Ozempic for those a few months in - part 3

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Thread was full so I've started a new one. 😀

You are amazing

I’m getting people express concern that I’ve lost ‘too much’ when in reality my BMI is 21.5 and I’m of an ethnicity that the nhs recommends a BMI between 18-23 for. My goal is 3lb more than maintain. Just fed up with the comments- these people said nothing when I gained weight but suddenly my body is up for discussion!

@Twilightstarbright I'm at the top end of a healthy BMI now, dress size 12-14, so hardly emaciated. I've had comments along those lines too, most are meant as 'compliments' I think. Mostly from older women (70+) who seem to have less boundaries and tact in that area, and feel that peoples' physicality is a valid topic of conversation. My own mother seems incapable of giving compliments that are not to do with looks...
At the beginning I just smiled and nodded but recently I'm getting fed up. It's probably well meaning but it's implied I looked sh*t before, when they know nothing about my situation or health. I've recently said things like "I'm only comfortable discussing my body shape if we discuss yours too" (to an annoying relative).

@VanellopeVonSchweetz99 thats a good response! I never comment on people’s weight so I find it really odd.

Just pondering the life of an Ozempic/Wegovy pen.

Before first use they have quite a long expiry date (provided they're stored in the fridge). What I don't get is once you do the first injection, the expiry is accelerated to 42-56 days (depending on what you read) even if you continue to keep it in the fridge.

Anyone medical that can explain this? It seems to me that all you do is take the cap off, turn the dial and press the button. Why does that trigger the expiry, is it that somehow air gets into the tube where the solution is and it starts to degrade?

Previous posts on this thread suggest some people have been using ozempic pens for 8 weeks or more once opened. Wegovy is different though as it's separate doses.

I suppose I'm trying to work out if this is a way to stop being buying higher dose pens and making them last longer vs an actual issue with the contents.

Eg with the 0.25 pens Juniper kept telling people to throw them out after 4 doses for "safety" reasons but then, with the shortages, did a 180 degree turn and sent out 0.25 pens with 8 needles and told customers that actually, yes, it contains 4 0.5 doses and to use all the medicine

UK Wegovy pens are just like the Ozempic ones with the clicker so you can adjust the dose as you wish, I think the US ones are a fixed dose.

I did this with a 1mg pen but injected 8x 0.5mg and it was fine. I even kept it out of the fridge during that time. In hindsight I probably should have kept it in the fridge but it was fine.

@WhyDoesItAlways I think 8 weeks is the max they say it can be used for once you take the first dose. But my question is: if you keep it in the fridge and only take it out to inject, why does the expiry date get accelerated to 6-8 weeks (instead of 12 months or more).

I'm a bit scared because I'm going to be titrating up to 1 then 1.7 then 2.4 in pretty short order and didn't do great when I first went from 0.25 to 0.5.

I don't think I'm going to need the 2 higher doses but to get to my final target but I'm thinking I could eek out the doses. Eg doing 1 or even 0.75 doses out of the 2.4 pen.

@WhyDoesItAlways I assume the expiry date becomes 6-8 weeks once you've started the pen because you've effectively broken the seal.

A bit like that pack of ham in the fridge, "once opened, consume within three days".

Did any of you stay on a lower dose for longer than a month? Advice seems to be to take 0.25 for a month, then 0.5 for a month etc. If you got a response with 0.25 did you find it faded after a while and you had to go up to keep appetite suppressed? Or is it possible to stick to a lower dose for an extended period? Thanks.

@Superlambaanana I've been reading a lot of these threads and on the "I started Ozempic last night" threads, lots of people stayed on the low dose while it was still working for them and only moved up when they felt it wasn't. Some articles say patients who've experienced side effects when moving up have been advised to go back to the lower dose. It seems to be very individual.

I stayed on 0.25 for nearly 2 months (didn't want to go up to 0.5 when I was going on holiday) and have been on 0.5 ever since (for the last 4 months).

I think I'm what's known as a super responder : it started working for me straight away and in 6 months I've lost over 3 stone - still probably have up to another stone to knock off.

It's definitely wearing off in that I do feel hunger more but (a) I'm better at managing/ignoring that "hungry" and (b) I get full very quickly still, so it's a lot harder to overeat.

Also should add that I suffered a lot when I went up to 0.5 - first 3 doses the day or two after injection were full on sulphur burps, nausea and vomiting. I learned to be extra extra careful with my food intake on those first couple of days.

I was also a super responder. I stayed on 0.25 for about two months and lost about 20 pounds. However, I noticed the effects diminishing and for some reason, increasing to 0.5 didn’t help.

I took my first 1mg Friday and am feeling my appetite has decreased a bit. I wouldn’t say it’s the same impact as when I first started on 0.25 though.

Part of me wonders if I could have done better by increasing in line with the guidelines, but it’s a lot of money for me, so I wanted to eke it out.

I have been stuck on plateau for about six weeks. Hoping to get down to 2 stone overall loss by Christmas.

@Superlambaanana I too had great effect almost over night and have stayed on each dose about 8-10 weeks rather than the recommended four. As pp have said it's highly individual and quite noticeable when the effect wears off. I have no idea why this could be, some explanations might be that I was actually pre diabetic or at least very far into carb resistance when I started but didn't realize it, so it had great effect. Or it could be because I'm quite short & petite (when not obese obvs). I've lost nearly 5 stone in 8 months and I have really given it my all in terms of food tracking and calorie deficit. Something I could have never done without the appetite suppressing effect. But I've also had to rely a lot on willpower and planning. I wanted to make the most of this investment in myself and I have no regrets. Best of luck!

@Superlambaanana yes I did an extended titration on 0.25mg due to nausea. I've been on 0.5mg for six months more or less due to the shortages.

My juniper have finally said I'll get a sacred 1mg pen in December. I'll likely try a few months at 0.75 rather than 1mg as I am still nauseous.

I'd try to stay on the lowest dose possible that gives you the effects of the drug. Helps with side effects,cost and for coming off it at the other end.

I'm planning 12 months or so on 0.25mg for maintenance.

Like @VanellopeVonSchweetz99 and others this drug has been amazing and life-changing. Xx
Well worth the money and sickness. Good luck x

My plan B last march was ozempic or a Jason vale juice retreat!!!!

@Superlambaanana I went up to 0.5 on schedule in the spring but have never been on 1.0 and I’m also one of those super-responders.

I am actually struggling now as I dropped to 0.25 for two weeks when I had Covid badly and my appetite came back with a horrible vengeance. I am eating everything on my plate for the first time since starting the medicine, snacking, making bad food choices, and constantly thinking about food again. It’s horrible. I took a dose of 0.5 on Friday and pray it kicks in soon but my period is due so who knows. I am kind of panicking.

Despite saying I think I’ll stop at this weight, I’m nervous to jump ship and risk putting weight back on! Just bought a wedding dress so I’m committed to being this weight for at least a year, and I’m still a bit disappointed by the lack of movement on my chest and sort of stomach.

my bmi is down from 28.5 to 22, but I’m still a solid size twelve because of my apple shape. My chest has gone from a 34g to a 30h because I have a small back/rib cage, was hoping for it to start reducing to more like an f at least, and my waist measurement is exactly on the line between normal and dangerous.

just about everyone I see comments on the weight loss now, and a few people have started trying to warn me against losing more. I’ve started weight lifting instead to try and change my shape vs the number on the scale, but it makes me so hungry afterwards I’m scared to lose the easiness of ozempic making me full quickly and have to regulate myself!

only downside is hair loss, but I can cope with that.

Weighing in at 9.8 stone today. Damn. That's a milestone.
BMI a little over 23, waist just under 31 inches. Size 12/14 or M, and at vanity size stores ie George, M&S a 10.
Generally happy with my new shape, everything sags a bit but no big deal. I'm 50+ and even in my best looking years I was no underwear model.

Just back from a work trip with treats & bubbly galore and not much calorie tracking. Small portions and focused on protein though. I still lost over 2lbs in 10 days. I think I would have lost more if I'd had more water (seems to make a huge difference for me) but it just wasn't practical. Saw photos of myself and I don't hate them, but am by no means emaciated, I'd say I look... healthy/curvy.

@Andrasa Re. your shape, don't know how old you are but I was never apple shaped until peri meno at 45+, started HRT which seems to have given me my old hourglass shape back once the fat disappeared. I'm a 32/34 D bra now and waist is just on the right side of healthy, hopefully you'll get there too. Are you getting at least 40g protein every day and having protein with every meal? I felt like focusing on protein sort of melted away my midriff fat, I don't want to lose muscle and I think it really helps.
I agree exercise on the jab is tricky, since we have so little to fuel our bodies now. The extreme hunger afterwards can make it counterproductive.
Hair loss: I've been taking good supplements and 900 ug biotin religiously (started on 300 and worked my way up as I heard the biotin can give allergy type skin reactions otherwise), and I swear the thinnest patches are now getting better.

@KateWick That's crap, I'm sorry. I hope the 0.5 kicks in.

How can you get ozempic? I initially thought it was only prescribed to diabetics? Or do doctors prescribe for weight loss now too?:)

Wegovy, which is the same drug, is licensed for weight loss, and you can get this privately via various Internet pharmacies. It is supposed to be available on the NHS, but I think you have to be in a specialist weight management program.

@VanellopeVonSchweetz99 Thanks. I dared to weigh myself today and I’m the exact same as three weeks ago so at least I haven’t done myself any damage.