I watched a YouTube video about a woman who took this drug for weight loss. She said that she did indeed lose weight, but suffered terribly from diarrhea while on the drug. She finally had to choose between discontinuing it or staying on it, being thin, yet experiencing a life of (her words) “daily dysentery.”
She added that she was the only patient among her doctor’s MANY patients on the drug who had to discontinue taking the drug for this reason.
She felt that fate had “picked on her,” but did understand that there was nothing she could do about that other than move on with her life. I felt bad for her.
That’s interesting. I am hearing from some people I know who have been on it that their biggest/only issue has been the opposite- constipation. My friend who I wrote about at the outset of this thread said she used to be a “prolific pooper” (LOL her words) but now struggles to go. Thats been her only side effect.
We have a very good family friend (male) that is currently taking one of these drugs to lose weight. I would guess this friend weighs close to 300 pounds (he is probably 5’9"). He is 58 years old and had a heart valve replacement at 53. He has both high blood pressure and high cholesterol and has been on medication for more than 25 years for extreme anxiety. He is a brilliant PhD scientist and understands how bad this weight is on his body. The weight has always been an issue, but H and I both think he has put on 50 pounds this last year. His wife told me that the drugs are helping, but he has a lot of stomach issues on them. I hope this will help him to finally lose the weight as we worry about him.
I’m sorry your husband is a worrisome example. This was why I asked about the women/men difference upthread. Dh and I have some good friends, and the husband is obese. He seemingly just does not care. His wife worries, too, I know.
The irony is he complains about the poor health and weight of his octogenarian parents as a result of their poor choices. He is not as sedentary as they are and does not consume sweets as his mother does, but he doesn’t really exercise and eats a lot. He could make a lot of lifestyle changes to improve his own health himself.
I got a notice today from Aetna that after Jan 1, Trulicity (and I assume Ozempic and the others) will only be covered if it is for diabetes and the doc has to certify that. Now how they can’t see that from the other drugs I’m taking I don’t know…
I also saw an ad for semaglutide on FB today for $298 per month. It looked like they either sent it to your house or came for the injection.
I don’t think there is a supply problem. The pharmacy is not giving it to diabetics first. It is insurance not willing to pay for it for weight loss, just for diabetes.
I don’t necessarily agree. Diabetics have many choices of treatment covered by insurance and even free on some plans. Up until now obesity didn’t have anything that worked well. We shouldn’t decide which group of people get priority over treatment as both conditions can be deadly.
I blame the manufacturer for not keeping up with demand.
I did learn recently that some drugs have a limit to how much can be produced. That’s why ADHD drugs are in short supply, the manufacturers can’t make more.
But this issue is about what insurance will pay for. My insurance (medicare) will pay for it for diabetes but not for weight loss.
I’m just now reading this thread - regarding anti-addiction - my OB/GYN prescribed me Wellbutrin when I was trying to stop smoking. My hair dresser said she stopped smoking after taking the drug. It worked immediately, 32 years of smoking and I stopped after taking the drug for 2 weeks and then weened off for another 2 weeks. It literally kept me from focusing on smoking. If my mind went to a cigarette or where I could sneak a smoke with no one finding out, I could change the thought stream instantly to what’s a good movie to go see, or what can I plant in the flower beds this spring. Pouffff - the nagging smoking thought was gone. He later told me it could work for appetite suppression as well, but I never tried it. I should have, but didn’t.
I saw my longtime physician this morning. I haven’t tolerated metformin well so we are switching to a trial of the extended release version. However, he suggested I would be a likely candidate for Ozempic. The potential GI side effects are a concern for me but given my high cholesterol and blood pressure he thought the benefit of weight loss might resolve those issues as well as control my blood sugar. Happily my insurance would cover it at $135/month as I am a diagnosed diabetic compliant with diet and exercise. I’m definitely thinking about it.
Edited to add that we discussed the online programs and the “med-spas” that are prescribing in my local area. He’s had several patients lose weight through these programs, but there’s no support for a maintenance phase. He noted many of these people were not learning good nutritional habits and continued eating poorly while on the drug. I’ve been using Noom as a food log primarily just to stay accountable for healthy habits.
A few of my friends that are on these medications seem to have found a good option for the constipation issues. Miralax mixed with Metamucil in 8 oz of water every morning.