Sorry to bump this again but I'm just here for people to tell me this is worth it.
I'm on day four after my first injection and the first few days were fine; no real appetite but no side effects. Yesterday I made the mistake of eating a more or less normal dinner. Nothing crazy; it was a normal portion of Hello Fresh (it's easy to portion those because they come in 2-4 servings) so some rice and a few meatballs and a hot sauce. I paid for that all night long - learning the meaning of sulfur burps - vomiting and diarrhea on and off for eight hours, and abdominal pain. I'm mostly OK now and never going to make the mistake of trying to eat a full meal on this, but how do you know what's going to set things off? Was it the meat? The sauce? The amount? Jesus.
Sorry to bump this again but I'm just here for people to tell me this is worth it.
I'm on day four after my first injection and the first few days were fine; no real appetite but no side effects. Yesterday I made the mistake of eating a more or less normal dinner. Nothing crazy; it was a normal portion of Hello Fresh (it's easy to portion those because they come in 2-4 servings) so some rice and a few meatballs and a hot sauce. I paid for that all night long - learning the meaning of sulfur burps - vomiting and diarrhea on and off for eight hours, and abdominal pain. I'm mostly OK now and never going to make the mistake of trying to eat a full meal on this, but how do you know what's going to set things off? Was it the meat? The sauce? The amount? Jesus.
Totally fine to bump.
Unfortunately, that’s normal. Portion sizes matter, and so does the type of food you eat. You are supposed to avoid fried foods, very fatty foods, alcohol, sugar etc. and it hits some people harder than others.
For myself, especially on the higher doses, I have to really watch that. It also slows down my digestive tract, so I have to keep up with fruits/veggies that help that move along. If not, I do vomit more because everything is just sitting there and there’s literally no room.
I’m sorry that happened to you. The side effects usually even out though. I think it’s worth it to me, because my blood sugars and BP are better. If you’re solely doing this for weight loss, I’m not sure Id say the same.
Sorry to bump this again but I'm just here for people to tell me this is worth it.
I'm on day four after my first injection and the first few days were fine; no real appetite but no side effects. Yesterday I made the mistake of eating a more or less normal dinner. Nothing crazy; it was a normal portion of Hello Fresh (it's easy to portion those because they come in 2-4 servings) so some rice and a few meatballs and a hot sauce. I paid for that all night long - learning the meaning of sulfur burps - vomiting and diarrhea on and off for eight hours, and abdominal pain. I'm mostly OK now and never going to make the mistake of trying to eat a full meal on this, but how do you know what's going to set things off? Was it the meat? The sauce? The amount? Jesus.
Ugh, I am sorry. For me this only happened the once. I still get generally a little queasy and maybe have diarrhea for a day or two after the shot, but nothing bad. I do get heartburn occasionally as well. But I can eat my normal foods (in smaller portions) without a problem.
Sorry to bump this again but I'm just here for people to tell me this is worth it.
I'm on day four after my first injection and the first few days were fine; no real appetite but no side effects. Yesterday I made the mistake of eating a more or less normal dinner. Nothing crazy; it was a normal portion of Hello Fresh (it's easy to portion those because they come in 2-4 servings) so some rice and a few meatballs and a hot sauce. I paid for that all night long - learning the meaning of sulfur burps - vomiting and diarrhea on and off for eight hours, and abdominal pain. I'm mostly OK now and never going to make the mistake of trying to eat a full meal on this, but how do you know what's going to set things off? Was it the meat? The sauce? The amount? Jesus.
For me, it would have been the sauce. I have found drinking alka seltzer to come in handy for the upper GI issues.
I get hello fresh as well and I’d say I probably can only eat half of a normal portion. I actually think the portions are pretty big. The meals for 2 are enough for my DH, 2.5 year old and I, with sometimes leftovers. Maybe try eating half a serving and see how you feel and then eat more? I think a lot of people have to eat several small meals/snacks a day instead of regular portions. Heartburn has been my worst symptom and it’s definitely based on what I eat. You might try more bland foods in general. With hello fresh, sometimes I take out the meat for my daughter before I add the sauce so you could try that.
treschic, I agree that the portion sizes are generally large. I'm going to keep that in mind for sure in the future. I'm trying a liquid diet for today (I' not hungry but I haven't eaten since 6 last night so DH got me a nutritional shake when he went to fill my Rx.
And on that note, even with the $25 coupon, CVS said we needed to pay $525 because I have ExpressScripts insurance. She said Express Scripts prefers Ozempic. I want Mounjaro if I want blood sugar help (I'm waiting to find out from my endo if my pre-diabetes has shifted to full on Type 2) and significant weight loss, correct? I thought I saw something on TikTok about CVS being weird about Mounjaro? Should I try a different pharmacy?
treschic, I agree that the portion sizes are generally large. I'm going to keep that in mind for sure in the future. I'm trying a liquid diet for today (I' not hungry but I haven't eaten since 6 last night so DH got me a nutritional shake when he went to fill my Rx.
And on that note, even with the $25 coupon, CVS said we needed to pay $525 because I have ExpressScripts insurance. She said Express Scripts prefers Ozempic. I want Mounjaro if I want blood sugar help (I'm waiting to find out from my endo if my pre-diabetes has shifted to full on Type 2) and significant weight loss, correct? I thought I saw something on TikTok about CVS being weird about Mounjaro? Should I try a different pharmacy?
What day did you print/get your coupon? That may be why it was more than $25. Here’s a Reddit thread that talks about it. Your Dr may also be able to do a PA or you try Ozempic for a month and switch back. My friend had good success on Ozempic though and just recently switched to Mounjaro. Ozempic is the type 2 equivalent of Wegovy that is FDA approved for weight loss, so I think it would definitely help you with blood sugar and weight loss. It is the one with shortages though so that might cause a problem. CVS and Walgreens have given some people issues so you could try another pharmacy. Local might be better if you have the option.
ETA: Actually if your insurance covers Ozempic and you’re able to get it, I would maybe go that route because you wouldn’t have to worry about the coupon issue with Mounjaro. I think weight loss with Ozempic/Wegovy is 15% and Mounjaro 20%, so it’s still very significant and you’ll probably see the same success with both in the beginning anyway.
treschic , the coupon was in the sample first month I got from my endocrinologist. I'll take a look at the reddit thread!
ETA: I am kicking myself because I've had the script since last Tuesday and didn't run to refill. I guess that will be costing me.
It should have been an old coupon then. I’d maybe try to fill at another pharmacy. Maybe make sure they’re not running it through insurance and just using the coupon. You just have to have commercial insurance for the coupon to work, your insurance doesn’t have to cover it.
treschic , I think based on those threads I'm going to wait a day or two and try again at Wal-Mart or somewhere else. The code on my coupon predates all the codes in the thread. That would get me two months for $25 (the sample month and if we get the coupon to work), and that would bring down the overall cost while I determine if this is a good fit, which I assume is the point of the coupons to begin with.
I'm more or less fine paying the $525 after that. I mean, that's a month of Hello Fresh or Nutri-System or whatever and when DH was laid off a few years ago we ended up with this enormous amount of HSA funds (or whichever the one is that just rolls over) as part of his payout so I could use that for more than a year.
My dad's most expensive chemo drug during his 13 years of cancer was $7000 a month so I can pay $500/month to lose weight and balance my blood sugar.
Sorry to bump this again but I'm just here for people to tell me this is worth it.
I'm on day four after my first injection and the first few days were fine; no real appetite but no side effects. Yesterday I made the mistake of eating a more or less normal dinner. Nothing crazy; it was a normal portion of Hello Fresh (it's easy to portion those because they come in 2-4 servings) so some rice and a few meatballs and a hot sauce. I paid for that all night long - learning the meaning of sulfur burps - vomiting and diarrhea on and off for eight hours, and abdominal pain. I'm mostly OK now and never going to make the mistake of trying to eat a full meal on this, but how do you know what's going to set things off? Was it the meat? The sauce? The amount? Jesus.
I’m learning that some of it is trial and error with what my body can handle. I can’t do anything spicy or drink beer. If I do I feel terrible for a day or two with lots of stomach issues. But fried foods seem to be ok. Overall I’m eating much smaller portions. No way could I eat a full dinner without vomiting.
How did everyone get through the holidays? I am eating very small portions but Friday night, I was stillso miserable and just felt beyond bloated. So I take my second 7.5 shot tonight. We had a doctor’s appt Wens and I lost 4lbs in 4 weeks. Mr Pom lost 9 lbs in 8 weeks. But the best news for both of us was our bloodwork. Mr P’s numbers were all good and his A1C went from 6.4 to 5.7. My doctor was flipping about how great all my cholesterol was. My A1C dropped from 7.5 to 6.1. I’ve cut my insulin drastically too. I’m basically eating a cup of cottage one meal each day and one other meal with smaller portions. I definitely have a vastly reduced interest in food. It is wonderful.
I haven't had a shot in ~4 weeks since my insurance stopped covering it. Unfortunately this is where the frustration comes in. Since I'm no longer overweight they say I don't qualify. Well I'm not overweight because I used the meds. I hate insurance companies so much. I need to fight them but it's been a slow process. I've maintained and still haven't had a significant change in my appetite.
The thing I found the most interesting about the holidays was my disinterest in food. I still ate and loved my favorites but no longer obsessed over it.
Post by SusanBAnthony on Nov 27, 2022 12:13:43 GMT -5
Saudade this continues to be my biggest fear about going on this med. I am worried that everyone will have a constant battle forever with their insurance companies because it's so expensive that obviously insurance companies are going to try to get out of paying for it if possible.
I'm curious when/if the price will drop or the 25$ coupon will be extended.
I still plan to talk to my doctor about it but that's the main concern I have and it has been holding me back.
I haven't had a shot in ~4 weeks since my insurance stopped covering it. Unfortunately this is where the frustration comes in. Since I'm no longer overweight they say I don't qualify. Well I'm not overweight because I used the meds. I hate insurance companies so much. I need to fight them but it's been a slow process. I've maintained and still haven't had a significant change in my appetite.
The thing I found the most interesting about the holidays was my disinterest in food. I still ate and loved my favorites but no longer obsessed over it.
I am sorry insurance is so heinous. I don’t think I posted about it, but I got a first shipment of Mounjaro and then they sent me a letter and denied me coverage because my A1c had gone down before I started the meds in my med records. So my next visit my A1C went up .1 and my doctor appealed. I haven’t heard from then since and they keep shipping me the meds. Shrug. They all suck. I hope something changes.
Is anyone still on this and able to get a RX? I have a RX for 10mg but my pharmacy can't get it in stock and I don't think I'll be able to get it anymore anyways because of needing the D2 diagnosis/pre auth. My insurance does cover it for D2. Really disappointing because I have lost 30 lbs on this med. I'm now a week overdue for my shot and I can tell a difference in my appetite I figure this won't be forever and I'll be able to get on that or something else again eventually but for now I'm just going to work hard on my own. Its my diet that I struggle with..not exercise. I go to F45 3 times a week and do Peloton.
I saw my primary care for a physical last week and had labs done. She took my off my Synthroid after we got the labs back which is so weird...I've been on it since I was a teenager. I asked her about prescribing Mounjaro or Ozempic etc-has she to other patients? And she was like nope I won't because I don't know anything about them...fair enough but I suspected that in the first place so that is why I have gone thru Alpha for the Mounjaro. She said she sends her D2 to the endo for meds like that-she won't manage them. I think I will make an appt with one now because I'm very confused that she took me off Synthroid rather than changing my dose. She has changed my dose a couple of times with my previous labs. She wants to repeat labs in 3 months.
egishere, yikes - I agree with you, I would definitely consider working with an endocrinologist on your thyroid issues. I have been on a full replacement dosage of Synthroid for 20 years and even though sometimes I need to lower my dose, I could never go off it completely. My thyroid basically doesn't work on its own anymore.
FWIW, my endo will prescribe some weight loss drugs like phentermine but would not prescribe Mounjaro or the like. She referred me to my practice's weight loss clinic for those. I ended up going through Alpha. I've still been able to get refills but this past month, I wanted to stay at 7.5 rather than increase to 10, and I was basically told that it would be impossible to get the 7.5 right now. No issues at my pharmacy getting the 10, though, and there's been no issue with the diagnosis requirement (my coupon predated that requirement).
Post by suburbanzookeeper on Dec 16, 2022 12:45:45 GMT -5
I had a coupon pre-dating the November & December changes and unfortunately cannot get it filled at any pharmacy affiliated with my insurance so my prescription has been sitting in limbo for over 2 weeks. I moved over to a compounding pharmacy for semaglutide/B12 and am waiting on the shipment. My last M shot was 12/2 so I'll be going back to the starter dosage and working my way back up.
Is anyone still on this and able to get a RX? I have a RX for 10mg but my pharmacy can't get it in stock and I don't think I'll be able to get it anymore anyways because of needing the D2 diagnosis/pre auth. My insurance does cover it for D2. Really disappointing because I have lost 30 lbs on this med. I'm now a week overdue for my shot and I can tell a difference in my appetite I figure this won't be forever and I'll be able to get on that or something else again eventually but for now I'm just going to work hard on my own. Its my diet that I struggle with..not exercise. I go to F45 3 times a week and do Peloton.
I saw my primary care for a physical last week and had labs done. She took my off my Synthroid after we got the labs back which is so weird...I've been on it since I was a teenager. I asked her about prescribing Mounjaro or Ozempic etc-has she to other patients? And she was like nope I won't because I don't know anything about them...fair enough but I suspected that in the first place so that is why I have gone thru Alpha for the Mounjaro. She said she sends her D2 to the endo for meds like that-she won't manage them. I think I will make an appt with one now because I'm very confused that she took me off Synthroid rather than changing my dose. She has changed my dose a couple of times with my previous labs. She wants to repeat labs in 3 months.
I’ve been seeing people on a MJ FB group say that they can’t get 7.5 or 10 because of shortages. I’m still on 5 - so far so good. Maybe you can ask your provider about dropping down to that to at least have some sort of help?
Post by EvieEthelGarland on Dec 16, 2022 15:09:36 GMT -5
Has anyone had trouble getting Ozempic? I'm getting nervous. While I have appreciated the 20lb loss, I am terrified of my A1C going up. I have never had T1D control this good. I wish they could dispense it in a vial so if a particular dosage pen is out of stock it would be easy to still fill for patients.
My DS's ADHD meds have been out of stock and that actually freaks me out more. What is going on?
Henry Meds. I had my appointment on Wednesday morning, prescription is at their compounding pharmacy and waiting on it to ship out. It's $150 monthly but includes appointment, meds, needles, alcohol wipes, etc.
I had a coupon pre-dating the November & December changes and unfortunately cannot get it filled at any pharmacy affiliated with my insurance so my prescription has been sitting in limbo for over 2 weeks. I moved over to a compounding pharmacy for semaglutide/B12 and am waiting on the shipment. My last M shot was 12/2 so I'll be going back to the starter dosage and working my way back up.
All of this, verbatim. My compounded semaglutide finally shipped today and should be here on Monday. I was supposed to do the next Mounjaro shot yesterday, so I’m just trying to be super good with my diet this weekend and hope for the best next week.
Henry Meds. I had my appointment on Wednesday morning, prescription is at their compounding pharmacy and waiting on it to ship out. It's $150 monthly but includes appointment, meds, needs, alcohol wipes, etc.
Oh that’s a good deal, I might have to look into them. It was $400 through Push Health.
Henry Meds. I had my appointment on Wednesday morning, prescription is at their compounding pharmacy and waiting on it to ship out. It's $150 monthly but includes appointment, meds, needs, alcohol wipes, etc.
Oh that’s a good deal, I might have to look into them. It was $400 through Push Health.
I'm hoping I'll have everything by Christmas, I'll be happy to check back in with a review once I have everything. They were super nice, the video appointment was fantastic and he had said they were having a solid increase in MJ patients coming over with the coupon issues.
I take Ozempic, don’t have diabetes, and just had my insurance approve a PA last week for it (previously they covered under a step edit with my history of metformin). Before I started on Ozempic I had a 2 hour glucose test (actually YEARS before starting — like 10 years ago), and my 2 hour insulin level was elevated. My glucose, fasting insulin, and A1c have always been normal / not pre-diabetic, even during pregnancy. My provider was able to get approval under “abnormal glucose metabolism.” The other thing that helped was I have a fill history of metformin and 10 years ago I tried another GLP1 (Byetta). PA was approved and cost $25 dollars on the copay card. I use a pharmacy that opens at 6 am, and they have a SOP that first thing every morning they check to see if they can order it for me. When it comes in, they keep it with my name on it in their fridge. If they are able to get more they go to other patients, but so far they’ve only been able to get 1 a month. I am so thankful for them! As a pharmacist I personally would not use compounded semaglutide but I understand why people do it. I started Ozempic in April 2021 in a tight size 24 / 3X. I’m down close to 160 lbs now. Yesterday I went shopping and was able to get size 14 jeans, size large fancy workout pants, and a mix L / XL tops. It was amazing to be able to go to Nordstroms, Gap, Athleta, etc and get “normal” clothes. I don’t feel comfortable posting my progress pics but feel free to chat if you want more info!
boiler717 why not use a compounded semaglutide? I’m curious because that’s what I am using, due to both shortages here and costs.
Congrats on your success!! That’s so great!
First, it’s illegal in my state to compound commercially-available products so the pharmacies doing it here are breaking the law. There is little to no oversight of compounding pharmacies, and there is considerably more risk with an injectable product than and oral or topical product. Finally, many of the compounding pharmacies are using a different salt form of semaglutide that is not listed as an equivalent product in the Orange Book.