A thread about Ozempic that isn't just more PR for it. NC-ed for this.
I started Ozempic just before Xmas and took it for 3 months, until just recently, before stopping.
I first read about it in the media and then here on MN, including the "I started Ozempic last night" threads, and decided to try it.
I'm in the 'overweight' rather than obese category and could do with losing 2-3 stone. I'm in my 50s, just post-meno. I'm not diabetic.
I signed up with a private provider such as the ones mentioned on the other Ozempic threads, starting on 0.25.
Results initially good - quickly experienced the "feel full after meals for the first time in ages"-type helpful feelings and lost about 10lb in the first month. The gastro side effects were there - mostly acid stomach, the sulphurous burps etc - but quite manageable. However I noticed I felt really tired/fatigued.
I stayed on 0.25 for a second month and then moved up to 0.5. What I noticed after the first month (I guess when the medicine started to build up a bit in my system) is that my mood started to drop and I began feeling quite down. This was noticeable to me as I usually feel quite lively and positive. I didn't like this seeming side effect at all but decided to keep going for a bit longer as perhaps it would decrease.
However, I continued to feel fatigued plus low mood and couldn't bring myself to go and do exercise eg jogging in the park (which seemed to defeat the object of the weight loss).
I went up to 0.5 - at which point the unwanted low mood side effects further increased - and therefore I decided to stop taking the medicine.
My weight didn't decrease after the first 10lb.
I'm now about 3 weeks after taking my last dose ie I've stopped it and I guess it is slowly coming out of my body. The gastro side effects are still there but diminishing. The low mood and fatigue has improved. And I have managed to get out and do some exercise this week, for the first time since I started taking it.
To sum up ...
*Over 3 months I lost some weight. Total costs were about £600 for 3 months supply - which works out at £60/lb. Cheaper than a health farm. More expensive than a slimming app. Etc. You do the maths.
*The gastro side effects were mildly unpleasant but manageable
*Much more affecting for me - but I haven't really seen this mentioned anywhere on here or Reddit etc - were the low mood and fatigue. I speculate that this must somehow be linked to sugar or hormones or both. It was this that made me stop.
Many people seem to be finding Ozempic useful. But overall, I didn't.
I would be interested to hear if anyone else has experienced the low mood on any of the semaglutides like Ozempic.
Hope this is a helpful story!