I'm going to Ozempic.

Not gonna change anything

i'm obese, r1. i need to lose 30 lbs to be in the normal range.

if i stay on this trajectory, i will die from high blood pressure or heart disease.

This is a development over the past 2 years. I have been in normal weight range much of my life.

Sorry, typo...40 lbs.

OP, good for you. I was on Saxenda and Wegovy for about six months, before switching to Zepbound about eight months ago. I've lost over 25 pounds. It's also almost completely taken away any craving or interest in alcohol. Drinking has never been an issue for me. In fact, the effect the GLP-1/GIP drugs have had on my alcohol interest is so extreme, I kind of miss being able to have a couple drinks or glasses of wine with friends. But, in the scheme of things I figure all the results the drugs are providing me are good ones...even the practically non-existent interest in alcohol. Good luck!

I have Ozempic in my fridge right now. Going to start taking it on Sun. I am 100 lbs overweight and have Type 2 diabetes, high bp, etc. Hoping it will help me and side effects will be tolerable. OP let's do this together!

I want to stop my food and alcohol cravings. r5...i'm with you.

I'm using henrymeds as it's what my friend used.

I don't know what henrymeds is but I hate being fat.

there are numerous websites out there, but henrymeds.com is what my friend chose...i'm not trying to schill for it as there are many out there that offer the same services/prices/meds.

One of my female friends just asking me about this cus I am doing it the old fashioned way, diet and exercise. But according to her, there are at least 6 other brands that do the same thing as Ozempic and from the sound of it, all her girl friends are all over that shit. Way too many people using that stuff without knowing long term side effects.

Every time they come up with a new weight loss drug, everyone climbs on board like a piece of wood floating from the Titanic. In a few years watch them discover something like heart valve abnormalities or brain tumors or some other hidden damage. Happens every time.

i've decided to start after the new year. my birthday is on the 4th.

A happy birthday and new year to myself in my 56th year.

[quote] In a few years watch them discover something like heart valve abnormalities or brain tumors or some other hidden damage. Happens every time.

R9 Your comments make clear that you don't know much, if anything, about how these drugs work. They work with the body's digestive hormones to help better regulate digestion and the body's use / activation of insulin. These drugs also aren't new. They've been approved and on the market for years, initially for use with obese T2 diabetes patients but studied in trials over a number of years once the weight loss effects were discovered.

I've been on these drugs going on a year and a half now. This is the first time I've ever taken a medication for weight loss. I'm not a "bandwagon" type. I never did fen-phen, ephedra, or any of the prior fad crap. On GLP-1s/GIPs, I've lost 25 pounds and counting -- weight that was never going to come off otherwise, despite my being reasonably active on my Peloton several days a week and eating a mostly decent diet.

As part of my Descovy prep, I get full labs done every three months. Since starting these drugs, my A1C and blood glucose levels (not in the danger zone to begin with) have both dropped significantly and are well within the normal ranges. My blood pressure has also been more stable and more consistently in normal range.

So, ok. Sure. We'll see if there are new dangers discovered from these drugs in the future, and if so, I'll cross that bridge if I come to it. But past doesn't always mean prologue. So far, the effects that these drugs have had on my overall health have been 100% positive.

FAT LAZY CUNT!!!!

PUT IN THE WORK AND YOU WON'T NEED OZEMPIC, YOU GODDAMNED USELESS LAZY FUCK!!!!!!

[quote]Your comments make clear that you don't know much, if anything, about how these drugs work.

Oh please, that's the same crap I heard with Fen-phen came out. "Totally safe! Been tested for years! If you disagree with me you don't know what you are talking about!!!"

LAZY FUCKER!

TRY GETTING OFF YOUR FAT ASS AND EXERCISING, INSTEAD OF TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT LIKE YOU'VE DONE YOUR WHOLE USELESS LIFE!!!!

My doctor says that you lose muscle mass, and with it your ability to metabolize calories. So the few people I know who have used these GLP medications have done CrossFit and gladiator type “boot camp” workouts to maintain muscle mass.

I’d like to understand how well patients do when they stop these medications. Specifically, how can you recover muscle mass if you lose that in the course of appetite suppression. I’d also be concerned for changes to your lower digestive system if the passage of food through it is slower than it would be without this intervention.

My doctor says I will need to stay on it for life now. I am ok with that. Due to risk factors my life will be shorter anyhow. Likely only another 20 years. And anyhow I can't afford to retire.

If you have surgery, you have to be off Ozempic for two weeks.

The side effects of being obese and an alcoholic are far worse than Ozempic. Happy you’re taking control and doing something about it

[quote]My doctor says that you lose muscle mass, and with it your ability to metabolize calories. So the few people I know who have used these GLP medications have done CrossFit and gladiator type “boot camp” workouts to maintain muscle mass.

You need to have an adequate protein adequate to prevent the muscle loss. And some exercise is important, but “boot camp” style workouts aren’t necessary.

Godspeed OP…it will help!

Denzel?

[quote]I'm going to Ozempic.

I'm going to Ibiza.

Ozempic, while it causes weight loss, is a drug designed to treat diabetics, not alcoholics.

Anyone taking it should be under the care of an endocrinologist because it’s a diabetic drug. You need not only regular bloodwork every 3 months but a physical examination every six months or less. There’s a black box warning on the side of a real Ozempic box (which you won’t be getting online, because it’s not real Ozempic from Novo-Nordisk but rather a recipe made by a compounding pharmacy and good luck with how clean their processes are: read about the dozens of patients killed by infections caused by unsterile conditions in compounding labs) saying it can cause thyroid cancer which only a doc can diagnose.

Finally, because it’s a drug for diabetics that’s in short supply, anyone taking it for other reasons is denying it to people who need it for diabetes.

I've been on it for two months now.

I am diabetic, and have been yo-yo dieting since I was in elementary school. It has not been, for me, the silver bullet for weight loss has been for others. I'm willing to give it some time though, as my blood sugar level has gone down considerably. Also, I get it through the pharmacy at my job (college campus,) so I get a considerable discount beyond insurance.

Here's what I was not prepared for...

Incredibly painful, terrifying heartburn. Seriously, a week or so ago, I thought I was going to die. It felt like someone had a lasso around my midsection and kept pulling it tighter and tighter. Very convinced it was the end for me. Went to my neighbor's (he's a nurse) door. He gave me a Nexium and some ginger ale. Two minutes later, I burped the most amazing burp in human history. It has happened a few times since, so I keep Nexium on hand at all times. Apparently, because digestion slows down so much, gas and acid build up more easily.

Burp, my friend. Burp like there is no tomorrow.

They are studying it for alcoholics. It worked on this one

R23 You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.

Wait for the rabbit-pellet shits.

my friend has been on this for over 6 months. at first she got the cheap shit and she felt like throwing up all the time and she did (many times), she was also constipated...then her friend gave her the real shit and she still felt like throwing up...she couldn't drink as much as she liked, she would throw up. she decided to take a break coz she ran out of it...and she gained weight.

how are you supposed to store it? In the fridge? Can't leave it in room temp? what about the freezer?

I tried Ozempic but it had horrible side effects.

[quote] how are you supposed to store it? In the fridge? Can't leave it in room temp? what about the freezer?

No freezer. You're supposed to keep it in the fridge until you use it, but once it's in use you can store it at room temp for like 30 days or so.

I lost 40 pounds and get it off sans drugs. I was also an alcoholic and quit 17 years ago sans drugs but with therapy.

That said- I think these drugs are a godsend to certain folks but if you are an alcoholic or food addict you will need therapy.

If you overeat and eat crappy food on these drugs, you’ll feel like shit. If you eat more nutritious foods and smaller portions, you’ll feel good. And lose weight. The drugs cause you to feel full almost all of the time. Eating smaller, more nutritious meals is the key.

Since I decided w my GP to go on Ozempic I have now learned like 30% of my office is on it. Some of them for several years. The things you learn!

The Ozempic may well help overcome your addiction, OP.

I used to be a “foodie”. Likes to plan restaurant outings and menus. Now I enjoy what I eat, but I don’t get that pleasurable anticipation from it. And I don’t care so much what I eat. The “food noise” has diminished.

[quote]Ozempic, while it causes weight loss, is a drug designed to treat diabetics, not alcoholics.

Except those conditions go together.

Ozempic helps all dopamine based habits. I quit biting my nails, quit drinking, quit shopping compulsively, quit nicotine. All of it.

Good luck, everyone.

yeah but it all comes back if you stop

My friend said it didn't matter what she ate, she still felt like throwing up...

this friend also told me that she used to drink vodka but now she can't drink vodka while on ozempic...the only booze she can drink is sweet like amaretto

Why would you have to stop it when it is medically indicated? I'm not fucking Sharon Osborne taking it to lose 20 lbs when I already have a gastric bypass FFS.

Does ozempic stop sex addiction?

if so, I don't want it

The heart is a muscle, so anything that causes muscle loss is also not good for the heart.

Not eating enough protein causes the muscle loss. No ozempic.

Ozempic thy name is Datalounge.

ANY diet/weight loss method you undertake, if you don't increase your protein level and boost your muscle mass, is going to result in muscle loss.

Period. Any diet.

I’d still worry about issues with your lower digestive system, like fecal impaction and gastroparesis. That sounds really painful and humiliating if you end up in treatment. I suspect it isn’t commonly discussed, though. An Impacted and/paralyzed colon sounds like a very delicate, painful and smelly situation to resolve.

That happens sometimes when chronic abuse of certain laxatives damages the lining of your colon, and it’s very unpleasant and serious if it progresses to peritonitis. I think there are delicate ciliary hairs and specialized cells involved in forming wastes. I’d hate to have them damaged.

R15, these drugs are meant to be taken in perpetuity.

I hope you wouldn’t advise someone on cholesterol or blood pressure medicine to discontinue use because the drug is working.

I’ve been taking Zepbound for about three and a half months and have lost about 50 pounds.

Other than a bit of constipation (dealt with by taking Miralax) I’ve had no side effects.

For me, getting enough protein is key.

Zepbound, so far, has been a total game changer for me and has vastly improved my quality of life.

I've been on it since July and have lost 35 lbs.

At the beginning I felt a lot of side effects but at this point I just feel an occasional bout of heartburn. The silence of food noise is something I couldn't imagine. I started with extremely healthy meal prep of delicious food to not caring at all. Food has very little appeal to me. It is almost an inconvenience that I experience hunger twice a day and need to eat.

I was a sugar addict, haven't had any since the summer and I don't miss it. I believe over the next few years they will perfect this medication. Obesity will become a thing of the past.

I’m having a 360 Lipo and the surgeon told me that in order to see a great result I have to take ozempic for 6 months.

Are we now using Ozempic as a verb?

[quote] I suspect it isn’t commonly discussed, though

You’re wrong, it’s discussed constantly.

make sure to eat til you puke this holiday season!

I'm on the second lowest dose of Mounjaro and have been for about five months. I need it for the diabetic effect as Metformin isn't punching quite as hard as it used to. I usually develop a resistance to most medications.

My diet is healthy and has been based around protein, vegetables and healthy fats for decades now. It doesn't bother me that it's a bit boring. I have stop buying the odd chocolate bar a few times a year as I never get around to eating them and they are building up. Alcohol no longer does anything for me, which shits me a bit, but I rarely drank anyway because of how much was needed to get even a small effect.

I prefer Mounjaro to Ozempic as it also helps with impulse control in areas completely unrelated to food, whereas Ozempic made some things a little worse in those areas for me.

Saxenda was completely useless for me as I was coming down with every bug going around when taking it and it didn't help with blood sugar issues.

I wish Mounjaro had been available decades ago. It's neuro-protective and with multiple neurological disorders, I really could use something in that area.

I've no doubt that I'll be on Mounjaro or whatever supersedes it for the rest of my life and that the risks of thyroid or pancreatic cancer are something to be careful of.

I thought Ozempic was awesome, but Mounjaro works better for me.

Good luck to those trying any of these meds. For me it's been life changing.

[quote]i'm obese, [R1]. i need to lose 30 lbs to be in the normal range. Sorry, typo...40 lbs.

Wow...The first person on DL who literally types fat.

how much weight did you fat cunts lose? even with holiday season, all the feasting?

Why not do it the old fashioned way - eat less.

I have never heard of Ozempic being prescribed for alcoholism. Stop lying you fatty. Just kidding, but I still never heard it.

It's not necessarily being prescribed for alcoholism, but it's being studied for it. There have been many people (my friend and a friend of a friend included) who have reported a decrease in their desire to drink...in some cases, a downright cessation.

These drugs have an effect on all dopamine-based addictions...shopholics, gamblers, alcoholics and other addicts have all reported a decrease in these behaviors.

yes, but i've read that the cravings come back stronger when you stop

My friend is about four - five weeks out and she hasn't had any problem with cravings.

What kind of cocktail will you be making with that, R5?

This thread is making me hungry.

gurl all u need is good clean mountain spring water

Have you considered Naltrexone?

Tried it, r65. Did nothing for me, but i was taking it when i was sober, not while actively drinking. i'm not great with daily meds, but i can manage a once a week jab.

You need to follow the protocol for it to work, OP. It needs to be taken before drinking. You're retraining your brain to de-associate the pleasure from the alcohol, which is how it works

I followed my doctor's orders, r67. She didn't say anything about that at the time and knew I wasn't drinking at the time. This was 7 years ago.

I pay for ozempic outta pocket...It's been a life change....I've lost about 40 pounds in 6 weeks...I'm below 200 for the first time in a longggg time

Will it curve my cock cravings? If so, 'zempic ain't for me.

Ozempic ramped up my sex drive, r70. Mounjaro reduced it.

R57, did you not read all the posts or are you just severely lacking in...never mind, dear.

OP why are you craving alcohol so much? Is it for the calories?

Isn’t ozempic bad for you?

Being fat was worse for me. Ozempic made it so easy to quit bad habits. My skin looks better, I look and feel fucking amazing

I have a friend on one of these drugs and he has lost about 30 pounds since August. Regarding alcohol - he used to drink between a half bottle to a full bottle of wine a day - he can’t stomach wine at all now, though he can have one mixed drink on occasion.

He says you simply loose the desire to eat very much, and if you do overeat or overindulge in rich or sugary foods you feel ill for the next 24 hours.

Losing 25lbs in 16 months doesn't sound like a lot.

40 pounds in 6 weeks is a lot!!? You must be obese

Nothing gets past you, does it, R77?

R77 I am 194 now size 34 waste

R79 - Oh, dear (but also, good for you!)

r79 is not me (OP)

OP here with an update.

I stopped drinking of my accord in first few days of January and began to exercise and eat smaller amounts. I also went back on all my medications that I hadn't taken for over a year. I walked my ass off, racking up several miles in one month (and also injuring my foot from over-exercising). I lost about 2 lbs after I quit drinking, then another 6 lbs over the course of 30 days.

I began semaglutide on Feb 2nd with four weeks at the smallest dose and I've lost 15 lbs in 32 days from it (23 lbs in all, including the 8 on my own). Four days ago I started the second level of dosage and I'm feeling good. I haven't drank at all (haven't wanted to) and I'm continuing to exercise as much as I can. I've also crossed from "obese" into "overweight" for BMI which was a milestone. I'm able to fit back into some clothes I haven't been able to for at least a year, too.

I'm very encouraged from what I lost the first month and am looking forward to losing the next 10 lbs. I actually need to lose another 25 lbs just to get into the "normal" BMI range, and can actually envision it happening. I'm also happy to be able to hike again once or twice a week (in addition to the walking I'm doing) without feeling like I'm dying and am going to start working out at gym again. I was actually working out 3-4 times a week in January until my foot injury and then I had to stay off it for a few weeks to let it heal.

Has anyone else began to take Ozempic or Mounjaro recently? How are you doing? Please share your experience here.

My swiss doctor just said its most interesting as.a kickstarter to losing a good chunk of weight along with diet and exercise changes and that one should go off it rather than stay on it. Sees it as physical and mental assist for a lifestyle change. The lifestyle change has to be permanent to keep the weight off. She doesn't seem keen on it as a lifelong weight stabilisation drug.

My plan is not to stay on it long-term, so I'm glad to hear your doctor holds that opinion.

I know I can maintain it once I lose it, because I know why I gained it in the first place and I'm not doing any of things that resulted in me needing to lose this weight. I spent the past year and half (minus the last 2 months) not taking my medications, drinking 2 bottles of wine a night, not exercising and gained all the weight I plan to lose. Prior to then, I was doing fine and then I experienced several losses in my personal life. Add on extreme stress from starting a new job, and it all just kicked the living shit out of me and I dissolved.

I'm picking up the pieces, though and look at this as a tool to get me back to where I was before those sad losses occurred.

My 315 lb. friend just got on Mounjaro injections and has dropped 20 lbs.

Update from OP.

I started this thread back in late November, being really tired of being fat and drunk all the time. I decided I was ready to stop the insanity (!) and quit drinking right at the beginning of January (day after my birthday, to be exact).

I began exercising and eating better, taking my prescribed meds again and added in a bunch of supplements because I knew I had many deficiencies from drinking like a fish for a year and a half and not really eating much or well. I made the decision I was going to start Ozempic (compounded semaglutide obtained from an internet provider) a month down the line to decrease any possible complications. There is no way in hell my insurance was going to pay for this (even though I was in 2nd stage obesity), so I knew I was going to pay out of pocket. The cost was $297 a month, which was what I was easily spending on alcohol every month. I pulled the trigger.

I got my shipment of meds and started February 2nd. I had lost 6 lbs on my own through exercise (and 2 more by just stopping drinking), but I had to stop exercising for about 2.5 - 3 weeks because of a foot injury (too much, too soon). My first week I lost 5 lbs, the 2nd week 2 lbs, then the third week 5 lbs again. Eventually, I was able to exercise again in conjunction with taking the Ozempic, and have been walking several miles and hiking as often as I can.

I've been on Ozempic for 10 weeks now, and altogether I've lost 35 lbs altogether - 26 of those lbs while on the Ozempic. I'm now 13 lbs away from being in a "normal" weight range. While that was originally my goal, I've now adjusted it to lose another 8 lbs on top of that (so 21 more lbs), which will still put me towards the top of the normal weight range. I'm going to re-start at the gym (I had been going when I injured my foot, but paused while it was healing and became more focused on hiking) because I really want to build more muscle strength in my arms, chest, back and core (lower half of my body has definitely been getting worked on with all the hiking).

I am updated for two reasons: one, just to let others know this has been working for me - without any major side effects. I've had a few episodes of constipation, but nothing that didn't clear up within a few days and only a few times where I felt nauseous (and it was just an overwhelming feeling of not wanting to eat what I'd prepared for dinner, and the need to get it out of the house so I didn't keep smelling it and feel more nauseous). I've had no desire to drink, although I've had two notable drinking dreams, which are common when you've quit after a long time of over-drinking. My stomach size has shrunk (I'm talking internally) because even when I feel hungry, I'll fix a normal amount of food to eat, and it's rare that I'll eat the entire thing because I'll feel full before I've eaten half of it - so mission accomplished on that.

The second reason is I just wanted to hear from others who may be taking this about their results (good or bad), as well as others who are thinking of taking it. I hope to hear from anyone who has questions, etc. Also, as an aside, although they've taken this med off the "shortage" list, so far it looks good for continuing this until I lose the rest of the weight I'm hoping to. While I won't be able to lose the 21 lbs with the two week supply I have left, a former co-worker has a supply that he didn't use up because after 4 months of using it, he only lost 4 lbs, even after medication adjustment. He is in the 10-15% that this med doesn't work for, so he is giving me the rest of his supply, so I'm all set if the FDA pulls the plug on the compounding market.

TLDR: tell me your recent experiences or second-hand info with/about Ozempic.

I'm really happy for you, OP. Keep us updated.

Ignore the haters.

I need to make a correction: I've lost 26 lbs in NINE weeks, not 10. I just started my tenth week of injections, so that's an average of 2.88 lbs per week. I'm pretty happy with that progress.

Thanks, r87! there will always be those out there, but one has to carry on with what is best for self - especially in the face of negativity. I'm happy I tried this and it's made a huge difference in my life so far.

Yes, keep us updated OP

Hope it works out ❤️

R88, that was a nice accidental humble brag. Well done. ;)

And thanks for mentioning the name of that med site. I've been wondering where ppl have been going.

Get out there and live your life, dude. I'm glad you're giving yourself a chance for a stellar second act.

All the best to you.

The Simpsons episode was very amusing.

[Quote] I'm going to Ozempic.

Isn’t that in Mexico? With the pyramids with convenient stairs? Be careful I heard they cut your head off there, you don’t want that!

A glass of wine every day, OP? And her use of Ozempic curbs that? FFS, learn what 'alcoholic means' -- alcoholic is NOT a daily glass of wine!

My friend was having a glass of wine a day...I didn't call her an alcoholic. I said she completely lost any urge or taste for her usual glass of wine.

I, on the other hand, was having TWO BOTTLES OF WINE every day, r93. So I *think* I already know what an 'alcoholic means' being one myself.

And in case you missed it, Ozempic has shown to be effective at reducing ALL dopamine-based behaviors and is already been trialed especially for alcoholics. In fact, it's also been shown to be effective in a huge reduction in development of Alzheimer's as well.

Too bad the side effects are terrible, can't shit and want to throw up? No thanks

[quote] My swiss doctor just said its most interesting as.a kickstarter to losing a good chunk of weight along with diet and exercise changes and that one should go off it rather than stay on it. Sees it as physical and mental assist for a lifestyle change. The lifestyle change has to be permanent to keep the weight off.

Her advice is surprising. The failure rate of willpower and diet in maintaining weight loss after significant long-term obesity is close to 100 percent. At the same time I have not heard anyone claim Ozempic loses its effectiveness provided you stay on it.

Did she provide any evidence for these somewhat unusual claims?

r95 side effects don't effect everyone. Certainly hasn't affected me adversely. I don't want to throw up and i've only had one or two episodes where I didn't have a daily shit.

not bad, in my opinion.

“Finally, because it’s a drug for diabetics that’s in short supply, anyone taking it for other reasons is denying it to people who need it for diabetes.”

If someone is taking a compounded version of semaglutide or tirzepatide they are not denying it to diabetics as diabetics are prescribed the actual pharmaceutical medications.

my friend went off ozempic and she was trying to keep active, go to gym but she went back to her old ways of boozing and food. she gained some weight back.

I'm getting the burps....it's rather disgusting. I have lost 20 lbs though.

I haven't had that, r100, but my friend who took it for 3 months did suffer from it during her course.