Curious why anyone chooses Wegovy over Zepbound

[Anonymous]

I’m curious why at this time anyone chooses Wegovy over Zepbound (unless it’s insurance-driven). Zepbound is supposed to be more effective with fewer side effects. If you recently chose to start Wegovy vs Zepbound but could have chosen either, why did you choose Wegovy?

[Anonymous]

I chose compounded Ozempic/Wegovy vs compounded zepbound because my doctor said once I reached my goal weight, we could potentially move to Rybelsus (pill form of ozempic) which, although it isn’t yet available/approved in the US, it is abroad. He said he would give me the scripts and I could order it on my own from India where it’s very affordable and is sourced directly from a Novo Nordisk facility. I’ve read it’s not nearly as effective, but I’d be willing to try it. Also, Ozempic has also been around a lot longer and the patent is expected to expire fairly soon in Brazil and China, so that’s another avenue I plan to explore if I can’t get it in Canada once the shortage is over.

[Anonymous]

I’m PP above. I also wanted to “save” the better drug (zepbound) in case I develop a tolerance to Ozempic/Wegovy.

[Anonymous]

My insurance said I can't try Zepbound until I've tried Wegovy first. Wasn't my choice.

[Anonymous]

Wegovy was covered, Zepbound wasn’t.

[Anonymous]

Zepbound is on the back burner in case semaglutide alone stops working effectively

[Anonymous]

I got tirzepatide at a Medspa. Went in knowing nothing about the difference between the semaglutide (Wegovy) and the tirzepatide (Zepbound). The woman told me that most people opt for the semaglutide because it's less than half the cost and there's almost no difference. But when I pressed her, she said the tirzepatide is generally regarded as a bit more effective and with fewer side effects. I asked her if cost were the same, which would she recommend, and she said, "Well the tirzepatide is the Cadillac of weight loss medications." So I went with that. But if money had been a concern, I'd have done the semaglutide. I'm figuring that's the answer to your question about why a lot of people choose it.

[Anonymous]

Compounded semaglutide is cheaper than compounded tirzep.

Semaglutide works great for me so I’m not going to bother switching unless I have to.

[Anonymous]

I'm 5'11 and 220 lbs, but relatively fit, just with a dad bod. How much would this cost me, and would I be eligible to have it covered under insurance?

[Anonymous]

How do you get a prescription if your PCP doesn't do it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you get a prescription if your PCP doesn't do it?

Signup with one of the internet companies and tell them you are 200 lbs. It’s easy.

[Anonymous]

My doctor recommended Wegovy. And my insurance covers it (well, they don't cover it as well as they did in 2024 but I feel like we have beaten that horse to death in other threads). I probably should talk to my doctor about this, I've been on Wegovy since April and my side effects are quite bad at times and it is now costing me more. I don't know -- we'll see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I chose compounded Ozempic/Wegovy vs compounded zepbound because my doctor said once I reached my goal weight, we could potentially move to Rybelsus (pill form of ozempic) which, although it isn’t yet available/approved in the US, it is abroad. He said he would give me the scripts and I could order it on my own from India where it’s very affordable and is sourced directly from a Novo Nordisk facility. I’ve read it’s not nearly as effective, but I’d be willing to try it. Also, Ozempic has also been around a lot longer and the patent is expected to expire fairly soon in Brazil and China, so that’s another avenue I plan to explore if I can’t get it in Canada once the shortage is over.

I tried Rybelsus first, a few years ago. It made me much sicker than Wegovy and I didn't lose any weight. YMMV, especially with regard to maintenance. I'm in the US, so not sure why you think it isn't available here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'11 and 220 lbs, but relatively fit, just with a dad bod. How much would this cost me, and would I be eligible to have it covered under insurance?

FFS, do your own research. How the hell would we know what your insurance does or doesn't cover and to what extent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I chose compounded Ozempic/Wegovy vs compounded zepbound because my doctor said once I reached my goal weight, we could potentially move to Rybelsus (pill form of ozempic) which, although it isn’t yet available/approved in the US, it is abroad. He said he would give me the scripts and I could order it on my own from India where it’s very affordable and is sourced directly from a Novo Nordisk facility. I’ve read it’s not nearly as effective, but I’d be willing to try it. Also, Ozempic has also been around a lot longer and the patent is expected to expire fairly soon in Brazil and China, so that’s another avenue I plan to explore if I can’t get it in Canada once the shortage is over.

I tried Rybelsus first, a few years ago. It made me much sicker than Wegovy and I didn't lose any weight. YMMV, especially with regard to maintenance. I'm in the US, so not sure why you think it isn't available here.

Oh, I didn’t think it was available in the US! Good to know! I must have misunderstood my doctor. Anyway, it’s significantly cheaper in India (like $100/month).