My experience with compounded semaglutide-a cautionary tale

[Anonymous]

Op if you want to try agai , start with a quarter dose. I suspect either you are very sensitive or it was compounded or administered incorrectly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The compounded meds could be anything. Norvo Nordis has strongly advised again taking them. I don't know why anyone would based on that alone.

Norvo Nordisk makes Ozempic. Obviously they want to scare people into paying a much much higher price for their drugs.

Maybe not. Compounding is only legal because Ozempic and Wegovy are listed as in shortage by the FDA. Right now, NN is selling every vial they can make. If anything, compounded meds get people started, and to maintain, they will have to switch to Wegovy/Ozempic if/when it comes out of shortage. And if they work well, keep the hype going. What they do have a stake in is keeping badly compounded meds off the market. Side effects like OP’s give their product a bad name, even if NN has nothing to do with the manufacturing process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The compounded meds could be anything. Norvo Nordis has strongly advised again taking them. I don't know why anyone would based on that alone.

Norvo Nordisk makes Ozempic. Obviously they want to scare people into paying a much much higher price for their drugs.

Maybe not. Compounding is only legal because Ozempic and Wegovy are listed as in shortage by the FDA. Right now, NN is selling every vial they can make. If anything, compounded meds get people started, and to maintain, they will have to switch to Wegovy/Ozempic if/when it comes out of shortage. And if they work well, keep the hype going. What they do have a stake in is keeping badly compounded meds off the market. Side effects like OP’s give their product a bad name, even if NN has nothing to do with the manufacturing process.

There cannot possibly be a shortage of compounded, that's the whole point. Ingredients are cheap and readily available. Compounded products don't have competition from Ozempic at all until Ozempic lowers prices dramatically and produces much more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you do more research (there are several very active reddit communities) you’ll find this is a very common reaction in some people to semaglutide period.

Yes, it could be it’s because of the compounding. But it could also be you don’t tolerate the medication as well. As mentioned on these sites, many people have the same reaction with Ozempic/Wegovy confirmed drugs.

I was going to say this. Could
Be the compounding or could be the active ingredient.

[Anonymous]

This was your experience and I'm sorry, it sounds terrible. I can only tolerate .5 weekly of ozempic so that's what I take (with metformin). Vomiting started at 1.0 and Dr then quickly pulled me back. The weight loss is slow but it is happening. Your reaction was intense but thankfully, I think rare. Have you considered surgery? Good luck op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Compounded means the active ingredient (like semaglutide) is mixed with other fillers, but it’s not the trademarked mixture of Ozempic or Wegovy. Kind of like generic vs name brand. It is like 75% cheaper.

That is not what generic vs. name brand is. Generic is the EXACT SAME formulation.

No, it is not. The active agent is supposed to be chemically the same, but carriers, fillers, colors, etc., can be different. It is not uncommon for generics to have different release/absorbtion rates and/or different side effects.

By way of example, I had experience with the name brand of a particular medicine and found that the generic switched to was actually more effective. On the other hand, there is an antibiotic that has no side effects for me in name brand, but every generic I have tried has had significant gastric side effects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The compounded meds could be anything. Norvo Nordis has strongly advised again taking them. I don't know why anyone would based on that alone.

Norvo Nordisk makes Ozempic. Obviously they want to scare people into paying a much much higher price for their drugs.

Maybe not. Compounding is only legal because Ozempic and Wegovy are listed as in shortage by the FDA. Right now, NN is selling every vial they can make. If anything, compounded meds get people started, and to maintain, they will have to switch to Wegovy/Ozempic if/when it comes out of shortage. And if they work well, keep the hype going. What they do have a stake in is keeping badly compounded meds off the market. Side effects like OP’s give their product a bad name, even if NN has nothing to do with the manufacturing process.

LOL Bo, NN is not looking out for consumers. They are still blasting ads everywhere, supply issues or no, They know that the gravy train will end when better GLP1s enter the market in a couple of years, and they need consumers now. Even now, they are facing still competition from Lilly's Mounjaro/Zepbound. The last thing they want are for $$$ to get siphoned away by compounded semaglutide.

As for what happens when NN improves their manufacturing, who knows? Lawmakers, under pressure from voters, may block bans against the compounded med.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The compounded meds could be anything. Norvo Nordis has strongly advised again taking them. I don't know why anyone would based on that alone.

Norvo Nordisk makes Ozempic. Obviously they want to scare people into paying a much much higher price for their drugs.

Maybe not. Compounding is only legal because Ozempic and Wegovy are listed as in shortage by the FDA. Right now, NN is selling every vial they can make. If anything, compounded meds get people started, and to maintain, they will have to switch to Wegovy/Ozempic if/when it comes out of shortage. And if they work well, keep the hype going. What they do have a stake in is keeping badly compounded meds off the market. Side effects like OP’s give their product a bad name, even if NN has nothing to do with the manufacturing process.

There cannot possibly be a shortage of compounded, that's the whole point. Ingredients are cheap and readily available. Compounded products don't have competition from Ozempic at all until Ozempic lowers prices dramatically and produces much more.

Ingredients are NOT readily available because only Norvo-nordisk owns the patent for the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) -semiglutide. The APIs used in compounded preparations must be sourced from an FDA-approved supplier. Because Novo Nordisk, the only FDA-approved supplier of these semaglutide drugs, is currently facing a shortage, any compounded semaglutide is NOT being sourced from them. Furthermore, they’ve explicitly stated they do not provide semaglutide for compounding.

So where are compounded pharmacies getting semiglutide? This is the million dollar question! You don't know! Some compounding pharmacies are using a slightly different version using semaglutide salts, which are not eligible for compounding. Because the salt forms of semaglutide are not FDA-approved, they have not been the subject of clinical trials to demonstrate their safety or effectiveness and should not be used in compounded preparations as a semaglutide substitute. This is especially important because these “semaglutide” compounded preparations are administered as injections, allowing any unknown substances to enter systemic circulation immediately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you do more research (there are several very active reddit communities) you’ll find this is a very common reaction in some people to semaglutide period.

Yes, it could be it’s because of the compounding. But it could also be you don’t tolerate the medication as well. As mentioned on these sites, many people have the same reaction with Ozempic/Wegovy confirmed drugs.

I was going to say this. Could
Be the compounding or could be the active ingredient.

Yes. People have adverse reactions to all kinds of drugs, foods, bites/stings, viruses, etc. All drugs have side effects. Since this drug is intended to mimic the hormones from gila monster venom, it doesn’t seem surprising that would provoke many people’s bodies to react as if a poison had been ingested.

[Anonymous]

I had that happen when I tried to increase to 7.5 mg of mounjaro. It was my gallbladder, which ultimately had to be removed.

[Anonymous]

How would I know if it was compounded? I have also been violently ill for three days. I just want it to stop. Should I go to urgent care for zofran?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before I begin, I fully recognize that everyone reacts differently to medication, and I’m not saying you will react this way. But since this has happened to me, many people have suddenly come out of the woodwork sharing a similar experience. So here we go.

TL;DR: I was sick and vomiting for a week from compounded semaglutide and ended up in the ER.

My BMI is 40, I am obese ok (not looking to lose 10 or even 30 lbs here). My insurance doesn’t cover any of the weight loss meds, and I’m only prediabetic, so no help there from my insurance. I went through one of the multiple online prescribing agencies to get a compounded version of semaglutide. I’m not naming the agency because I don’t want them to get a bad rap-what happened wasn’t their fault necessarily. They had me meet with a PA, and a nutritionist, prior to prescribing the med. It was compounded at an FDA-approved, sterile lab. I was put on the lowest dose to start, and injected the first dose on a Monday with no issues. Immediately felt the effects-lessened food noise, not hungry, etc.

Tuesday evening, around 8, my stomach started to feel uncomfortable and queasy. I had eaten a side salad with just a little bit of falafel for dinner, and a cup of vegetable soup for lunch without discomfort. The feeling got worse and worse until I ended up vomiting pretty much an entire undigested falafel salad. For the next day or two, nothing stayed down and I was in major pain. I could drink sips of water or Gatorade but even chicken broth made me feel overfull. Late Thursday I felt better and was able to have about 2/3 c chicken soup, mostly just broth. I ended up vomiting that up in the middle of the night, undigested. Friday I went to the ER and was in so much pain I had trouble breathing. I got fluids and zofran. Finally on Sunday I started feeling better, and could eat chicken broth. I improved from there.

I know many people have nausea as a side effect, but believe me, this was not sustainable. I was non-functional for a week, and I’m going to have hospital bills to deal with. Since this happened I have heard multiple stories from people who have had the same thing…but only with compounded meds. I just want to caution people since I feel it’s going to come out that the compounding is more an art and that the solutions aren’t as reliable, and may in fact be detrimental. It is an amazing drug, but as I haven’t heard too many stories like mine (at least until AFTER I took the meds 🙄), I just wanted to share. Feel free to ask any questions.

A friend using a compound had this reax when they their dosage was upped to the next lowest dose. They were able to go back on it at the lowest dose but has had very little weightloss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The compounded meds could be anything. Norvo Nordis has strongly advised again taking them. I don't know why anyone would based on that alone.

Norvo Nordisk makes Ozempic. Obviously they want to scare people into paying a much much higher price for their drugs.

Maybe not. Compounding is only legal because Ozempic and Wegovy are listed as in shortage by the FDA. Right now, NN is selling every vial they can make. If anything, compounded meds get people started, and to maintain, they will have to switch to Wegovy/Ozempic if/when it comes out of shortage. And if they work well, keep the hype going. What they do have a stake in is keeping badly compounded meds off the market. Side effects like OP’s give their product a bad name, even if NN has nothing to do with the manufacturing process.

There cannot possibly be a shortage of compounded, that's the whole point. Ingredients are cheap and readily available. Compounded products don't have competition from Ozempic at all until Ozempic lowers prices dramatically and produces much more.

Ingredients are NOT readily available because only Norvo-nordisk owns the patent for the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) -semiglutide. The APIs used in compounded preparations must be sourced from an FDA-approved supplier. Because Novo Nordisk, the only FDA-approved supplier of these semaglutide drugs, is currently facing a shortage, any compounded semaglutide is NOT being sourced from them. Furthermore, they’ve explicitly stated they do not provide semaglutide for compounding.

So where are compounded pharmacies getting semiglutide? This is the million dollar question! You don't know! Some compounding pharmacies are using a slightly different version using semaglutide salts, which are not eligible for compounding. Because the salt forms of semaglutide are not FDA-approved, they have not been the subject of clinical trials to demonstrate their safety or effectiveness and should not be used in compounded preparations as a semaglutide substitute. This is especially important because these “semaglutide” compounded preparations are administered as injections, allowing any unknown substances to enter systemic circulation immediately.

HALLELUJA! A person that knows about compounded drugs that isn't me.

It's terrifying how little you all know about what drugs you are taking. Its especially terrifying given that these are non-FDA approved sterile injectables. Not everyone needs to be a drug regulation expert, but if you are going to get what are essentially illegal knock-off drugs and inject them into yourself, you should probably know a bit more about them than you all are demonstrating here.

The semaglutide salts being used here are in all likelihood coming from bulks manufacturers in India or China. Those countries produce the overwhelming majority of bulk APIs used worldwide. Many of the facilities are FDA registered and inspected...but many are not, including where the semaglutide salts are coming from.

FDA has been very clear that there is no legal basis on which to compound these drugs currently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before I begin, I fully recognize that everyone reacts differently to medication, and I’m not saying you will react this way. But since this has happened to me, many people have suddenly come out of the woodwork sharing a similar experience. So here we go.

TL;DR: I was sick and vomiting for a week from compounded semaglutide and ended up in the ER.

My BMI is 40, I am obese ok (not looking to lose 10 or even 30 lbs here). My insurance doesn’t cover any of the weight loss meds, and I’m only prediabetic, so no help there from my insurance. I went through one of the multiple online prescribing agencies to get a compounded version of semaglutide. I’m not naming the agency because I don’t want them to get a bad rap-what happened wasn’t their fault necessarily. They had me meet with a PA, and a nutritionist, prior to prescribing the med. It was compounded at an FDA-approved, sterile lab. I was put on the lowest dose to start, and injected the first dose on a Monday with no issues. Immediately felt the effects-lessened food noise, not hungry, etc.

Tuesday evening, around 8, my stomach started to feel uncomfortable and queasy. I had eaten a side salad with just a little bit of falafel for dinner, and a cup of vegetable soup for lunch without discomfort. The feeling got worse and worse until I ended up vomiting pretty much an entire undigested falafel salad. For the next day or two, nothing stayed down and I was in major pain. I could drink sips of water or Gatorade but even chicken broth made me feel overfull. Late Thursday I felt better and was able to have about 2/3 c chicken soup, mostly just broth. I ended up vomiting that up in the middle of the night, undigested. Friday I went to the ER and was in so much pain I had trouble breathing. I got fluids and zofran. Finally on Sunday I started feeling better, and could eat chicken broth. I improved from there.

I know many people have nausea as a side effect, but believe me, this was not sustainable. I was non-functional for a week, and I’m going to have hospital bills to deal with. Since this happened I have heard multiple stories from people who have had the same thing…but only with compounded meds. I just want to caution people since I feel it’s going to come out that the compounding is more an art and that the solutions aren’t as reliable, and may in fact be detrimental. It is an amazing drug, but as I haven’t heard too many stories like mine (at least until AFTER I took the meds 🙄), I just wanted to share. Feel free to ask any questions.

Sounds like your are eating to much, mind over matter

[Anonymous]

OP, if it makes you feel better, I was doubling over in pain from real Wegovy, and had to go to the ER to get scanned (they found nothing, I stopped taking the medicine). I have another friend who ended up in the hospital with pancreatitis, again from real Wegovy.