I’m happy with Phentermine so far. No side effects. I’m just hoping it gives me a jump start. I know I still need to eat better and exercise.
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Were you a PMS snacker? PMS caused me to majorly binge every month. I was fine for 3 weeks, then it was like I needed to inhale the entire refrigerator for the next 5 days. Once I hit menopause, it was like that EVERY DAY. It eventually eased off, but it took awhile.
YES. Horrible PMS snacker. Maybe that’s it?
For menopause, talk with your doctor about progesterone and estrogen combo (pill and patch). Helped me with lots of peri-menopause and menopause issues. I’ve been on them for a few years and they really have helped with those symptoms (irritability, anger, sleep, weight, etc.)
I take them in combo with the zepbound, which to me is really a miracle drug. Still holding at .5 and 35 pounds weight loss. No side effects. I’ve dropped down to every two weeks on the .5. I’ve met so many people on it or wegovy or similar that agree that it’s been a game changer for them.
Query though - anyone having rapid heart rate or dizziness? I can’t determine if this is due to the drugs or other issues. Having a cardio work up this week as well.
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My pcp advised me that my weight loss drugs could cause tachycardia. I was on Saxenda about a year or more ago and it might have caused a SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) episode (Ive had several, but hadn’t had one in a couple of years back then). It happened as I was approaching the highest dose and after eating chocolate which has caffeine and stimulants trigger the episodes.
I stopped taking it as I was unhappy with that and the hair loss. I also only lost 7 lbs on that drug which was all my insurance would cover.
I’m now on compounded Ozempic and she advised me to stay on a low dose and to try to extend the time between doses to prevent tachycardia. I’ve lost 25 lbs which is good enough for me and I’m now only taking half of the lowest dose (13.5 mg?) every two weeks. Haven’t had any svt problems. I do have occasional dizziness but I think that’s probably blood sugar or hydration related. My worst complaint is still hair loss but I think it’s finally decreasing.
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Still on 10 mg of Mounjaro. Down 40 lbs now. My PCP is thrilled. I’m going 10-12 days between injections so that when the food noise returns, I can focus on maintaining good habits. Hadn’t heard about SVT issues – I had an event last summer while visiting S1 and it showed up on ICD readout at the next checkup. Will read up on that – Mounjaro is supposed to reduce cardiac risk, which is a major reason I’m on it. That, and my a1c is down to 5.9 – hasn’t been that low in at least a decade!
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Nevermind
The SVT event showed up when I went in for my device check. I was very symptomatic at the time, and since this was the first time I’ve had a noticeable event since my widowmaker in 2012, I also told the cardiac nurse about it. She was able to confirm that my device recorded it.
Given my cardiac history, the metric ton of meds I take, and that I’m on daily oral chemo that also affects my heart, I’m going to look into this. I’m a medical zebra.
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Oh, OK! I wasn’t sure what your event was. And I apparently have no reading comprehension. I didn’t recognize the ICD acronym. I’ll be deleting my post now 
I had an ICD (ICM) for a while but it didn’t pick up any episodes. One cardiologist thought perhaps the settings were too high and my tachycardia BPM were around 130 or so and didn’t get noted. The battery died and I removed it. As I’ve gotten older, they’re more frequent, but not real concerning except for when I was in Costa Rica and took a puff of my inhaler and my heart started racing over 200 bpm. Took a beta blocker and it finally calmed down. But who knows how far away the nearest medical facility was!
Hope you get good news about your event. 
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I’m at the point I have given up on Ozempic. My A1C hasn’t moved, and my doctor tells me I should be happy with it as it is under 7. It is at the same place it has always been, with or without medication. I took a dose on 3/7 - 1.0 - and my stomach pain was the worst it has ever been. I was due for another injection on 3/14 and thought, this isn’t worth it. I have lost no weight, my A1C is stable, I’m eating my usual diet of twigs and sticks and exercising, it just doesn’t seem to be working. My insurance won’t pay for Mounjaro unless I can demonstrate another medication similar to Ozempic also doesn’t work and I am just not interested in that. I am losing handfuls of hair in the shower.
So, after no Ozempic since 3/7, my weight is down 5 pounds. I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow so we will see what the next magic solution is. I know, I know - eat less, exercise more is always the advice! 
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I just found out my insurance doesn’t cover Ozempic or any similar medicine in its class. To me, it’s not worth the cost out of pocket. I’m sticking with a healthy diet and running. I’m down 18 lbs.
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Not sure if this is the right place, but I’m wondering how willing your doctors were to prescribe? My doctor pushes away my concerns about weight. I don’t even get told to “move more and eat less”! I’m about 40 lbs overweight (by BMI charts and that would just get me to the overweight line) and stuck. But more than that, I am so tired of dealing with the craving issues for both food and also diet coke. I don’t keep sugary foods or soda at home but I think about how to access them all the time and I hate it. The reduction in mental food thoughts is so appealing.
Well, in my case I was a diagnosed diabetic with high cholesterol, hypertension and heart disease. I could not tolerate Metformin. My cardiologist suggested Ozempic, but I decided to try diabetic counseling first. It was helpful to a degree, but since I wasn’t changing with my diet and exercise my A1C remained high. I started Ozempic in October/November (can’t recall when exactly) and it hasn’t worked for me. I don’t think about food, I rarely drink diet drinks, I exercise daily. It is a miracle drug for so many people but I also think there are people it doesn’t work for. My husband finally started a compounded equivalent and weight is just dropping off for him. He eats what I eat but is limited in his exercise.
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I just signed up with HERS, I need to lose at least 30 pounds. I love food but do not have a big appetite. I rarely eat before 11 am, lunch is usually 1/2 a Turkey sandwich. If I have an afternoon snack I usually don’t want dinner. I have’t finished a hamburger for as long as I can remember. I don’t eat after 7 pm. I need to exercise much more, cut out wine. I hoping this helps since I don’t really crave. My friend is pushing since it’s supposed to help with things like high bp, cholesterol, and even Alzheimer’s (I have one of the genes, my dad had it, my aunts have it).
Don’t get me wrong, I love food! There are times I actually wish I could eat more in a sitting. I’m probably just getting old.
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I have a number of friends for whom ozempic did not work or they had side effects but switched to zepbound and it made all the difference. You can get a coupon from the mfr so it’s like $550/month. Still expensive but not nearly as bad as without insurance. My doctor prescribed for me but wouldn’t for my husband and I said just change doctors. No reason for them to keep saying oh just exercise more and eat and drink less. If it hasn’t worked for years it’s not gonna work now. Especially for women over 50.
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My doc suggested it, when I was distressed about the creeping post-menopause weight gain–five or more pounds every year, which had really added up despite the fact that I eat healthfully and get lots of exercise. She knew me long enough to know that I wasn’t putting her on. My insurance wouldn’t approve it till my BMI went over 40, which is insane, but here we are. She’s my biggest cheerleader outside of family. Knowing now how amazing this medication is, I would urge someone whose doc was not supportive to find a weightloss specialist who will prescribe. It is literally life-changing.
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You can also by direct from Lilly at 349 for 2.5, and 499 for higher concentrations.
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Phentermine is amazing and it’s costing me only $12/month. I just have no appetite. I look in the pantry and don’t have any urge to grab something. DH eats a cookie, and I have no interest. I’m pretty excited.
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Does it mess with your sleep?
Thank you all for your thoughts. I have another appointment coming up next month and I want to talk more about options with my dr. I’m tired of feeling bad about myself
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