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.

I've signed up for the Zoe scheme now I've cancelled Manuel ozempic. I'm beginning to wonder if it was the ozempic that worked or the fact that I've virutally cut out UPF. I'd only got upto 0.5mg and have been off it now for 2 weeks and my appetite is still much reduced and I'm still losing weight.
Hopefully finding out which foods spike my blood sugar will help me plan my diet to enable me to be healthier.

if Juniper are going to play games and the amount in 0.25 is the same as 0.5 I might quit them and buy two more pens from QuickMeds before Oz gets cut off. They say they’ll do 0.25 for £270 and I’d have enough for 19 weeks then.

@KateWick you can get 0.25 for £200 from Rightangled.

Hi all - right angled have 1mg in stock.

After some hesitation over the price I’ve purchased one - I feel quite nervous only having one dose left, and would ideally like to be in a ‘healthy’ bmi when I stop, which is about half a stone away.

going to really knuckle down and make the most of this pen as I can’t stretch to another month paying £300!

Ooh! I am thinking of this too. Although I have seen mixed reviews. Would be interest med to hear how you get on.

Has anyone seen the article in the Fail about the woman who's been on the equivalent of Ozempic (Victoza) for ten years??

I wonder why she didn't have a bariatric surgery instead? Or at least once she's lost a decent amount of weight. It would have been a cheaper option with the same results

I've been on a weight-loss drug for nearly 10 YEARS
mol.im/a/12350313

It says in the article, she wanted a breast reduction and the doctor wouldnt do it at 209lbs but at the same time she was put on the med for pre diabetes, she lost weight slowly by the sounds of it to the extent she was more healthy, it mentions she has to remain on it to avoid diabetes and has other chronic health conditions. Sounds as if the weight loss was a side effect for her, although necessary.

I interpreted it differently. The doctor told her she was at risk of developing diabetes and wouldn't perform surgery unless she lost weight so put her on Victiza which is like Sax.

Being overweight I suppose we are all at risk of developing diabetes. I know my dad developed diabetes through his love of food.

There have been many articles of late about the negatives of weight loss meds and the side effects - this seemed more positive too

Hello everyone, am with Juniper too and reluctantly ordered the 0.5 mg. Thanks for this thread , I managed to grab the 1mg one from Right-angled

I started on Ozempic in Feb and have lost over 2 stone and am.now in healthy BMI but need to lose a bit more due to ethnicity and medical reasons.

Has anyone tried the tablet form Rybesus?

Oh and hi @Peridot1 !

I'm so gutted. I literally just started this and now I can't get another months dose because everywhere is sold out! Panicking a bit and gutted I didn't start when I posted on here months ago.

@bigPileOfDough there is stock available. Both Rightangled and Bury Pharmacy have 0.25 and 0.5 pens available. I ordered from Rightangled earlier this week, straightforward, delivered next day.

Realistically it's going to be very difficult to get hold of for quite some time, I think if I was at the start of it I'd probably hold off for a few months/6 months to see if things improve. I'm 6 months in so don't want to go back to zero so am 'holding' with the .5 Juniper dose, but I don't think I'd start from scratch right now (sorry).

@bigPileOfDough there definitely is availability for 0.25 and 0.5. As PP said RA and Burys have them as does Juniper. I also saw simplymeds had them yesterday

Hi @AutumnNymph!

@bigPileOfDough - supply is very intermittent at the moment. And very expensive. I know places are getting some stock but there are no guarantees that that will continue. I also suspect it might get harder before it gets easier as diabetics are being prioritised currently. I would probably not start around now. Which is not particularly helpful as you have done I suppose! But it’s up to you obviously.

Tiny drop of liquid on skin and needle after I administered dose & removed the needle despite counting to at least ten holding dosing button down after it got to zero…Just worried dose not delivered fully / at all - anyone else find this?

Hi all I wondered if anyone would mind answering the question on my thread. That is how ozempic has changed your attitude to food, appetite and what you actually eat? I’m interested, I’m not sure whether to try it (when stocks are back up!) as all I think about is food and find it very hard to resist snacking even when I’m not hungry.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/4865891-how-has-ozempic-et-al-changed-your-appetite-and-so-diet

Yes, I've had a drop of liquid a few times and it has still been effective.

Thank you!

Unless Im missing something you have said exactly what I said!!! Not differently, too big for surgery and at risk of diabetes

The irony at the moment is that there seems to be a 'competition' about who is more deserving of ozempic (and the like) when people who go on to develop type 2 usually have had a poor diet/are overweight. Prevention is better than cure.

Ozempic headaches.

I have lost 12kg since mid April and have stayed on 0.25mg.

I get headaches for the first half of the week after taking the jab. To be honest the headaches are making me quite miserable.

I did take a week off for a holiday and I loved enjoying food again and not feeling low level I’ll all the time.

I am thinking of just going off it and returning to round and diabetes risk.

@Youdoyoubabe I used to get headaches for the first half as well and I found that if I drank lots of electrolytes it did the trick for me. I think it was dehydration and just upping the water wasn't enough for me. I needed to replenish the salts as well. If you haven't already it may be worth a try before you give up.

I used to fill a large bottle with electrolyte mix and ice and just sip through the day.

Youdoyoubabe, though it's hard to have to think about coming off it isn't a given that you'll automatically put it all back on. Have your eating habits changed?

Oh I am a nightmare. I literally just eat anything that is available. I don’t like cooking and I don’t really like healthy food much! I do like cake.

The best result for me of Ozempic has been less alcohol. It gives me such a shocking headache I have been abstaining from my wine habit. I think that has really helped the weight come off.

I don’t plan to up my dose due to the shortage so will just keep dosing at 0.25mg from the bigger pen they sent me. It will last longer than the 56 days recommend but I am not overly concerned about that. Still taking the Ibruprofens I got issued after a minor op in 2017 and they still work when needed.

@Youdoyoubabe I wonder if you would be better going up a dose to give yourself a chance to break habits and make some new ones?

Are your headaches from dehydration? I really noticed an increase in how much I need to drink water.

Looks like I may be finishing with Ozempic. Ended up in A&E last night with a gallbladder attack, one of the most painful things I've ever experienced. Had blood tests and a scan, blood tests were fine but scan showed distended gallbladder. I did tell them I'd been on it, they didn't seem that interested in it and said I fit a lot of the pattern anyway 'fat, female and fifty' though the doctor did try and say he didn't consider me that overweight (which I thought was nice of him 😂). But I'll report it to Juniper today and I expect they'll say that's it but I'm going to have to spend a few days on low fat to let my gallbladder recover a little (if it can).