My primary care doctor is trying to get me to go on the Lilly direct program for Zepbound but that’s my worry - having to go up from the 2.5 and having the price increase. I am currently on a compounded version of Ozempic and I am losing weight, but it’s come off more slowly than I thought it would. My appetite is definitely diminished. I am very bad at eating enough protein but I am trying to increase my water intake. I also exercise regularly but I’m not doing tabata or HIIT level workouts. My next round will be on the highest level of the compounded version. After that, I’m thinking of switching to the compounded Zepbound as it will only increase my cost to $100 more per month (it stays the same even if I move up levels) in the hopes that maybe it will take the weight off faster.
When it comes to cost, I’ve done some back of the envelope math to get to net impact on my monthly budget. When I consider what I’m not spending on wine and takeout along with grocery changes, the medication isn’t having as much of an impact on me as the $$ per prescription would indicate. But for me, those other costs fell into a kind of cash flow abyss where I didn’t think about what wasn’t being spent anymore until I sat down and looked closely at it.
The cost is still far too expensive and the idea that it can change on a dime when insurance plans decide it they don’t want to cover anymore frustrates me beyond belief (as most things with our insurance system do).
I’ve had asthma all my life. I always have a low level tightness and attacks can be triggered by excercise, allergens or a respiratory virus. For the past 15 years or so it’s been well controlled on Advair, a daily controller. Starting in late spring of this past year the low level tightness eased. Then I ran out of my controller and didn’t feel any urgency to get it refilled. I figured the warm weather was responsible for my lack of asthma symptoms. But now it’s winter and I don’t remember ever being this clear. I had no idea why. But then it occurred to me–the mitigation of my asthma exactly coincided with my use of Ozempic. I looked it up and then ran it by my PCP and apparently there is an observed relationship between Ozempic use and easing of asthma symptoms in some people. So not only have I lost weight and brought my A1C into normal range but I’m breathing better, too. It may have to do with reduction in inflammation.
Should be a gift link. Encouraging article! I can relate to most of the changes that people are making - I am, too! 
“Ozempic is changing how we spend money and time, plus what we eat”
I was having weekly debilitating migraines, I now get a mild headache about once per month, my joint pain is mostly gone and my skin tags have gone away. I don’t know if I had sleep apnea but my snoring has stopped. Even if I didn’t lose weight I feel so much more alive on Zepbound.
Pre-existing skin tags went away or you didn’t get any more? I hate my skin tags. I find myself messing with the ones that are where my neck just rests on my hand when I sit like that and I can’t stand it. I try not to look at them in the mirror because they annoy me so much so I truthfully have no idea if I have fewer than before. But I’ve been thinking about going to the dermatologist to have them removed (which isn’t covered by insurance, hence the hesitation). Maybe I’ll just keep postponing that if there’s some possibility of them shrinking on their own somehow…
I’ve had probably a hundred skin tags removed over the years so the ones that were left were only about 3 mm. But they shrank and have now gone away. I still feel bumps on my skin where they used to be.
Skin tags can be a sign of insulin resistance so it makes sense that these glp meds could help.
My goodness, according to Medicare my Ozempic will cost about $10/month after deductible. How is this possible? Last year it was $200/ month.
I believe the current administration negotiated reductions in cost of the GLP-1’s.
I just switched from a compounded Ozempic through an online retailer, which was the only option that was affordable to me with my high-deductible HSA (I don’t qualify for Medicare yet), to Zepbound direct through Eli Lilly’s direct-to-consumer program. The Zepbound through Lilly will be less than both the compounded Ozempic and what the compounded Zepbound would have cost through the online retailer.
If I have to increase my dosage of Zepbound, the price will go up but my PCP told me that many of her Zepbound patients are seeing good results on the lower dosages. If I do have to increase my dose, I can always opt to go back to a compounded version and shop around for a lower price.
I am losing on the Ozempic but not as quickly as I’d like. I’m curious to see whether the Zepbound will kickstart my weight loss a bit.
My loss on Wegovy has slowed to a minuscule crawl. Curious to see if you see a change with Zepbound
I thought that I would check in as my month trial is coming to a close.
I can’t say that this was a great test, seeing as how I was traveling and eating for the holiday for more than a week and then came home to a nasty bout of Flu A. So opportunities to overeat and days of undereating due to illness and absolutely no exercise. I could barely get out of bed for days. I took my last shot (delayed a few days) yesterday, and this morning finally weighed and was down 2.2. I see the doctor this week for another issue so I don’t know what he’ll tell me or what I will tell him. I guess I would love to get another monthlong trial to try to re-create a more normal month, but we’ll see what he says.
I have been peeking at this thread off and on for some time because I am considering asking my Dr if she will prescribe for me. Not sure that will happen but it’s getting more affordable I think. Anyway, I noticed some comments about how hard it is to get your protein in. I am using the Carb Manager app as I’m on low carb and I have the exact same problem with getting the balance of the nutrients, especially the high requirement at my age for protein. All that just to say, there is an Air Fryer Chicken Nugget recipe for 16 nuggets that provide up to 69 grms of protein if you eat them all and even half of them are a lot with very low carb. The recipe is: 7.5 oz canned chicken (ie. Tysons white chunk) drained, 1/3 cup cottage cheese (I use 2%), ½ cup finely shredded sharp cheddar, 1 egg – mix well in a bowl and form 16 patties and air fry at 390 for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and munch. Put those numbers in whatever app you use and see how it comes out but will add a big chunk of protein – today I added a bunch of Ranch seasoning to it to make it more like the Chicken Salad Chick Sassy Sally chicken salad that I like….pretty good, There are other recipes out there for this but it’s easy and high protein with decent flavor. I keep playing with this recipe because shredded Gouda gives more protein as well.
Thank you for this recipe! This is something I could see myself eating and I am really struggling to find anything I want to eat. So thank you!
I have to admit. I really struggle with the protein as I am allergic to dairy and it seems the easiest way to get it in is Greek yogurt of cottage cheese. I also don’t eat beef or pork. I’d love to go poultry free as well, but it’s just not realistic with having to increase protein. I’d love to meet with a dietitian, but I’ve had useless ones in the past, so I’m a bit gunshy.
For those on Zepbound, what has been the sweet spot dosage for you? I just started on the 2.5 after being on compounded Ozempic for several months. I’m on my second injection. While I do think it’s working, I still occasionally feel hunger pangs. I’m thinking I will need to bump up to the next level of dosage. That means a price increase, as I am getting it direct from Lilly. I realized that was a possibility going into the Zepbound program but was still hoping I could stay at the lower dosage levels.
ETA - I’m still confused as how these products actually work. On the Ozempic, I was rarely hungry, no food noise and ate very little each day, but the weight came off very slowly. If I’m eating only a fraction of what I normally ate, why was the weight loss still so slow? I know I shouldn’t compare, but in the Hollywood world, it seems like the weight is melting off of them so quickly and dramatically (those who are rumored to be on glp-1).
My sweet spot Zepbound dose was 7.5 mg. I got to my happy weight and started spreading the doses out.
My sweet spot is 5 mg. 7.5 mg made me vomit but all is good on 5. Been on a maintenance dose of 5 for about a year.
Very likely there is a nutritionist, personal trainer, private chef involved. Also, the speed is a bit of an illusion. You are probably not seeing them daily. It can be months between sightings of the actual person.
As for your own diet speed, I think slow and steady is much better in the long run. I am under the impression that true success is not a passive process. You want to be actively considering the amount (not SO low) and QUALITY of your diet, and you should be weight training to avoid going into starvation mode where your body will hold on to calories for dear life. FWIW, a little bit of hunger, if you can make good choices, is not a bad thing. On these drugs, your body still needs fuel.
I’m on 15mg of Zepbound - never had any nausea, but also don’t seem to be losing weight anymore. I’ve lost 45 pounds, but I still have 60 to go. And most of those pounds were in the first six months when I was amping up to 7.5 and I’ve lost very little the last seven-eight months. I’ve increased dosage to try to keep the weight loss similar, but it hasn’t seemed to have that kind of effect..
I was on the starter dose of 2.5 from end of July through mid/late November, and I lost about 25 pounds. I’ve been on the 5 dose for the last two or three weeks, and I’ve lost another 6 pounds or so.
I was definitely starting to get hungrier after a few months of the 2.5, but I’m hoping to stay on the 5 for a bit, lose what I want to lose, and then go back down to the 2.5 for maintenance.
I don’t know if it works that way, but my doctor is willing to let me try this. I really don’t want to go up beyond 5, but we’ll see how it works for me. I’m not eating a ton, but I need to get better about more protein and more working out.
I would be happy with losing another 20 pounds, although 30 would probably be healthier. (According to the BMI chart, it should be at least 35, but I don’t think that’s realistic for my body type.)