“I started Ozempic last night” THREAD FOUR

[HermioneWeasley]

Can’t believe we’re on thread 4

welcome back to previous posters, and welcome to those who are new or interested.

a few of us have been on Ozempic with a range of experiences for a few months now, so if you’re interested in how it goes in the early days, the earlier threads might be a good place to start.

I’ve been on it for about 6 months now and have lost around 20lbs. It has been effortless. I used to be ravenously hungry all the time, and now I’m not. I had very mild side effects at first (just some nausea), but none now.

most of us have referral codes for various providers, so if you are starting, do ask on the thread and someone will PM you.

Yes you can order in advance and store in the fridge. Im currently shopping around for my second pen and will purchase when I see a good price, despite not needing yet.

FYI re side effects- not everyone gets them and even if you do they can be manageable. I did a long post yesterday reflecting on my first ten days which might be helpful for you.

Im having my first weigh in tomorrow and am v excited!

@Sleepdeprived42long - well the simple answer is yes you will put the weight on if you eat the way you ate to gain the weight in the first place. So you need to plan for what you do afterwards. For me it will be much reduced carbs and processed foods and exercising. A good book to read is “Why We Eat (Too Much)” by Andrew Jenkinson. There are threads on here about it in Weight Loss Chat. It is as much about WHAT we eat as much as how much we eat. We live in an obesegenic environment and it can be very hard to lose weight or maintain a loss if we eat processed foods a lot and have a carb heavy diet. So Ozempic is a tool to help. Ut you will still need to work at it afterwards. Everyone should be aware of that before they start it.

I ignored the bit about giving GP details for Manuel and they sent me an email about an hour later asking for either GP details or a photo so I sent a photo and got approved without giving GP details. Not sure why I didn't want to, maybe was worried my GP would call me and tell me off for buying drugs on the internet

I've just cancelled my Manuel after the first month and gone with quick meds as it's cheaper there.

Does anyone know what bmi you need to be to qualify for ozempic on prescription? I’ve read conflicting info

On NHS prescription @Polkadotties? I’m not sure but I know it’s not easy. Some doctors will give it for diabetes. But not for weight loss as far as I know. Thise if us taking it for weight loss are buying it privately online through various suppliers. I think the BMI requirement is 30 for just weight loss but less than that if there is an underlying condition also.

Thank you I had read 30 but then found the NICE guidelines which I think said 35. I have PCOS and have been prescribed metformin previously. I’m 5ft6 and today weighed 200lb. I do have the money to buy it online which to be fair is probably easier than being judged by a GP and made to feel shit

I believe the NICE guidelines of 35 are for people who will be able to get Wegovy free on the NHS for weight loss.
For the people currently getting Ozempic without diabetes, we are able to get it via private prescriptions if we have a BMI of 30 or more.

If you are unlucky enough to get side effects beyond a bit of nausea etc then remember you have the power to stop at any time (as I did) and the side effects stop soon afterwards.
Re putting the weight back on, Ozempic is not a magic pill. It suppresses your appetite while you are taking it & gives you the chance to adapt to some better eating habits (generally, more protein, fewer carbs) & more exercise. Once you stop taking it you will have to stick with a healthier diet or the weight will return, which is the case with any diet.

From my understanding you can't get Ozempic prescribed from your GP unless it's to treat type 2 diabetes.

NICE guidelines says when Wegovy becomes available it will be prescribed for

• people with a BMI of over 35 who have at least one weight related comorbidity.

• people with a BMI of over 30 who have been referred to a tier 3 service.

Thanks. I’ll go down the private route

I've been wondering about this question re cost but can't find an answer on any of the four threads. But has anyone been able to kind of offset the cost of ozempic with the reduced cost of their food bill? I live alone so other people will have different ways of allocating their food budget, but probably half my weekly shopping is snacks and junk which if I can cut that out would go some way towards the cost of ozempic.

@TooMuchCoffeee I worked out that I usually spend 100-200 per month on snacks/takeaways etc. Currently have not bought any snacks or takeaways for nearly a week so I should imagine that the Ozempic pretty much is my budget for that!

That's a really good question, I've been wondering the same myself recently although I haven't done the sums. I'm on week 6 and so far I've not ordered a take away or bought a bottle of wine to drink at home which has definitely saved me some money. I've had two dinners out and I ate considerably less than normal (although did throw up after one if them).

Does anyone think private firms might change their criteria to match NICE guidelines once Wegovy becomes available? Prescribing under licence rather than off licence would be preferable for companies from a legal point of view I'd think. Some posters on these threads are wanting to get round the current off licence criteria regarding BMI so I wonder if companies will be more strict and want proof of BMI. I think there needs to be more in place to catch people when they exceed a BMI of 25 to prevent them becoming obese. If there were interventions before insulin resistance started that would be a good thing for the individual and the NHS.

I just got it prescribed privately and my BMI is about 28. I do have PCOS as well though so I think it counts as a qualifying health exception.

Has anyone got a my juniper code. Thank you 😊

@Polkadotties if you look up thread, many posters have posted links for juniper and manual codes.

Can anyone tell me how long Ozempic keeps in the fridge? I've got a month of sendexa I want to use up before switching. But, because of the shortages I'd like to get some ozempic in whilst it's kn stock!

I think as long as it is unopened and kept in the fridge, it should be fine. I'm ordering 2 months worth on Tuesday and still have 2/3 weeks worth of a pen left

If it's unopened, then it lasts until it's expiry date. My current pens expiry is 2025.

Well I've placed an order with myjuniper, using someone's code, but it only put 35% off rather than 50% off as it originally said.
Then after the order went in, they said they want to contact my gp, so I've contacted them to ask for another way to prove my weight as I'm not keen for my gp to know. Not sure why. I've had a referral from the NHS for 12 weeks of slimming world, and didn't mind that.

Yes, the current "feeding frenzy" worries me as do the references to using it to "kick start" weight loss and lying to get it. I think there's going to be a backlash and maybe a tragedy and rules will be tightened up a lot.

On the other-hand, I totally understand why people want Ozempic, there's a real need for a proper, effective and easily available intervention (not just 12 weeks slimming world/WW or 6 weeks at the gym) that anyone with a BMI of over 25 can self-refer to.

If you read the NICE guidelines it’s all in there. Bette than conflicting info on MN! Easy to find on google. X

I bought through Manual actually. None of the links for the 50% worked and I settled for 35% off.

Maybe this link will work better for someone who needs it???

manual.co/r/U-Ng4pUhhFnI

I've linked the NICE guidelines twice on this thread. I recommend anyone thinking of starting ozempic reads the guidelines. They will answer a few of the questions posted here.

A thread purely for codes would be good for newcomers I agree. This one has been inundated with requests for codes and repeats of the same questions. Reading any of the existing threads would answer the questions asked. Or just even reading this one