Will a doctor prescribe Ozempic for weight loss?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious why on earth doctors refuse to prescribe it? Especially for people who are truly overweight. It’s baffling.

I'm on Ozempic because I'm about 100 lbs overweight. While I wouldn't begrudge anyone getting help to lose weight (better to lose 25 than 100) I can tell you that while very effective, these meds are no joke. I was sick as a dog for about 2 months after I started them. it's not without cost.

Also, Ozempic users may have an increased risk for thyroid cancer.

[Anonymous]

You can probably find someone to prescribe it, but without being at least overweight there’s no chance that insurance will cover it and it’s pretty expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can probably find someone to prescribe it, but without being at least overweight there’s no chance that insurance will cover it and it’s pretty expensive.

Yes. Last I checked it was around $1200 for a 4-6 week supply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you actually 25 pounds overweight or do you just want to lose 25 pounds?

OP here - whats the difference? I am heavy for my height 5'7" and need/want to lose 25 pounds. I had 3 kids and have not been able to lose the extra weight. I gained 60 pounds when I was pregnant each time. I have never weighed this much in my life. I was 125 when I got married and would like to get back to that.

Lol. The difference is that it’s not approved for people who aren’t actually overweight. 5’7” 150lbs is a normal weight.

You can probably get an online pharmacy to prescribe it if you make up some stuff. Like Push Medical. But your insurance isn’t going to cover it so you have to be willing to pay $$$. Most insurance companies need you to be obese or overweight with a comorbidity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you actually 25 pounds overweight or do you just want to lose 25 pounds?

OP here - whats the difference? I am heavy for my height 5'7" and need/want to lose 25 pounds. I had 3 kids and have not been able to lose the extra weight. I gained 60 pounds when I was pregnant each time. I have never weighed this much in my life. I was 125 when I got married and would like to get back to that.

Because that is not what this class of drugs is designed to do.

Eat less and move more if you want to drop 25 pounds. It's not hard. Cut out the carbs and sugar.

DP. It actually is hard to lose 25lbs if you’re starting from a healthy weight, which OP is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you actually 25 pounds overweight or do you just want to lose 25 pounds?

OP here - whats the difference? I am heavy for my height 5'7" and need/want to lose 25 pounds. I had 3 kids and have not been able to lose the extra weight. I gained 60 pounds when I was pregnant each time. I have never weighed this much in my life. I was 125 when I got married and would like to get back to that.

Because that is not what this class of drugs is designed to do.

Eat less and move more if you want to drop 25 pounds. It's not hard. Cut out the carbs and sugar.

DP. It actually is hard to lose 25lbs if you’re starting from a healthy weight, which OP is

I do agree. I’m a heathy weight and dropped 10 lbs and it was really hard. But with that said, it isn’t a pressing health matter either- as it is for people needing prescription. Losing weight for vanity sake is entirely different

[Anonymous]

google semaglutide for sale. There are research chemical companies that sell it. Find a source then search the source reviews on reddit and see what people are saying

[Anonymous]

Just get an online doctor to prescribe and be prepared to pay out of pocket for the meds. For 25lbs should only be a few months of meds so a few thousand dollars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Ozempic is for those who are diabetics or pre-diabetics. It's only given to a certain dose, I think 1mg. Saxenda/Wegovy is the same medication, but is approved for weight loss, and given up to 2.4mg. Doctors are not going to prescribe Ozempic for weight loss, as that's not what it is approved for.

You are very wrong. I and many others without diabetes are prescribed Ozempic off label for weight loss. It is approved for up to 2.0 mg.

It is not approved for weight loss only in any dose. It's approved indication is only for management of Type 2 diabetes. Wegovy is approved for weight managment, but only for those that are clinically obese or for those struggling with weigh-related health conditions. It is not approved for vanity weight loss.

Am I an expert in drug policy? Yes. Is off-label prescribing legal? Yes. It is ethical for what amounts to cosmetic reasons when the drug is in shortage? No. Is it legal for a pharmacy to compound this? No. Compunding pharmacies by law cannot compound "copies" of FDA-approved medications. Is getting it from Canada legal? No, its not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Ozempic is for those who are diabetics or pre-diabetics. It's only given to a certain dose, I think 1mg. Saxenda/Wegovy is the same medication, but is approved for weight loss, and given up to 2.4mg. Doctors are not going to prescribe Ozempic for weight loss, as that's not what it is approved for.

You are very wrong. I and many others without diabetes are prescribed Ozempic off label for weight loss. It is approved for up to 2.0 mg.

It is not approved for weight loss only in any dose. It's approved indication is only for management of Type 2 diabetes. Wegovy is approved for weight managment, but only for those that are clinically obese or for those struggling with weigh-related health conditions. It is not approved for vanity weight loss.

Am I an expert in drug policy? Yes. Is off-label prescribing legal? Yes. It is ethical for what amounts to cosmetic reasons when the drug is in shortage? No. Is it legal for a pharmacy to compound this? No. Compunding pharmacies by law cannot compound "copies" of FDA-approved medications. Is getting it from Canada legal? No, its not.

Not sure about the compounding pharmacies, but a lot of them are openly offering compounded semaglutide so I don’t think it’s illegal.

It’s definitely not illegal to use a Canadian pharmacy as an American. That’s where I’ve been getting my Ozempic for 8 months now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most weightloss clinics are using semaglutide now in their programs. Wegovy and Ozempic are brand names, but the md is available in off-brand. You don't have to go through your pcp for this medication. Cost will be between $200-$500 month. Insurance isn't going to pay unless you have a great plan and you're significantly overweight or are pre-diabetic (or already have diabetes). I am trying to wrap my head around paying $350 (my clinic's charge) for the rest of my life (if that's what it takes??). I guess I spend that much on other silly stuff, so if I have to do it, I suppose I will.

Is it only injectable, or is there an oral dose?

Ryebelsus is the oral form of semaglutide. The side effects (weight loss) were not as much as with the injectable formats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you actually 25 pounds overweight or do you just want to lose 25 pounds?

OP here - whats the difference? I am heavy for my height 5'7" and need/want to lose 25 pounds. I had 3 kids and have not been able to lose the extra weight. I gained 60 pounds when I was pregnant each time. I have never weighed this much in my life. I was 125 when I got married and would like to get back to that.

There have been shortages of the medicine. Overweight people are mad at people using it to lose "vanity weight". Diabetics are mad at overweight people for using it for weight loss.

Why can’t the diabetics just “eat less and move more”? A fat person wants to judge a slightly less fat person for using the same method to lose weight?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you actually 25 pounds overweight or do you just want to lose 25 pounds?

OP here - whats the difference? I am heavy for my height 5'7" and need/want to lose 25 pounds. I had 3 kids and have not been able to lose the extra weight. I gained 60 pounds when I was pregnant each time. I have never weighed this much in my life. I was 125 when I got married and would like to get back to that.

That’s not realistic, several years and 3 kids later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Ozempic is for those who are diabetics or pre-diabetics. It's only given to a certain dose, I think 1mg. Saxenda/Wegovy is the same medication, but is approved for weight loss, and given up to 2.4mg. Doctors are not going to prescribe Ozempic for weight loss, as that's not what it is approved for.

You are very wrong. I and many others without diabetes are prescribed Ozempic off label for weight loss. It is approved for up to 2.0 mg.

It is not approved for weight loss only in any dose. It's approved indication is only for management of Type 2 diabetes. Wegovy is approved for weight managment, but only for those that are clinically obese or for those struggling with weigh-related health conditions. It is not approved for vanity weight loss.

Am I an expert in drug policy? Yes. Is off-label prescribing legal? Yes. It is ethical for what amounts to cosmetic reasons when the drug is in shortage? No. Is it legal for a pharmacy to compound this? No. Compunding pharmacies by law cannot compound "copies" of FDA-approved medications. Is getting it from Canada legal? No, its not.

Not sure about the compounding pharmacies, but a lot of them are openly offering compounded semaglutide so I don’t think it’s illegal.

It’s definitely not illegal to use a Canadian pharmacy as an American. That’s where I’ve been getting my Ozempic for 8 months now.

Which Canadian pharmacy do you use?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Ozempic is for those who are diabetics or pre-diabetics. It's only given to a certain dose, I think 1mg. Saxenda/Wegovy is the same medication, but is approved for weight loss, and given up to 2.4mg. Doctors are not going to prescribe Ozempic for weight loss, as that's not what it is approved for.

You are very wrong. I and many others without diabetes are prescribed Ozempic off label for weight loss. It is approved for up to 2.0 mg.

It is not approved for weight loss only in any dose. It's approved indication is only for management of Type 2 diabetes. Wegovy is approved for weight managment, but only for those that are clinically obese or for those struggling with weigh-related health conditions. It is not approved for vanity weight loss.

Am I an expert in drug policy? Yes. Is off-label prescribing legal? Yes. It is ethical for what amounts to cosmetic reasons when the drug is in shortage? No. Is it legal for a pharmacy to compound this? No. Compunding pharmacies by law cannot compound "copies" of FDA-approved medications. Is getting it from Canada legal? No, its not.

Not sure about the compounding pharmacies, but a lot of them are openly offering compounded semaglutide so I don’t think it’s illegal.

It’s definitely not illegal to use a Canadian pharmacy as an American. That’s where I’ve been getting my Ozempic for 8 months now.

I actually negotiated the legislation that made it illegal, so yes, I can assure you, its not legal to compound copies of FDA-approved drugs. I have no doubt that shady pharmacies are attempting to get around it given the demand, but its still not legal.

Here is some light reading on the topic: https://www.fda.gov/media/98964/download