Ozempic - for those of us a few months in - Part 2

[Peridot1]

Just spotted the other thread had filled up so started I new one.

That's interesting @Whatsherusername . I was told by the diabetic nurse and then the GP that it was the right solution for me, but they were unable to prescribe it, as they'd received instructions not to! What was particularly frustrating was that our local Boots had two of the .25 pens in stock, but I couldn't have them without a prescription. I think I must have missed out by just two or three weeks. Is it helping your HbA1c?

It's worrying @ajandjjmum
I think its easy for people to assume that a diabetes diagnosis comes with good care and Ozempic access - my GP's reaction was "what's Ozempic?"
I've got a blood test and a chat coming up, I'm not sure whether to ask for Metformin so I have something in place for when I can't get Ozempic any more. But if Ozempic has controlled my HBA1c they may not offer anything until it rises again.
They do a risk calculation including weight, HBA1c, blood pressure etc and depending on that number, offer or don't offer Metformin.

My plan is to carry on looking for Ozempic in the hope that the fact I am diabetic means that Quickmeds etc will supply me if they have intermittent stocks.

@ajandjjmum I've not had my hb1ac rechecked yet, its due in september, it was only 5.7 last time but i have nerve damage in both arms and one foot and retinopathy in my eyes despite being in alleged good control. Couldn't tolerate metformin at all so i take gliclazide and now ozempic. It has made a huge difference to my day to day blood sugar readings so hopefully hb1ac will be better when they check in september. My finger pricks are almost always in the normal range now

@ajandjjmum - can I ask why you are reluctant to take Metformin but would be happy to take Ozempic? Just trying to understand.

@Peridot1 Because I'm an idiot! I have taken a statin and blood pressure tablets for years, and now have to take letrozole as a result of breast cancer. Also I have been prescribed a weekly tablet for my bones which are less dense than preferred. I also have to take two calcium tablets each day and two vitamin tablet, as well as (fairly regular) antibiotics, in connection with my breast wound. I just don't want to have to take any more tablets, particularly when 1 jab a week would potentially be a better solution for me.

I just don't want to jeopardise a future prescription by taking the matter into my own hands, but am worried that I am currently having no treatment for my diabetes.

Ah. Ok I think I get it. You must feel you will rattle if someone shakes you from all the pills!

Have you looked at any information about low carb as a way of controlling blood sugars? Dr David Unwin has lots of free information. There is also an app - Freshwell - which is free and has lots of info. Also maybe have a look at The Glucose Goddess on Instagram. She has a couple of books about eating in a way to control glucose levels.

Wow, what a horrible way to talk to someone with diabetes who is struggling to get supplies!

I wasn’t speaking bluntly to @noozempicforme because she was worried about supplies. Lots of people are worried and that fair.

I was speaking bluntly because she came onto this thread to say she ‘saw red’ because it should only be available on the NHS.

In short, @noozempicforme wants us all to buy her Ozempic but we mustn’t buy it for ourselves.

I really don’t think this thread is the place for people like @noozempicforme and they should start their own thread if they want to talk about ozempic supply issues.

FWIW ozempic has changed my life and I’m going to continue trying to get hold of it regardless of what other people think. I’m not responsible for supply issues and losing weight has dramatically improved my own health and multiple chronic illnesses. I don’t take it to look good in a bikini 🙄

I think - and I do appreciate that this is a wider issue - the idea that the "good drugs" should be NHS only isn't the way life is going at the moment
NHS treatment often starts with the cheapest drug available and only moves up the price list when the first doesn't work/isn't tolerated.
Better medication is available privately for many conditions
You can argue that this shouldn't be the case but in practice it is

Exactly, they came on here to tell us all of and start and fight so don't dish it out if you can't take it.

When I started Ozempic I had a BMI of 44, I'm now hovering on the verge of being just overweight not obese, that's a 6 and a half stone loss. Where would I be without it? Maybe at least pre-diabetic. I've saved the NHS the cost of treating me by taking my health into my own hands so I refuse to feel guilty about it.

@WeightInLine you are quite right.

Tell us off and start a fight I meant.

I'm so cross my typing went to pot

@ajandjjmum , Mounjaro (trizepitide) is another glp1 + gip drug that is available on the nhs for diabetes type 2 treatment, and actually outperforms ozempic for weight loss results. Also a weekly injection. Could be worth a discussion with your diabetic team if that one could be suitable for you? There is also one called trulicity but i dont know anything about that one

It hasn't been approved in the UK yet for any purpose although it might be soon.

Oh shame i thought it had been as my nurse mentioned it as a posibility if ozempic was too hard to source, maybe she thought it would be approved. Sorry about that. Trulicity is definately uk approved though, as is liraglutide (victoza) so a couple to look at

@WeightInLine fully agree and support with every word. @noozempicforme has come onto this thread solely to shit stir, please ignore her. This thread has been a wonderful,supportive and informative place don't let people like that derail it.

@noozempicforme we are all trying to prevent being a burden on the NHS by treating our weight issues. We are not buying a medicine that isn't available to the NHS as from what I gather from my pharmacist friends it IS available but takes a little bit longer to source .
Please start a thread of your own and leave us alone. Quite frankly I need the support on here and am bored by the way the fat people are marginalised and vilified by the likes of you and the pressure.

Ffs I meant the press!

Apologies, this is going to be long! The "you should be ashamed of yourself" brigade really piss me off

In Sept 2020 I was a few lbs overweight, running, swimming, hiking, yogaing, zumbaing, fit and active person then I had a tiny accident (I fell awkwardly) and my knee started to hurt when I walked out ran for more than a few minutes and hurt like hell when I climbed up or down stairs or steps. My GP sent me for an x-ray which was fine very quickly and it ruled out anything more than a tiny touch of arthritis (I'm in my 60s) which didn't seem to account for the type of quality of pain I was in. He referred me to a muscular/skeletal consultant, the symptoms got worse.

At the end of 2021 I still haven't seen the consultant, Walking up or down stairs was a real struggle, as was walking more than 500m on the level. Zumba, hiking, swimming and running were all impossible. I could still do a few minutes of a gentle stretching/yoga that I used to use as a quick morning routine and that helped a bit but getting up off the floor was a major workout in itself. My weight had ballooned to obese and my asthma went from well-controlled to something that affected me daily. I was not just failing to lose weight, I was actively putting weight on and heading towards morbidly obese.

In early 2022, I still hasn't seen a consultant. I was still gaining weight and my health was getting worse. I was worried that I might have lasting damage so I booked a well regarded sports physio who promptly sent me to a private Dr and from there too a consultant. I had torn my ACL, PCL and meniscus, I had a bakers cyst and patellar tendinitis. The arthritis wasn't really an issue. I started treatment and repair. It was a longer process than it might have been because of the length of time it has taken to diagnose.

Through 2022 I worked on my mobility and tried to get my weight down (I was morbidly obese by that time), I managed to stabilise it but was unsuccessful lodging anything more than a couple of kg. By the end of 2022 my knee was much, much better but my health and weight were still horrible. I've always eaten well, hardly ever eat takeaways, fast food or even eat out. I've always taken the time to cook proper meals and eaten well, I don't even like sweet food! I was simply inactive due to injury and my 'good food' was providing me with too many calories, which my body has now started to crave so it could turn it into fat. The NHS had turned its back on me and left me to it.
I tried all sorts, CICO, low carb, IF all of which I had employed successfully pre-2020 although 'back then' we were talking about just watching my weight rather than losing lots. I tried MySimba which have me nightmares. So I tried Ozempic (with my GP's blessing) and a few months later, here I am yoga-ing, hiking, swimming and a lot, lot more active and lighter, heading into the just overweight category next week.

So no, @noozempicforme
I'm not ashamed that I'm paying for Ozempic on a private prescription. The NHS left me in pain and my health failing. I have COPD, diabetes (type 1 and 2), colon cancer and gout within my immediate family and I take my health seriously enough to sacrifice treats, holidays and other goodies to allow me to pay for consultants, physios and meds needed to keep me as fit and healthy as it's possible for me to be. I won't apologise to or be shamed by you or anyone else.

@Athena51 @Whatsherusername There is another NICE committee meeting to discuss Mounjaro on 1st August. There's already draft guidelines for it's use. Hopefully it may be in use by October https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta10835

Wow we are nearly the same @mumwheresmyribena. I got very injured in 2021 and went from being fit to obese very quickly.

i came here because someone in the Juniper chat group said people were talking here after the horrible news that the medicine is being cut. I’m very worried about not even having the 0.5 anymore. I have a confession: I’ve been using 0.5 out of my 1.0 pen to save money. I’m too afraid to say anything over there because I don’t want Jumiper to kick me out of the programme. Does anyone else here do this?

guessing no one here has a tried-and-true source to get more if they do shut us down? I’m barely not obese anymore and am so scared to try one of the other programmes where they make you go on video.

also shame on the person who is shaming us here. I was on the fringe of being diabetic and I would think someone with that disease would appreciate wht so many of us are willing to break the bank to avoid getting to where you are. Fat people are hated in this world and we should all be allies, not building a pyramid of who is worse off. Shame on you @noozempicforme for hurting other women.

I don't know what the answer is @KateWick but I note that this isn't the first time this has happened. There was a similar situation in 2022 (more the date of the article below) and we're still here https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/uk-government-is-preparing-guidance-to-help-with-type-2-diabetes-medication-supply-issues

So where is the wegovy we were promised?!

@KateWick When I started Ozempic I was prescribed a .5 pen but only took .25 doses, then I stayed on .5 for 12 weeks only recently going to 1mg even though I was prescribed 1mg. I've never been with MyJuniper but I know and read of many people who are keeping their doses low either because they're super-responders, to save money or to eke out their supply

@Prettybubblesintheair There's a world-wide shortage of it. The company that Novo outsourced some production to has had issues (quality issues iirc). So in countries where wegovy IS supplied it's hard to come by in certain doses, the result is that people there are turning to Ozempic. That, coupled with a giant uplift in demand has made the supply chain go tits up. Novo has already doubled their own production facilities this year alone, there's a limit to how fast that "tap" can be turned up when you consider they have to ID new sites, get facilities built (it's not just any old pre-built warehouse in an industrial estate somewhere), source raw materials, train staff etc, etc etc