Going to go on Ozempic (without insurance) and have a few questions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not quality though I am well over 30 lbs overweight, a bummer that we cannot go through insurance so I am going to be paying out of pocket and will try for a month or two.I am giving up something else I enjoy doing (a hobby) so I can go on this without insurance...not a cheap endeavor but I am feeling desperate.

Question- for anyone who's been on it. Did you notice immediately the quieting of the "food noise". When I first head about the I nearly fainted, Thought I was the only one. I think of food all the time...even when I am not hungry so this made me feel much more normal.

How soon did you notice that you stopped feeling hungry/craving food?

If you experienced side effects, were they immediate or took time to feel them?

Would you have done it again if you were starting over?

A month or two won’t help you. You have to ramp up to the full dosage and that takes about 6 months.

Not necessarily true about ramping up. I've been on Wegovy for 7 months and am only taking the 2nd dose (of 5). I have no plans to go higher. I agree, however, that 2 months won't help. You'll probably lose, but then what? You'll probably gain it back.

[Anonymous]

I've been on it for 10 months. I felt the impact immediately and that was at the .25 dose. I have lost 38 pounds, 23 lbs was in the first 3-4 months, 15 since then. I haven't had major side effects - some constipation early on to the point where I took senna pills after a few days. If you overeat you may regret it but you learn that pretty quickly.

I thought I might only need to be on it for 3-4 months but then decided this was my chance to really get to a healthy weight so have stayed on it. I am currently tapering off. I feel like the longer time has helped to really change behavior patterns because the appetite control is definitely lower now.

I am self pay as well because I was only pre-diabetic. It is running $500/month but has been totally worth it for the physical and mental health benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was on Mounjaro and for me the food noise stopped right away. I was not hungry.

But I felt consistently nauseated and achy, like I had the mild flu. I was never able to tolerate more than 5mg (dosing goes from 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, etc). It made me crazy because I'm generally not sensitive to medications (at all!) and yet my body just did not get used to the Mounjaro. I honestly felt so crappy that I couldn't function most of the time. I was on a message board at the time with other patients who tolerated it with no side effects and were on much higher doses than it was.

Ultimately I did lose some weight (25 pounds?) but it basically felt like complete crap for those 3 months. I don't think I could do it again.

Are you keeping the 25 pounds off, and do you have more to lose? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's a few things to know....I have been on Ozempic for 8 months.

1. Go to the Ozempic website...they have a discount code there for your pharmacy. Saves me $350 a month. But it's still $1300.

2. Have crackers or pretzels around. As soon as you feel nauseous have some. I do this a few times a day.

3. I noticed a difference almost right away.
4. Drugs stores run out of it. So have the prescription called in 2 weeks before you need it.
5. I have gone from 205 -170. I am at the highest dose. My weight lose seems to have slowed.
6. My cholesterol/blood pressure are MUCH LOWER! I can't believe insurance companies don't pay for this when people have high blood pressure.

Godd Luck!!!

Do you still take your BP medication, too?

[Anonymous]

Try Zepbojnd (mounjaro rebranded for weight loss). There is a manufacturer coupon to get it for $550 if your insure wont cover it.

[Anonymous]

OP, I changed insurance providers to get coverage, and I went with a weight loss program / clinic because they knew how to work with insurance. I get a coupon from Wegovy that brings it down from $65 to $29. Just ideas.

I know everyone is different and some people report no effects, but for me the food noise quieted on day 1. I noticed that on the lowest dose the food noise came back mid week but that stopped as I ramped up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's a few things to know....I have been on Ozempic for 8 months.

1. Go to the Ozempic website...they have a discount code there for your pharmacy. Saves me $350 a month. But it's still $1300.

2. Have crackers or pretzels around. As soon as you feel nauseous have some. I do this a few times a day.

3. I noticed a difference almost right away.
4. Drugs stores run out of it. So have the prescription called in 2 weeks before you need it.
5. I have gone from 205 -170. I am at the highest dose. My weight lose seems to have slowed.
6. My cholesterol/blood pressure are MUCH LOWER! I can't believe insurance companies don't pay for this when people have high blood pressure.

Godd Luck!!!

So you plan on paying almost 13, 000 dollars a year out of pocket for the rest of your life? I’m not being snarky. Genuinely curious.

[Anonymous]

The part I can’t get behind is how you have to stay on it forever.

[Anonymous]

I’m getting so many Instagram ads for companies to order what I imagine is the compounded version following a doctor’s telehealth visit. Any recommendations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a few things to know....I have been on Ozempic for 8 months.

1. Go to the Ozempic website...they have a discount code there for your pharmacy. Saves me $350 a month. But it's still $1300.

2. Have crackers or pretzels around. As soon as you feel nauseous have some. I do this a few times a day.

3. I noticed a difference almost right away.
4. Drugs stores run out of it. So have the prescription called in 2 weeks before you need it.
5. I have gone from 205 -170. I am at the highest dose. My weight lose seems to have slowed.
6. My cholesterol/blood pressure are MUCH LOWER! I can't believe insurance companies don't pay for this when people have high blood pressure.

Godd Luck!!!

So you plan on paying almost 13, 000 dollars a year out of pocket for the rest of your life? I’m not being snarky. Genuinely curious.

I'm not the PP, but am on Wegovy (right now, covered by insurance). I'm hoping when the patent expires ('25 or '26>?) that it will become cheaper. I imagine that there will be generics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not quality though I am well over 30 lbs overweight, a bummer that we cannot go through insurance so I am going to be paying out of pocket and will try for a month or two.I am giving up something else I enjoy doing (a hobby) so I can go on this without insurance...not a cheap endeavor but I am feeling desperate.

Question- for anyone who's been on it. Did you notice immediately the quieting of the "food noise". When I first head about the I nearly fainted, Thought I was the only one. I think of food all the time...even when I am not hungry so this made me feel much more normal.

How soon did you notice that you stopped feeling hungry/craving food?

If you experienced side effects, were they immediate or took time to feel them?

Would you have done it again if you were starting over?

It doesn’t feel immediate. I did not even think it was working but it sure was working. It’s more than getting rid of the noise. It stops digestion and the weight definitely comes off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a few things to know....I have been on Ozempic for 8 months.

1. Go to the Ozempic website...they have a discount code there for your pharmacy. Saves me $350 a month. But it's still $1300.

2. Have crackers or pretzels around. As soon as you feel nauseous have some. I do this a few times a day.

3. I noticed a difference almost right away.
4. Drugs stores run out of it. So have the prescription called in 2 weeks before you need it.
5. I have gone from 205 -170. I am at the highest dose. My weight lose seems to have slowed.
6. My cholesterol/blood pressure are MUCH LOWER! I can't believe insurance companies don't pay for this when people have high blood pressure.

Godd Luck!!!

So you plan on paying almost 13, 000 dollars a year out of pocket for the rest of your life? I’m not being snarky. Genuinely curious.

I'm not the PP, but am on Wegovy (right now, covered by insurance). I'm hoping when the patent expires ('25 or '26>?) that it will become cheaper. I imagine that there will be generics.

I've had it on insurance and off depending on which provider - but similar to PP I'm gaming that the high cost will only be for a few years. Even at $13k a year, I'm doing it as my income allows it without real pain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not quality though I am well over 30 lbs overweight, a bummer that we cannot go through insurance so I am going to be paying out of pocket and will try for a month or two.I am giving up something else I enjoy doing (a hobby) so I can go on this without insurance...not a cheap endeavor but I am feeling desperate.

Question- for anyone who's been on it. Did you notice immediately the quieting of the "food noise". When I first head about the I nearly fainted, Thought I was the only one. I think of food all the time...even when I am not hungry so this made me feel much more normal.

How soon did you notice that you stopped feeling hungry/craving food?

If you experienced side effects, were they immediate or took time to feel them?

Would you have done it again if you were starting over?

It doesn’t feel immediate. I did not even think it was working but it sure was working. It’s more than getting rid of the noise. It stops digestion and the weight definitely comes off.

For me it worked very well after the first dose, immediately, but now I am still on same dosage and not experiencing as many good effects and have stalled a bit. I think once I up the dose I should lose again. Very happy I started because it has been a breakthrough for me after many many years of diet and exercise going nowhere.

[Anonymous]

Zero chance insurance companies are going to continue to cover all of these people in perpetuity, despite this being a lifelong drug. For those on it, I would assume sooner or later your insurance company is going to cut you off, like mine did.

[Anonymous]

DP here looking for advice on timing the shots.

I'm hoping to get a prescription soon. In my workweek, I have big days (lots of standing/walking, very public facing) tuesdays and thursdays and am mostly at a computer (and could work from home if needed) on other days. Thus, I'd like to time the shots so side effects tend to be lowest on Tues/Thurs.

Advice? (Wondering about the delay between the shot and the nausea, etc.).