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.

Interesting article @mumwheresmyribena thank you

I suspect there will be more about how it needs to be a paid for 'weight loss service'

At the end of the day, people mostly see overweight/ obese people and think: just eat less and exercise more.
If only it was that simple

Yes I got it the following day, so 48 hours after it was sent. Appreciate the reassuring posts from folk. Was just a bit concerned as any pens from other providers have been packaged with ice packs.

I’ve been doing the same for the last month because I wanted to move injection dates and it doesn’t seem to matter unless my menstrual cycle is starting.

I spoke to someone on quick meds who said they are hoping to get wegovy in the next couple of months. I've got everything crossed!

Do you think they will let people move across from Oz to wegovy as it's the same stuff just a different name?

What about people who met the BMi criteria when they started on Ozempic and have now lost enough weight to be below the BMI threshold (but still have weight to lose) 🤔

@WhyDoesItAlways yes they said that as its the same medicine that it would be OK and that they didn't think that it would be as expensive. So here's hoping!

Did they give any indication as to the price of Wegovy? £300 per pen is a lot...

🥳

Wegovy is more expensive than ozempic in the us, so I’m expecting it to be higher than the standard ozempic price in the uk as well. I guess since the dose goes higher and it’s one pen per dose as well vs one pen per month. I’m hoping for £200-£250.

I'm hoping that once there is a decent supply of Wegovy it will be available from high street chemists which should increase competition and bring prices down a bit. At the moment anyone with Ozempic supplies can charge what they like.
It's never going to be cheap though, its so much more expensive in the USA

Don't forget that in Germany it's between 170 to 300 euros! So here's hoping for the 170 range!

Fortnightly weigh-in day here, I'm in week 20. Went up to 0.75 three weeks ago. I'm down 4.5lbs in the past 2 weeks and putting it down to increased water intake as per recommendations here. Currently 11 stone 4lbs, BMI 27, total loss 3 stone 5lbs. In 20 weeks. The mind boggles when I'm writing this down.
I'm amazed my skin doesn't look worse than it is, but the deflated apron belly is real (two c-sections as well). The skin on my neck was starting to look very crepey in June and I went in all guns blazing with rich moisturizers, seems to have had some effect. I'm in extreme calorie deficit (being 50 and short it's the only thing that works for me) but it's certainly not effortless eating on average 800kcal a day and I know it's not sustainable long term. I'm getting a bit hungrier and my (mild) side effects are definitely subsiding. I interpret that as signs to go up a dose which is precisely what I'm trying to avoid. Crap.
I'm not ready to stop. I want to lose another two stone and then planning on slowly increasing to my daily maintain number 1200 kcal. Getting used to the idea that I have to think like this for the rest of my life, and trying to focus on the benefits. Not panicking (yet), grateful this worked and feel like I've been given another chance to get this right with or without the jabs.

So I've just worked out based on the hope that Ozempic continues working for me and I continue averaging 2.5lb loss a week, should prices remain as they are and the battle to actually get even a 0.5 pen continue it is going to cost me £5111.00 for the next 12 months supply. I'm getting 3 doses at 0.75mg from a 0.5mg pen so buying a pen every 3weeks. I'm seriously considering just biting the bullet and just going down the surgery route right now.
Any thoughts?

Wow, that’s amazing. Well done.

I am also not ready to stop. I know I need to move up a dose but I don’t want to because of supplies.

However, the hunger is creeping back. I had curry and chocolate this evening after some serious PMS cravings. I would not have been able to contemplate that a week ago.

@Diedre44 I would stick with the jab if I were you. You have come such a long way already. Yes it's a big investment but fairly low risk compared to surgery as I understand it, and that counts for a lot. If I were to imagine going down the surgery route my fear would be health risks and also loss of income should surgery complications impact my ability to work (I'm self employed). And I would worry about how potential surgery complications might affect my quality of life, ie would I be able to take part in the kids' activities etc. But I'm not against weight loss surgery on principle.

Does anyone have clever storage ideas if I can’t put pens in the fridge? I’ve got two unopened ones now and not sure how best to keep them cool somewhere my daughter can’t see.

@KateWick - I’ve seen someone saying they put the pens in tomato purée boxes in the fridge!

@VanellopeVonSchweetz99 - fabulous result. And great plan for going forward. I’ve found that if I’m hungry going for protein is best for feeling full quickly. Usually just a couple of slices of Turkey or a Babybel.

@Diedre44 - surgery has always terrified me as it seems so permanent. Wegovy will be available soon hopefully so the prices will come down. It’s only so expensive now due to the shortages so hopefully your forecasted calculations are wrong. I know it’s frustrating now but you have done really well so far. Get on the waiting lists for Wegovy with Boots or Superdrug and hopefully that will happen in the next few months. And I would hope their pricing will be reasonable. Or at least Ozempic will be more readily available. And in the meantime remember lots of protein and fibre and water.

I totally understand if you do feel the need to hide them but can I make a plea for people to really think about it. In 2019 I had to be rushed to hospital (the only time oon my life I've ever had a stay in hospital) and my husband had to list my meds because I wasn't able to. Shit does happen no matter how careful we are

My daughter and her friends are of an age where they will find them and know what they are but are too young to understand. I have worked far too hard to keep her safe from diet culture. So I’m keeping them away for now, for her future.

I would appreciate any advice anyone has for keeping them cool away from the fridge. Right now I’ve just wrapped them back in the wool packaging with an ice pack on the other side and stuck the whole lot in a cool bag in my bedroom cupboard.

I don't know about storage - I thought it was fridge only once it's opened – but perhaps make it a teachable moment if she did find it? You are taking Ozempic because the pervading diet culture has messed with your body to the extent it's the only way you can regain your health. Nothing to do with weight, just health. If she pushes it further, you could also say diets don't work, it's been scientifically proved they just make you gain more weight, and you wish that someone had taught you that it's okay not to diet and to love your body, as you are now teaching her to love hers.

In short, it's nothing to be ashamed of, taking steps to regain your health.

@KateWick I understand why you don't want your daughter to find it. Apart from the diet culture thing there's also a risk she'd try to use it (age dependent obviously). We are told to keep medication away from kids.

I understand it only needs to be kept in the fridge until the first use, then you can store it anywhere. I'd go down the disguise route as someone else mentioned. Or put it in a lockable box (cash box?) in the fridge and tell her you're hiding some jewellery or something.

Yes I’d be more. worried about one of her friends taking it than her but that is a concern. The tomato paste box idea is very clever. I suppose I can come up with something she wouldn’t dare touch (soya milk carton?) and shove them in there. There are no food rules in this house and she knows I’m losing weight intentionally and why, but as I eat what I want (just less now) I just don’t want to be the one to introduce anything into the house that reminds her of it. She’s old enough to know what Ozempic is all thanks to TikTok.

It only needs to be in The fridge when it's unopened I believe? After that bedside table drawer should do it?

I'm not telling the family. DH would understand but it might mess with my tweenie DCs. I keep my unopened pens wrapped in foil (just the pens) inside an insulin cooler (looks like a hard glasses case with a zip, from amazon) but without the cool packs, at the bottom of the fridge with the veg. I've put some tape around it and written on it please don't touch, and said to family to please not mess with it, it's "mum's expensive eyelash serum".