“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.

Hi, is this is available in Ireland does anyone know?

Is it now avaliable on NHS?

Only if you have type 2 diabetes.

It's likely to be available later this year as wegovy but whether your trust will prescribe it for obesity on the NHS is debatable.

Placemarking!

Thank you for starting a new thread Hermonie
Ive also suffered with constipation and can tell you that 3 prunes in one sitting are very effective!
Im finding that I am ignoring my full cues in the past couple of weeks and need tp focus better on them
Its really strange as something happened yesterday and I had a bit of a panic and thought what shall i eat but managed to breathe through it and not binge. Its not a cure all but it definitely does help x

Hi, newbie here. I just heard about Ozempic last week on the Jeremy Vine show, then spent the whole day on the internet researching it (when I should have been doing my asking. Woops).

I ordered from Manual on Friday so hopefully it will arrive next week. Since them I've spent the weekend reading these threads, they been very inspirational, and informative.

I'm 48, with a BMI of 36 and peri menopauseal, so I'm really hoping this works for me.

I've been on 1mg for a month and I've lost 9.5kgs (1.5 stone) (140kgs to 130.5kgs) but I'm worried its just from eating too little. I've been really really stressed this month and I'm really having to force myself to eat, I'm worried I'm doing my metabolism long term damage but also delighted its coming off

I mentioned on the last thread that since taking my first dose I've been crazy thirsty - well that hasn't abated, I'm waking in the night I'm that thirsty - any ideas to help?

Placemarking

@WeKnowFrogsGoShaLaLaLaLa you need to see your GP. It's in the patient information.

Thanks, I will try and get a telephone appt today.

What dose of ozempic are people on?

We are all at different stages so all different. You have to start on 0.25 to get your body used to the meds and minimise side effects. You then increase every four weeks.

I heard that when you stop taking it you put on more weight than you lose?

It's barely been used for weight loss so there is no longitudinal data so that kind of statement is impossible to make. Logic would indicate that if you don't maintain your healthy diet and revert to over eating you'll gain weight back.

@springforwards1 the research evidence so far certainly shows that most will gain a lot of the weight back. That's why it's recommended in the NICE guidelines to be used as an adjunct to a healthy lifestyle. There's some sensible posters here but a worrying amount who don't know how the drug works and think that the appetite suppression is the whole point whereas the point is to lower blood sugars in diabetics and weight loss is a side effect of the action of the drug which is why it's now been approved for obesity but with strict criteria. Obesity is complex and it's not going to be cured with a simple weekly injection. It's going to take time and effort alongside the injection. Those who think it's marvellous to be barely eating are very disordered in their thinking and are going to end up malnourished and ill. They are adults though and if buying privately they can make their own decisions about the drug. I just hope with the new NICE guidance that private prescribing is tightened up. The drug cost £73 but companies are charging nearly £200. That's immoral imo.

Hi. Do the referral codes confer a discount on the buyer please?

Also someone wrote, "I also found that 1 pen lasts longer than you think, my first pen has lasted me 6 weeks. I've now bought the 1ml pen to get 8 x 0.5ml doses from". I was wondering about this but the info sheet of the 1ml pen that I just read on line says it's only possible to administer 1ml doses with it? Is it just that a bit of estimation is required as the dose isn't marked then? I thought maybe it was made in such a way you could only turn it to set points so you wouldn't be able to make it last longer? Be grateful for your experience with this.

It's bloody expensive. Does it have advantages over the tablet form other than convenience - oh and can the tablet form be broken in half?

Sorry and for all the questions! Just looking into trying it.

When you turn the pen to dose there are lines and clicks before you get to the full dose. As long as you count the clicks which is easy you can administer half of the 1mg dose.

Sorry another question! Has anyone using it also used Saxenda and do you find it better/the same etc?

Thank you Holibobs - in that case it could end up cheaper than Saxenda which is really expensive past the starting dose.

@AlternativelyWired there are a huge amount of us who are taking this drug purely because of the appetite suppression effects. It is one of the reasons why it has been released for general consumption for those with BMIs of over 30.
'Novo Nordisk's semaglutide compound, under the brand name Ozempic, is designed to act in the body similarly to the hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Traditionally taken once a week via injection, this GLP-1 hormone receptor agonist works in the body by regulating insulin secretion and suppressing appetite.'
It's not that I don't want to eat, I find my appetite suppression means I would struggle to eat how I used to. I am dieting along side in that I am cutting out fat, opting for a Mediterranean diet of protein and veg. I want to eat healthy and change my habits so that when I stop taking this in 3/4 months I will not go back to eating unhealthy and pile on the weight again. Once I have shifted a stone and a half I will join a gym, I cdnt face wearing lycia now but again, I want to go to the gym and change my habits to be a healthier and happier mum of three. The only way this is going to happen for me is with the appetite suppression that ozempic gives me.

Does anyone have a discount code please?

I have done the online consultation and have been approved for the first dose of .25mg for four weeks. It's so expensive though. I'll order, as I'm now desperately wanting to lose weight! After gaining 3 stone in 18 months (thanks menopause, WRS and two major operations🤦‍♀️) and failing to lose more than a few pounds, despite HONESTLY calorie counting and going to the gym, I'm willing to try anything. I used to be able to lose wait soooo easily but now, it's not happening!

** weight 🤦‍♀️

@SpringIntoChaos what company do you need a code for?

Here’s a question for all you experienced people. (Just some background). I live outside of UK and I was initially going to go with MyJuniper EU but whilst waiting for approval over weekend I decided to see if I could get it on prescription instead (reducing cost from €295 to €89). I got the prescription for 0.25 mg. The pharmacy have just called me to say it’s ready for collection but is a 0.5mg and told me I could start with that instead as there is a shortage of 0.25mg pens. Has anyone started straight onto 0.5mg? I checked with my doctor and he said it’s fine but from what I’ve read 0.25mg for four weeks is optimal. What are your thoughts?

You can administer 0.25 if you prefer, count the clicks using one of the charts you can find online. you'll need some extra needles.