"I Started Ozempic Last Night" THREAD THREE

[Athena51]

Starting a new thread as we are dangerously close to finishing thread two. So great to have this supportive community to share our experiences of taking Ozempic for weightloss.

"Old-timers" and new starters all welcome!

Thanks @IAmBreathingIn. I hadn’t realised that.

It does make me wonder however about the shortages of Ozempic for diabetics and why that’s a thing if Saxenda works for diabetes too?

Anyway hopefully shortages of Ozempic will ease and Wegovy will become available soon.

And I really hope they will all become more mainstream and available where people can ask questions and get reliable advice as to which is more suitable to them and why.

A little confused when looking at pens - if price is (approx) £150 (for example) for a 4 week pen at 0.25mg does that mean the price doubles each time you go up in amounts?

The price is £150 per pen (from most places) whether it's a 0.25 dose, 0.5 dose or 1mg. The 1mg has the most in it so is the most cost effective once you've completed your 0.25 month. You shouldn't use it if you're dosing 0.25 as it will expire before you get to the end.

So by the time you are taking a 1mg dose per week it will be costing you £600 a month?

No, each pen contains 4 doses. It's £150 per 4 weeks, regardless of how much dose you're taking

Just ordered my 1mg pen from quickmeds. Are they good for delivery?

EXCEPT in reality, the 0.25 pen contains 6 doses of 0.25. The 0.5 pen contains 4 doses of 0.5 and the 1mg pen contains 4 doses of 1mg.
best option is to buy a 0.25 pen and use it for 4 weeks at 0.25 then move to a 1mg pen and use it for 2/3 weeks at 0.5 then go to 1mg.

Phew! ok - thanks for that! Was just thinking it would get really expensive! And so the only reason people don't order a larger pen and do smaller amounts of injections is because it would go "bad"?

@polopolopolopoo thank you.

I've decided to take my first dose this evening before I go to bed. Is this a good time to do it, or would it be better first thing tomorrow morning?

I've used them for the last couple of months, very quick and efficient delivery. Next day usually.

You're welcome ☺️

@Lavendersquare I'm always nervous with meds, prefer to be awake for potential side effects, so I took mine in the morning which worked out fine.

That's a good point, maybe I'll do it early tomorrow instead.

Basically, you can use it for 6 weeks officially once it's been started, so if you bought a 1mg pen for your first pen you would probably waste some as you'd only use 1/2 of it before it goes off. If you buy a 1mg for your second pen you can use it for 6 weeks and only waste 1mg.

I don't actually know if it goes'off' or just becomes less efficacious after 6 weeks.

Yes, hopefully @Peridot1. I think the increasing number of drugs being licenced specifically for obesity rather than prescribed off-label (like Ozempic is) will hopefully bring advice more mainstream. Especially if rival pharmaceutical manufacturers are able to repurpose some of their existing drugs in the coming years.

I don't actually know if it goes'off' or just becomes less efficacious after 6 weeks.

I wondered that too @MaireadMcSweeney . My provider advised me to use it within 6 weeks, but the patient information leaflet stated 56 days, which is 8 weeks 🙌🏼🙌🏼

Although from what I understand from the PIL the clock starts ticking down once the pen goes above 8°C.

Have any of the longer term users noticed any problems with the efficacy of their pens over time? I've only recently started my second pen so I have no experience 🤷🏼‍♀️

I'm used to fasting and would normally wait until 12-1pm before I ate.
I can't do it now though or I would feel light headed and tired. I sometimes don't eat dinner though and just have a snack as I just don't feel hungry
I don't think it's a good idea to be starving on these meds.

I'm not actually advising this, but I stopped using it for a bit last year and while I was waiting for my new pen I used what was left in the old one (past 8 weeks), it worked exactly the same as far as I could tell. It wasn't months old and it had been stored in the fridge but it was certainly over 8 weeks old.

Thank you @Athena51 that's really helpful to know ☺️

Just a heads up that I ordered with QuickMeds today and it's been dispatched already

Snap! After some very lengthy WhatsApp messages (which were actually really useful!) I just got an email saying mine has been dispatched

I used my 0.25mg pen for 7 weeks somehow! First 4 weeks at 0.25mg and then 3 weeks at 0.38mg and tonight I’m using the 1mg to dose 36 clicks to 0.5mg. My plan is to do 4x weeks on 0.5mg minimum then only go up to 1mg if I need to. Otherwise I intend to get 8 weeks of 0.5mg out of this 1mg pen (out can give 4x weeks of 1mg obviously). The pens are good for 8 weeks so if appetites down and you’re losing get every little bit out of them I think before moving on or up. Lots of people seem to stay on 0.5mg. I just moved my delivery to 7 weeks time. Works out £75 a month that way too:)) I did find last week I wasn’t feeling particularly full or had very reduced appetite though but I ate well and didn’t lose but I did not gain either (still 9lb down) so I’m happy with that and will now go up to 0.5mg as it’s definitely time 👏🏻

@OzzyOzworn I'm thinking of doing the same! Thanks for detailing how to do it.

@Twiglets1 I have braved it, 0.5mg. I am not sure if I have been incredibly brave or incredibly stoooopid. I can not afford to have another write off week.

Ooh Good Luck! I braved another 0.25 shot and it didn’t last long in my system. Nothing did 🥴