Real Talk - Do GLP-1 Side Effects Ever Really Go Away?

[Anonymous]

I've been on the starter dose of Ozempic for 6.5 weeks now. The original plan was to titer up to a therapeutic dose for weight loss, but I haven't moved up the dose yet due to how I've been feeling.

The good:
I have almost total appetite suppression and have lost 11lbs!

The bad: 
Nausea that crops up randomly all the time regardless of what I've eaten/not eaten, headaches, fatigue and constant burping (not related to food/drink intake). At my physical best, I feel like I'm getting over a bad gastro illness. My stomach is always sore and tender, and most foods are totally off-putting, making eating anything a chore. As a result, I'm relying heavily on meal replacement drinks and choking down small amounts of nutrient dense food when I can. 

The weight loss is great, but I can't imagine how this medication will be sustainable, as I will likely need support for life. I plan to stay at the intro dose for now in hopes that I will eventually start to feel a bit better, but I have to wonder if my experience is more typical than people let on.

If you had side effects, how long did it take for them to subside at your current dose?  Did they ever really go away or do you just deal with them because of the positive results you're seeing? I'm committed to being healthier and losing the weight, but feeling like crap most of the time has taken a toll on nearly every other aspect of my life.

[Anonymous]

It took good three months for me but they did go away.

[Anonymous]

I hear side effects are much less on Tirzepatide. You may look into that for long term. I’m on a microdose and have had no side effects really at all.

[Anonymous]

I was losing at a similar pace to you and I reduced the dosage.

[Anonymous]

Also took me about 3-4 months. I also never went more than one dose up. My doctor also gave me a prescription for odanestron for nausea that really helped when I couldn't afford to be dealing with nausea (important meeting or needed to be out and about etc). Hope it gets better for you! Also worth asking about Zepbound if it's really intolerable!

[Anonymous]

for me, when side-ffects disappeared I started eating again so I was quickly above the weight I started at. I later lost a lot weight by myself.

[Anonymous]

I've been on tirzepatide for two years now. I never went up to a particularly high dose because I was very responsive.

My main side effects have been GI related. Fairly uncomfortable for the first 3-4 days, and then dramatically reduced sensitivity.

That said, I still suffer occasional constipation or dehydration, and I can feel very uncomfortable if I overeat (and what constitutes overeating now is what used to be just an average meal). So I have to pay some attention. And if I miss/skip a dose or significantly alter my dosage then I will often feel the effects of that.

But I expect I will need to stay on some level of this (or a similar) medication for the rest of my life and the very minimal level of side effects I have are quite manageable. It is well worth it to me.

So hang in there OP! I hope it will level out to a comfortable place for you. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I'm on the starter dose for rybelsus (for weight loss) and no side effects after first two days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the starter dose for rybelsus (for weight loss) and no side effects after first two days.

The half life is long enough that you won't experience the full effects for awhile; it builds up even if you don't increase the dose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:for me, when side-ffects disappeared I started eating again so I was quickly above the weight I started at. I later lost a lot weight by myself.

Same - side effects stopped after a couple years but so did the appetite supression.

[Anonymous]

It never did for me with semaglutide. It was so bad I had to stop. Now doing tirzepatide and it was smooth sailing with minimal side effects from day 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It never did for me with semaglutide. It was so bad I had to stop. Now doing tirzepatide and it was smooth sailing with minimal side effects from day 1.

This is what I'm on. I have to watch for constipation and I do feel nauseous if I eat until I'm full, but those are my only side effects. It might be time for OP to switch.

[Anonymous]

I am in maintenance and strength training and have zero side effects. During active weightloss I had plenty.

[Anonymous]

What is your starter dose. I have like 1% symptoms on my maintenance dose of .25

[Anonymous]

I've been on Wegovy for about 20 months. Have lost about 75 pounds and gotten down to goal weight. I was on the starting dose of 0.25 for about six weeks and on 0.5 for like 6 months before I went up in dose from that. I never went up to the highest dose.

The worst side effects have not gone away for me. I still have GI problems (pretty bad diarrhea and constipation) and fatigue (this has been the worst for me, and almost led to me discontinuing the medication). The highest dose I was on was 1.7, and about 6 weeks ago I went down to a maintenance dose of 1.0, but it looks like I'm gaining. So will probably go back up to 1.7. YMMV