Weight Loss Injection check-in 2024

[picksthemusic]

Feb 5, 2024 11:59:51 GMT -5 fluffycookie said:

For those who have been on the meds for some time how fast did you ramp up doses? I finished 2.5mg of Zepbound and my doctor called in 5mg for the next month. I am down almost 9 lbs since starting the 2.5mg and that is without consistent exercise. I am curious if dependning on how I do on 5mg if I should stay there for 2-3 months.

There is conflicting advice, however the science/research says to move up from 2.5 to 5mg after 4 weeks. The studied doses are 5mg and up, as 2.5 is the loading dose. Especially if you're taking it for diabetes, they want you at least on 5mg after 4 weeks. That being said, if you're solely on it for weight loss, you can stay on the low dose for longer if you're doing well and losing with minimal side effects. I stayed on 2.5 for 6 weeks before moving up to 5. I moved up because I noticed I felt like the medication had worn off and I was having food noise and I could feel my joint pain coming back. Once I moved up to 5, things went back to feeling controlled. I've been on 5 since, and while I will likely stay on it for a few more months, I have 7.5 waiting for me. Of course, if in doubt, talk to your prescribing provider. Good luck!

[EvieEthelGarland]

For those on Ozempic or Wegovy, do you have poor sleep if you take it later in the day? My endo says there shouldn't be any correlation but on days I don't remember until the afternoon, I have the worst sleep. After 2 or 3 times of this I just wait until the next day, but am wondering if its just me.

My employer switched insurance plans this year and I was worried about coverage. My 3 month supply just arrived at my top tier copay, less a $50 coupon Express scripts applied. I am so relieved!

[bee20]

picksthemusic, I've heard a couple people mention pain management, can you expand on that? When I google all I get is that weight loss can reduce joint and back pain, which...sure, but people seem to be tying it directly to the medication without clarifying if it's only certain types of pain or if this is reducing overall inflammation?

[expectantsteelerfan]

Feb 5, 2024 14:12:55 GMT -5 EvieEthelGarland said:

For those on Ozempic or Wegovy, do you have poor sleep if you take it later in the day? My endo says there shouldn't be any correlation but on days I don't remember until the afternoon, I have the worst sleep. After 2 or 3 times of this I just wait until the next day, but am wondering if its just me.

My employer switched insurance plans this year and I was worried about coverage. My 3 month supply just arrived at my top tier copay, less a $50 coupon Express scripts applied. I am so relieved!

I sleep horribly normally, but taking my Wegovy in the evening doesn't seem to affect my sleep at all that I've noticed.  There have definitely been times when I get in bed and realize 'crap I meant to take that earlier in the day today' and I go take it right at bedtime.  


I'm annoyed.  My rx for Zepbound was cancelled by express scripts because it wasn't covered by insurance.  So the next day I messaged my dr. and said 'Zepbound was not covered, please remove that rx and resent the rx for Wegovy as discussed.'  Today I got a reply from my dr. saying 'rx sent,' but then I also got a letter in the mail from my insurance that Zepbound was accepted for coverage!  So now I get to message my dr. again and be like, sorry, can you fix this?  I hate dealing with Prior Auths and express scripts.  The last time this happened, they never got the prior auth (for a different med) and I had to message my dr. so many times about it and spent hours on the phone with express scripts before it got figured out.

[vmars]

Feb 5, 2024 14:12:55 GMT -5 EvieEthelGarland said:

For those on Ozempic or Wegovy, do you have poor sleep if you take it later in the day? My endo says there shouldn't be any correlation but on days I don't remember until the afternoon, I have the worst sleep. After 2 or 3 times of this I just wait until the next day, but am wondering if its just me.

My employer switched insurance plans this year and I was worried about coverage. My 3 month supply just arrived at my top tier copay, less a $50 coupon Express scripts applied. I am so relieved!

I take mine like 10 mins before going to bed and slept well.

[vmars]

How soon after starting Wegovy did you guys notice a difference? I started .25 on Saturday and am very hungry. I am trying to make healthy choices, but definitely no big appetite change other than being slightly nauseous this morning.

[picksthemusic]

Feb 5, 2024 15:33:39 GMT -5 bee20 said:

picksthemusic , I've heard a couple people mention pain management, can you expand on that? When I google all I get is that weight loss can reduce joint and back pain, which...sure, but people seem to be tying it directly to the medication without clarifying if it's only certain types of pain or if this is reducing overall inflammation?

A lot of my joint pain is related to my hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which results in a lot of inflammation. I felt a marked difference in my chronic joint/back pain within hours/days of staring my first 2.5mg dose. It was literally a miracle. I had no clue how much pain I was really in until it was gone/greatly reduced. It was close to when I have taken prednisone in the past. It's mostly anecdotal at this point, but I know they are doing studies with it since it's been so widely reported. Folks are reporting seeing pain relief/inflammation relief even for those with autoimmune stuff like Crohn's, IBS, and rheumatoid arthritis. I also think this is where a lot of my initial weight loss came from at first, was the inflammation and subsequent water weight I'd been holding on to coming off.

[Saudade]

Feb 5, 2024 15:38:43 GMT -5 vmars said:

How soon after starting Wegovy did you guys notice a difference? I started .25 on Saturday and am very hungry. I am trying to make healthy choices, but definitely no big appetite change other than being slightly nauseous this morning.

You really shouldn’t notice anything on 0.25mg. It’s considered no therapeutic and is used to get your body used to it. Some people may have appetite reduction but no weight loss is expected. Don’t be discouraged.

[bee20]

picksthemusic thanks, that's VERY relevant to my interests. I'll have to check into a study, I don't think I'd meet prescribing criteria otherwise.

[SusanBAnthony]

Feb 5, 2024 11:59:51 GMT -5 fluffycookie said:

For those who have been on the meds for some time how fast did you ramp up doses? I finished 2.5mg of Zepbound and my doctor called in 5mg for the next month. I am down almost 9 lbs since starting the 2.5mg and that is without consistent exercise. I am curious if dependning on how I do on 5mg if I should stay there for 2-3 months.

I started at .25 semaglutide for 4 weeks, then 0.5 since. As long as I am losing weight I won't go up because I'm only using it for weight loss and it's working. My mom OTOH is using it for management of digestive issues, and doesn't need or want to lose additional weight. She takes a higher dose and will continue to for that reason.

[shauni27]

Feb 5, 2024 15:33:39 GMT -5 bee20 said:

picksthemusic , I've heard a couple people mention pain management, can you expand on that? When I google all I get is that weight loss can reduce joint and back pain, which...sure, but people seem to be tying it directly to the medication without clarifying if it's only certain types of pain or if this is reducing overall inflammation?

I am really dumb and just noticed yesterday, after 1.5 years and 80#s gone, that my knees don't hurt really any more. Like, they are creaky still but I can do squats at the gym without them hurting, which was not possible even 8 months ago.

Now my back on the other hand...

[circa1978]

Jan 30, 2024 13:48:36 GMT -5 mcmel said:

Jan 30, 2024 13:38:23 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

I have to admit I'm spiraling a little on the CEP post about TW side effects. I've been on Mounjaro since last November with no real problems but I also don't get bloodwork every three months like some people are saying. My endocrinologist didn't order it, just before every time I see her, which is more like every six months. My bloodwork six months ago was fine but 😳.

I also was a bit worried so I searched it in the semaglutide group that I’m in and found reassurance there. People saying 1) they might have had these issues before the meds, undiagnosed 2) most problems go away after stopping, if you choose 3) these meds are sometimes used to treat these side effects and 4) look up the side effects of being morbidly obese, which is what I was off the meds

Those helped me a lot so maybe it’ll do something for you too.

I happened to already have an order in for bloodwork to recheck my kidney values that were a little wonky on my last check and I got motivated to get that done after this and a post on the Mounjaro subreddit about kidney issues and my kidney and liver values are all perfectly in range after more than a year on the medicine. It interests me that my endocrinologist doesn't really seem fussed about much more than my A1C. I guess what no one knows at this point is the safety of long term use. Like, can you go 18 months with no issue and then suddenly have your kidneys be like, you know what, that's enough? 

[circa1978]

And on the topic of going up in dose, I've been super slow. I think some fast losers go up once a month or so but my goal was also to deal with being within spitting disstance of a T2D diagnosis. I was on 2.5 for a month, and 5 forever, then 7.5 for a long time and going into my third month of 10. I'm not loving 10 because I feel plateaued and am constipated so I may either go back down to 7.5 being my sweet spot or see what 12.5 does.

It's more expensive this way but I do think that I'm not experiencing loose skin or hair loss, which has been nice. And I put the weight on over time so it feels more sustainable to take it off a little more slowly. IDK. It gives me a lot of time to change my habits. My bio father was a T1D and died of kidney failure in his early 50s so if this is a lifelong thing for me and I can do it safely, fine.

On the topic of pain, I used to have so much pain in my body that really was helped a lot by figuring out my autoimmune disease issues but I can honestly say my body on Mounjaro feels about as pain free as my 20s. I'm sure some of that is being lighter but it was happening well before significant weight loss. I really do think these are life-changing drugs and that goes so far beyond your weight.

[namasteak]

Well I had several panic attacks, weird body tingling & numbness so no more phentermine for me.

[vmars]

Week 2 of Wegovy and the symptoms have started. Nausea yesterday morning, but today I feel better. I am starting to get a little bit of appetite suppression. I don’t need to snack as much and my meals are smaller. I lost 2 lbs my first week. Hoping that trend continues.

[shauni27]

Feb 10, 2024 12:16:22 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

Jan 30, 2024 13:48:36 GMT -5 mcmel said:

I also was a bit worried so I searched it in the semaglutide group that I’m in and found reassurance there. People saying 1) they might have had these issues before the meds, undiagnosed 2) most problems go away after stopping, if you choose 3) these meds are sometimes used to treat these side effects and 4) look up the side effects of being morbidly obese, which is what I was off the meds

Those helped me a lot so maybe it’ll do something for you too.

I happened to already have an order in for bloodwork to recheck my kidney values that were a little wonky on my last check and I got motivated to get that done after this and a post on the Mounjaro subreddit about kidney issues and my kidney and liver values are all perfectly in range after more than a year on the medicine. It interests me that my endocrinologist doesn't really seem fussed about much more than my A1C. I guess what no one knows at this point is the safety of long term use. Like, can you go 18 months with no issue and then suddenly have your kidneys be like, you know what, that's enough? 

I will admit that I spiraled in December due to a similar reason and had all my bloodwork done; only one marker looked off, but everything else was normal. After speaking to my doctor about it we decided to do bloodwork every 6 months to keep an eye on things. It made me feel a lot better. I suggest for all people on this medication to do at least annual bloodwork. 

Feb 10, 2024 12:19:22 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

It's more expensive this way but I do think that I'm not experiencing loose skin or hair loss, which has been nice. And I put the weight on over time so it feels more sustainable to take it off a little more slowly. IDK. It gives me a lot of time to change my habits. My bio father was a T1D and died of kidney failure in his early 50s so if this is a lifelong thing for me and I can do it safely, fine.

I for sure had hair loss, which is frustrating, but did not get loose skin until just recently now that I am getting close to my goal.

As an aside, I just hit 80# loss and am very close to my goal (within 5 lbs) and will start tapering my dose soon

[fluffycookie]

I am down almost 12lbs since starting. I moved up to 5mg last Friday. Yesterday was an interesting day. I went to take my medicine and ended up gagging and throwing up a couple of times. The gagging has happened even before I started taking the weight loss meds so I don't think it's connected. I was fine after that and had dinner- a small piece of tenderloin, asparagus and lobster mac and cheese. About 90 minutes after eating I ended up in the bathroom twice. Again I have the same issues before starting the meds. I figure I will keep an eye on it going forward.

[Bad Dingo]

Feb 10, 2024 12:19:22 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

... it was happening well before significant weight loss. I really do think these are life-changing drugs and that goes so far beyond your weight.

It's been a long time since I started the meds (Aug of 2022) so it's a little bit fuzzy, but I also noticed a significant reduction in pain and inflammation almost immediately, before any real weight loss (besides water weight).  It truly has been life changing.  I've seen an uptick in my breast cancer/aromatase inhibitor support FB group with people taking Mounjaro and having the same experience.

I feel like this is similar to Claritin helping to reduce bone pain but no one seems to really know why.

[picksthemusic]

So I wanted to update about me since I started - I'm officially down 40lbs! I'm not at goal (I want to lose about 25 more pounds and see how it goes from there), but I have some good lab news!

My total cholesterol went from 228->185 (lowest it's been in YEARS); LDL went from 158->116 (first time it's been in the normal range in years); fasting glucose went from 112->94. I'm super happy with these results, and I know it's because of the MJ.

If you're just starting out, keep going! I've been at this since 7/21/2023, and I felt like I wouldn't get this far at times.

I start 7.5mg on Sunday!

[hazelden]

It's honestly the fountain of youth for me. I can't believe the way these drugs have changed my life.

I swear there is a certain menopause look that women get, just this overall puffiness. The reduction in swelling for me was huge. I went down 3 notches in my watch band within the first few weeks of starting the drug.

I compare my before/after to Rachael Ray - I'm not knocking her at all, but the abdomen and face swelling that I had looks nearly identical to her. All that swelling went away for me within just a few months. I shared my own before/after pics in a previous post. This image is a good example of what I'm talking about.

[mcmel]

I’m down 58.4 pounds in 6 months with another 28 to lose before hitting my final goal

[expectantsteelerfan]

Feb 15, 2024 12:50:51 GMT -5 hazelden said:

It's honestly the fountain of youth for me. I can't believe the way these drugs have changed my life.

I swear there is a certain menopause look that women get, just this overall puffiness. The reduction in swelling for me was huge. I went down 3 notches in my watch band within the first few weeks of starting the drug.

I compare my before/after to Rachael Ray - I'm not knocking her at all, but the abdomen and face swelling that I had looks nearly identical to her. All that swelling went away for me within just a few months. I shared my own before/after pics in a previous post. This image is a good example of what I'm talking about.

I'm glad you've had such great results!  I know she hasn't admitted to taking anything, but this reminds me so much of Kelly Clarkson.  I watch her talk show almost daily because it's on right when I get home, and last year, she just looked so PUFFY.  Like, yeah she had gained weight, but like you said, it wasn't just weight, it was the classic overall puffiness.  And now this year it is all gone.  I am amazed almost every time I see her even though I watch every day.

My Zepbound was delivered yesterday!  It's been a few weeks since my dr. decided to switch me from Wegovy to that, but it took a while for the prior auth to be accepted, and then Express Scripts cancelled the order because 'they needed more info' from my dr. and my dr. didn't respond quickly enough (I think the issue was that I'm on hormonal bcp, and these meds can make those less effective, so Express Scripts needed to verify that my dr. had counselled me on that, which they had), so then the dr. had to send it again.  
I'll take my 1st dose today, so fingers crossed this kickstarts some weightloss for me.  As I've posted before, I lost some on Wegovy, but it's been SUPER SLOW, like 1 lb a month, and I stopped losing entirely a few months ago and have just been holding steady despite not doing anything different.  
Also, I definitely haven't had any major visible changes.  The last time I lost a significant amount of weight (and ended up weighing about 5 lbs less than I am now, so not that different), I feel like I visibly lost weight in my face, in my boobs, etc. and everyone commented on how different I looked (like the difference in the pictures of Rachel Ray).  But I haven't had that at all.  I'm happy for everyone who has, and I'm happy I'm at a much healthier weight now and my A1C is normal, but it's still disappointing that this isn't the major game changer for me like it has been for so many.

[shauni27]

expectantsteelerfan I hope the zepbound makes a difference. I had no luck with ozempic, it is only mounjaro/zepbound that worked for me.

[picksthemusic]

expectantsteelerfan, yay for getting your meds! I'm super hopeful for you that you'll notice a big difference. I really think the added hormone in tirzepatide absolutely makes a difference in a lot of people. I fee like if I had gotten OZ instead of MJ, I wouldn't be seeing the results I am, and I'm so grateful it turned out that way.

[klassygoosey]

I've been on Ozempic since july.  Been on 1 mg a week since the fall.  The 2 times CVS could only get me 0.5 dose I was super sick the next week going back up to 1.
 
But no variance in my dosing for over a month and I was projectile vomiting and had double digit occurrences of bile diarrhea this past Wednesday night. I lost 5 pounds in like 3 hours of being sick.  I am back at work today but very shaky.  

I am supposed to be going up to the next dose next week but now am kinda terrified.  I've already switched injection location to thighs. doubled my protein intake and cleaned up my eating to almost vegetarian.  I hydrate like a beast.  

This is the first time in almost 2 decades I've had normal A1C and not having crazy insane hunger non stop is great. BUT being on the bathroom floor is just not ideal and I'm not sure if I can continue. 

[picksthemusic]

klassygoosey, have you reported this to your provider? Those side effects may or may not be related and you might need to get checked out. Do you have abdominal pain or anything? I'd at least want some labs to make sure your organs are okay. Please contact your provider and talk to them about this.

[klassygoosey]

Yeah and I go in again next week. My labs have been great. No pain at all. I've lost about 30 lbs and outside of these 2-3 episodes, no other side effects. Only other hiccup was my gall bladder kicking out this fall (I had issues with it prior to ozempic)  and that got removed promptly. 

[picksthemusic]

Feb 16, 2024 11:51:14 GMT -5 klassygoosey said:

Yeah and I go in again next week. My labs have been great. No pain at all. I've lost about 30 lbs and outside of these 2-3 episodes, no other side effects. Only other hiccup was my gall bladder kicking out this fall (I had issues with it prior to ozempic)  and that got removed promptly. 

That was my next question was your gallbladder. Are you taking something like cholestipol or another bile binder? I'd ask your provider about it because it can really help if you're having diarrhea issues since having your gallbladder removed.

[pugz]

I saw my doctor earlier this week and had bloodwork done. My A1C is the lowest it has been in like a decade!

Some numbers: Overall cholesterol went from 158 to 143. Triglycerides 93 to 81. LDL 95 to 81. A1C 5.4 to 5.1.

Doctor was really happy with my progress. I'm down around 40lbs. She recommended I do my injections in my stomach for better results (I have mostly done the thigh). And she still sees it as a lifetime medication.

[picksthemusic]

pugz, any time I do my injection in my belly, I have way more nausea and acid reflux. I notice that when I do my thigh, I don't have as much nausea and it's still effective. I tried again in my belly two shots ago, and there was a marked difference in how I felt. I think I'll stick with my thighs TYVM (not to you - just me to myself).