@Flashsally well done! You're a great example for me, as I also started in the obese range. I'm about 5 kg away from my goal BMI of 24 (I'm tall so higher end should be OK - and also I haven't been in the normal BMI range for some decades!). Are you tapering down your doses now that you've reached goal? What was your highest dose, and what dose do you think worked best for you?

Re keeping it off afterwards, I read "Why We Eat (Too Much)" - there are a few threads on here about it too. It talks about lowering your weight set point, mainly by avoiding ultra processed foods and eating enough (especially enough protein). From other sources too, it appears that spending some time maintaining a new, lower weight whilst not restricting protein and calories helps to reverse leptin resistance. That and insulin resistance (which can be reversed with low carb) are what Ozempic (GLP-1) corrects, so it's encouraging to hear.

@eggsellentwork @LighterHeart I haven’t thought much beyond this last pen to be honest but I think I’ll probably try tapering the dose or maybe doing a 0.5 every 2 weeks. I came off ozempic for 3 months and much to my surprise I mostly managed to maintain my weight bar a couple of times where I gained 2-3 pounds but was able to shift it when I knuckled down. The good thing I’ve found is losing weight (and buying smaller clothes!) has made those couple of pounds that sometimes creep on much more noticeable than before so I’ve been able to nip it in the bud. I started back on ozempic just to lose the final few pounds to get to my (new) goal weight which would see me at BMI of 21. I am only 5’3 and have a small frame so that is not too low for me. Still plenty to squish!

I’ve tried different doses over the past few months starting at 0.5 then 0.75 and then 1 but actually 0.5 seems to be the best for me. I did feel the effects wearing off at 1mg before I took the 3 month break but I seem to have reset now and the 0.5mg is working brilliantly.

@Peridot1 thank you I saw that article too. I’m not averse to getting a maintenance pen every now and then but I do feel like I have my eating much more under control than I ever have my whole life really. Even in that 3 month break I could mostly keep on track and I feel like my weight set point might actually have shifted now.

in terms of what I eat I have mainly focused on smaller portion sizes. I don’t deny myself anything as that way lies a compensatory binge at some point in my experience! I’ll serve myself a portion of food the same size as my kids and if I’m still hungry (rarely) I’ll eat more. If I’m out for dinner I eat what I want. I do seem to naturally make better choices though because I don’t crave the crap I used to.

sorry for the essay just thought it might be helpful to people starting out as I couldn’t find much info when I was beginning.

I’m really toying with trying this. I weighed 16stone 3 four weeks ago. Now down to 15stone 12 but I want to get down to 10stone 7 but the thought it’s going to take me well over a year at my current rate is depressing. I’m 5ft 4 so not that tall and that makes me obese.

The potential side effects worry me a little and the fact I wouldn’t want to be on it forever, just until I got to goal weight.

I don’t have a particular big appetite but I can eat big portions and it takes a lot for me to feel full. My problem is more bad habits. I don’t know if it would work for this kind of thing?

Just wondering if anyone has any tips with sulphur burps?

Change what you eat! I can noticeably minimize them by eating a low fat, high fibre diet.

If I eat anything fatty the burps are back. Which is great for the diet - chocolate, pastry, cheese, cream - all gone.

Plus I've got through a lot of Gaviscon.

Ok, you’ve all convinced me and I’ve ordered my first pen.

I’m so sick of being fat, whilst getting into very bad eating control/habits and never losing a pound.

Hope this is as successful for me as it is for you all.

I've lost 4 stone but the best is that it has changed my eating habits.

I am hoping this will be a long term thing as I'm close to my target weight and worried about weaning off.

I have used it for about 2 months now, but WL minimal & tiredness/depression too much. So I am coming off. It does not work for every one.

Sorry to hear it didn't work for you @Moanranger . I was told from the start that it doesn't work for everyone - if you don't lose at least 5% of your starting weight within 6 months, it's not working.
Having said that, did you reach 1mg dose? I've seen on FB people who lost nothing at lower doses, but responded well to 1mg and over.

I didn’t get to 1mg. I was on 0.5 for a few weeks, but felt so bad, I decided not to stick with it. It was mildly effective on my appetite, but not enough to justify putting up with side effects. I can control my appetite about as well by avoiding sugar & going high protein

Actually, I take that back. I haven’t weighed for a couple of weeks, so I weighed this morning, and I am down nearly 5kg in 6 weeks, so I think I will stick with it. My goal is 8 more kg, very doable, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I am just going to have to remind myself that when I feel depressed/tired/gloomy, it’s the meds talking & it’s not real.

Those feelings may well pass @Moanranger. I found the tiredness passed for me. Well done on the loss! That must have perked you up a bit!

I do know someone in a Fb group for Ozempic who had to stop as she couldn’t get over the tiredness. It drastically affected her life and work.

I started in Feb and was exhausted for a while. But I’m ok now. A bit tired the day or so after I take the jab but I go to bed early for a couple of nights and it passes.

I’ve lost two stone since February. Not overly fast but I’m happy with it. I had a bit of time off in that time too. I’m now wearing a size 18 for the first time in years. Very happy with that!

Hi - do you think this would help me lose 1 stone? Not sure to try this or saxenda....

To be honest @amarante if I only had a stone to lose I wouldn’t be taking it. It’s a medication after all. With side effects. It’s also around £140 a month.

I have always managed to lose a stone quite easily. It’s the next five that seem such a slog!