Can I insist on a diabetes test to see if i can get ozempic for free?

[Mommasgotabrandnewbag]

Bmi 43 morbidly obese.

I want to try Ozempic but the cost without the 'weight related condition' is prohibitive.

Will a doctor agree to test me do you think? I do have some symptoms but I've always put them down to a love of salt and a weak pelvic floor.

I'm not being funny but if you have symptoms of diabetes you shouldn't be getting tested just to get the weight loss jab cheaper, you should be bloody worried you've potentially got diabetes! 😂 it's a vile disease, I've seen far too much of it nursing. It can do such horrendous damage.
Go to the doc and get checked, and tell them about your worries with your weight too.

@lalalalalalaleeee

Read the thread....op wants OZEMPIC not victoza or any other meds

Op you are being very snippy and rude

Tbh even if your GP did prescribe it there are enormous supply issues with it, and even those that have a prescription can't get hold of it at the moment.

OP I'm a nurse at a GP practice and a lot of my work is in diabetes management.
Go to your GP and ask for an NHS health check. This will include a hba1c check. As a person with obesity you are at high risk of diabetes regardless of symptoms, at our practice you would be entitled to have this test once a year.
If you are diabetic, ozempic is not the first line treatment. You would be offered metformin first. Ozempic is only offered to patients whi have poorly controlled diabetes even after other treatments and attempts at dietary changes have failed.

@SisterDonnarix

Being obese isn't like depression or anorexia. It's a lifestyle choice and/or a sugar addiction.

God yeah. I chose this life.

You say that have symptoms of diabetes, so yes, ask your GP surgery to test you for that.

But you should ask for the diabetes testing regardless of whether you think it’ll help you get ozempic or not. Uncontrolled diabetes can have nasty consequences.

Diabetes U.K. are running an online screening assessment at the moment where you enter your details and it gives you your risk of type 2 and if you are moderate or high risk they send you a letter to hand into the GP referring you for a diabetes test.

It is highly recommended that anyone at risk and you are based on your BMI, get tested so you should not feel bad or like you will be using up resources unfairly as others have suggested.

doesnt some pharmacys do diabetes tests maybe try there

Surely you should be having a regular test for diabetes at that weight anyway? Not waiting for symptoms to appear when a lot of damage has already been done.
You should be tested irrespective of whether you want to get a weight loss drug cheaper or not.

Blame the Tories for what? Four years before the inception of the NHS, the Conservative led coalition introduced a White paper that set aside a need for a free and comprehensive healthcare service. It could be argued that they started the NHS ball rolling!

Sadly this isn’t necessarily the case. As the OP has already pointed out, she wants to prevent an early death. Morbid obesity can reduce your lifespan by 10+ years as it increases the risk of developing severe diseases. The cost of treating obesity related conditions is huge, but nowhere near as huge as the cost of care for our elderly population, who are living for longer.

Some people are so ignorant!

I have type 2 and they didn’t give me ozempic and I am fatter than I’ve ever been
They put you on metformin first and play around with the dose,
Then they put you on glipizide which makes you very hungry ,
Right now I’m on something else that makes you excrete sugar through your urine and it hasn’t worked so far, still fat and still very hungry

The only time I lost a lot of weight was before I got diagnosed and I was hyperglycaemic, and that is because my body could not use the glucose in my blood for energy, so it started using my fat and muscles
and I felt so nice and skinny but it was also very dangerous and I ended up in hospital

This is why keto really works because your body will start getting energy from fats instead of sugar from carbs and your body will start eating your fat away , which equals skinny you

you are unlikely to get ozempic through NHS it’s not their number 1 choice probably because of the cost,
they will put you on a long list of drugs including insulin, and if you ask for ozempic they will say no

your best bet is to do 3 things
go on a keto diet,
eat small portions
Walk everywhere and excercise

and a bonus is to drink water whenever your hungry instead of eating, if your stomachs full of water you wont be as hungry

Same.

Just ask for a blood test if you have symptoms of diabetes. I had symptoms and was having a blood test for my underactive thyroid which I've had for 25 years and I told nurse my symptoms and asked if she would test for diabetes too. It came back I'm apparently pre-diabetic. I had a BMI of 60 and my GP immediately offered me Ozempic. I've been on it for 3 months and I've lost 2 stone and 13lb. Before I had to get up 4 times each night to wee, I was thirsty a lot and my legs ached and now I only have to go to loo once in the night, I'm no longer thirsty all the time and my legs don't ache. My BMI has gone down to 50.1 and nurse told me losing the weight will improve all of my health so says in the long run giving me Ozempic now will save NHS money. There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve your health OP. I don't know why some posters are being nasty to you.

I think the replies from Iloveanicegarden, hazelnutlatte and truthhurts23 who are giving advice based on first-person experience are helpful. I'm surprised in a way, though, as I would have thought the NHS would be jumping at the chance to help people with obesity reduce their weights.

Hi OP. You could get a diabetes/pre-diabetes test for £45 from Boots HbA1c diabetes home test kit | Boots Online Doctor UK. Might be a worthwhile investment if you can afford it and your GP is reluctant to do a test? (N.B. I think it's perfectly legitimate to get screened for diabetes if you have a risk factor and a family history, and I'm sorry that people are insulting you on this thread.)

I don’t think you’re being conniving, I would strongly urge you to request a diabetes test for your own health. If you do have it or prediabetes, you need to know. As does your doctor.

Or, you could just go to your local pharmacy and buy a cheap blood sugar monitor. Or get one off Amazon, they cost between £10-15. If you find your levels are too high then contact your GP
It's not a lot of money and you can then check frequently to ensure you aren't diabetic.

Your experience is dreadful. I was offered Ozempic immediately. I've been taking it for 3 months and have lost 2 stones and 13lb. My blood sugar is now always between 4.5-7 now too. I'd go back to your GP and ask for Ozempic. If your BMI is above 40 you are entitled to it.

Sure yeah it's so easy to beat being obese when you have to eat to survive especially if you also have the genetic make up where you always feel hungry!

You can choose to never drink alcohol or smoke again we all have to carry on eating.

As well as any medical help you can get could you afford psychological support to help dealing with the reality of having a restricted diet?

Hi OP. I think the way you worded your thread title is unfortunate and has prompted some negative responses as you imply that you can insist on a diabetes test in order to get free Ozempic.
Unfortunately even if you were tested as having diabetes you would be very unlikely to be prescribed Ozempuc, and even if you were, supplies are a real problem.
However, from a health and wellbeing perspective it would be really sensible to get tested for diabetes as well as possible high blood pressure and cholesterol levels as all these things can contribute to serious conditions as I'm sure you know. Starting to manage your health is very scary but so important and there is help out there, obviously not as much help as would be ideal but we all know what's happening with NHS funding etc.

Ozempic isn’t a first line diabetic treatment.

Other options are considered first - diet, metformin, insulin etc.

For the record, diabetes and diabetes related conditions account for around 10% of the NHS total budget. It’s not a condition to be trifled with and can lead to many unwanted side-effects - foot amputation etc.