Oh this is really interesting to read. My husband is a couple months in and some of these experiences the spouses are reporting definitely resonate. So far for us the nausea/stomach issues has...
Oh this is really interesting to read. My husband is a couple months in and some of these experiences the spouses are reporting definitely resonate.
So far for us the nausea/stomach issues has been very real. The change in what foods he can tolerate has occasionally been sad, such as not being able to really enjoy going out to a nice steakhouse or not being able to split appetizers and desserts in the same way. On the other hand it has made it much easier for me in cooking dinners because I don't get complaints about making healthy food as much anymore. He is appreciating salads for dinner and "cleaner" tasting foods. I really enjoy that change as the person doing all the cooking and meal planning.
And for anyone who had previously seen my discussion about comparing my "old school" diet/exercise strategy against his medicated weight loss, we are both down roughly similar amounts in the past month and a half (~10lbs). He has the benefit of being able to worry less about monitoring his food choices (no more mozzarella sticks and Oreos, but lots of late night PBJs lately), but I have the benefit of being able to indulge for special occasions without the side effects he gets.
Are you at all tempted to join him in using it? Seeing the transformation my mother has gone through on Ozempic has certainly tempted me to consider trying it too. We're both eating a lot...
Are you at all tempted to join him in using it?
Seeing the transformation my mother has gone through on Ozempic has certainly tempted me to consider trying it too. We're both eating a lot healthier, and smaller portions, but she is just doing some walking and low-intensity 10 min sessions on the elliptical occasionally... whereas I've been working out a fair amount lately and at a much higher intensity (3-4x week doing 25 min flexibility focused yoga + 35 min HIIT on the elliptical, with the plan to add weightlighting 2x week into the mix). But I haven't come anywhere close to her weight loss. She's lost 30lbs in the last 4 months, and I've lost barely 10lbs.
Granted, I have a lot less to lose to be the "ideal" weight (I only need to lose 20lbs more to no longer be "overweight"), and am more focused on improving my overall fitness than weight loss at this point. But even still, seeing her rapid progress without her having to put in nearly the same amount of work has made it extremely tempting to join her in taking Ozempic, even though I have no intention of stopping my new exercise routine. :/
It's worth noting, and I'm sure you know this - but there is a difference between "losing weight" and "getting in shape". At the risk of being reductive, it sounds like your mother is losing...
It's worth noting, and I'm sure you know this - but there is a difference between "losing weight" and "getting in shape". At the risk of being reductive, it sounds like your mother is losing weight, whereas you're getting into shape.
There's plateaus in fitness for weight loss, not the least reason being that as you lose fat, you're also gaining muscle mass - and muscle does carry weight.
... all of that said, I need to get myself back to the gym. I lost a ton of weight a decade ago, only for the past several years to steadily chip away at that progress until I'm almost back where I started.
Yeah, I'm aware of the difference, and about plateaus, but appreciate your comment anyways since it's still a good reminder. :) p.s. Despite my comment, I am not actually that disappointed in my...
Yeah, I'm aware of the difference, and about plateaus, but appreciate your comment anyways since it's still a good reminder. :)
p.s. Despite my comment, I am not actually that disappointed in my weight loss compared to my mom's. Whether I lose any more weight or not, I already feel much better, physically and mentally, thanks to working out regularly again. And that is the more important thing, and why I plan on sticking with it regardless of my weight. Ideally, at some point I would even like to start packing on way more muscle too though, so losing weight has never really been the major goal for me; Just being healthier and getting fit again is.
The other thing is that by increasing your cardio fitness and muscle mass, you are setting yourself up to keep the weight off more easily. Muscle mass burns calories just by existing, so even if...
The other thing is that by increasing your cardio fitness and muscle mass, you are setting yourself up to keep the weight off more easily. Muscle mass burns calories just by existing, so even if you were to take some time off due to a vacation or injury, you would still have an easier time staying fit than someone who doesn't have those boons.
Additionally, with the flexibility training you're doing, you're less likely to injure yourself in the first place. Keep up the hard work!
Yeah, that's why I am not too concerned about the number on the scale. Seeing the gradually improving stats and streak scores on my Amazfit watch and in Apple Health/Fitness is ultimately way more...
you are setting yourself up to keep the weight off more easily
Yeah, that's why I am not too concerned about the number on the scale. Seeing the gradually improving stats and streak scores on my Amazfit watch and in Apple Health/Fitness is ultimately way more satisfying anyways. ;)
with the flexibility training you're doing, you're less likely to injure yourself in the first place.
Yeah, that's why I have been doing it. Well, that and I haven't been able to touch my toes without bending my knees since I was in my 20s, so being able to do that again is one of my ultimate fitness goals. :P I am actually surprised by how much I have been enjoying doing the yoga though. And my back has never felt better! :)
I wouldn’t be able to go on it because I am in the midst of IVF and from my knowledge it is very much not approved for pregnancy currently. When he first started I was a little jealous, but now I...
I wouldn’t be able to go on it because I am in the midst of IVF and from my knowledge it is very much not approved for pregnancy currently. When he first started I was a little jealous, but now I really wouldn’t go on it even if it was an option. The way his relationship to food has changed would have been really difficult for me as I find a lot of enjoyment in trying new things and cooking/baking. Having that be potentially limited or altered probably wouldn’t have been great mentally.
I find the routine from the exercise really enjoyable even if sometimes it is annoying with my schedule. Right now I am in a similar position as you weight loss wise in that I am about 20lbs from being in the “healthy” BMI range. For me the loss is mostly via my change in diet which is based on dietician recommendations and is monitored. The exercise really feels like it provides the fringe benefits of the routine, getting more calories in my day, and feeling more comfortable in my clothes.
TBH, I think I largely feel the same, which is why despite being tempted I haven't yet taken the plunge, and probably won't. I love eating too much to stick with Ozempic if it did effect my sense...
TBH, I think I largely feel the same, which is why despite being tempted I haven't yet taken the plunge, and probably won't. I love eating too much to stick with Ozempic if it did effect my sense of taste like it has your husband's, or made me super nauseous like it makes many other people. I would rather just work out more than put up with any of that, and that's saying something since I am not really a fan of working out. I enjoy the feeling of the actual physical exertion, but I absolutely hate hate hate the feeling of sweating, and especially hate the feeling of my workout clothes being drenched with sweat. But the absolute worst part is peeling off my wet clothes after the workout. Ugh. Makes me shiver just thinking about it. So gross. :/
p.s. Good luck with the IVF! :) My sister went through IVF several times prior to her last pregnancy so I know how insanely physically and emotionally taxing it can be. So major kudos to you for managing to go through that while also working out, eating healthier, and losing weight. That's genuinely impressive!
My wife was on it for 6 months and she lost 40 pounds. Our health insurance company decided to no longer cover the cost, she stopped Ozempic, and gained the 40 pounds back.
My wife was on it for 6 months and she lost 40 pounds. Our health insurance company decided to no longer cover the cost, she stopped Ozempic, and gained the 40 pounds back.
Oof, that really sucks. I'm genuine sorry to hear that. :( My aunt has been on Ozempic for 8 months now, and has lost over 80lbs. My mother has been on it for 4 months and lost 30lbs. It's only...
Oof, that really sucks. I'm genuine sorry to hear that. :(
My aunt has been on Ozempic for 8 months now, and has lost over 80lbs. My mother has been on it for 4 months and lost 30lbs. It's only covered by the Canadian government for use in treating Type-2 diabetes, not for weight loss. But both of them are fortunate enough to be able to afford taking it for weight loss anyways. I honestly feel bad for anyone that can't afford it that needs it for weight loss though, since it's been truly life changing for them. They were both extremely overweight, to the point where they both struggled to walk for more than very short distances. But now they're both walking around just fine even over fairly long distances. So hopefully even if they do stop taking it, the lifestyle changes they've both made besides just taking Ozempic, like being more active in general and eating a lot healthier, will be enough to help them keep the weight off.
p.s. One of the reasons I found this article so interesting is all the varied side-effects and their severities some people were experiencing... none of which my aunt or mother have experienced. So I was a bit surprised to hear they could be so bad for some people. Did your wife experience any of them?
I was on it for 6 months, and lost about 15 pounds. My insurance also stopped covering it, and I was on the absolute highest dose. I stopped it abruptly and had horrific GI side effects, worse...
I was on it for 6 months, and lost about 15 pounds. My insurance also stopped covering it, and I was on the absolute highest dose. I stopped it abruptly and had horrific GI side effects, worse than what I had while I was on it. Nothing I did (including filing a formal complaint with the insurance commissioner) could convince the insurance company to continue covering it for a few more months so I could taper off of it and I gained about 25 pounds after going off.
I started Zepbound this week instead, because I'm trying to control my blood sugar and not lose weight, and iti's been a much better first week (compared to wegovy where I was instantly sick). Here's to the insurance not pulling the rug out from under me again.
The doctor's office weighs you for meds like that so it's not something that can be hidden without the doctor colluding What you're expecting is an insurance company responding like a reasonable...
The doctor's office weighs you for meds like that so it's not something that can be hidden without the doctor colluding
What you're expecting is an insurance company responding like a reasonable person instead of an entity that inspired constant, universal memeing when one of their CEOs was killed.
The default US stance that your fellow man is always a lying cheat trying to beat the system never ceases to stagger me. Like what the fuck are they seriously weighing people to prevent them...
The default US stance that your fellow man is always a lying cheat trying to beat the system never ceases to stagger me.
Like what the fuck are they seriously weighing people to prevent them stealing medicine?
Well arguably the doctor weighs you so they can dose and track your meds correctly. I get weighed every time I'm in the office. I don't weigh myself at home or have any clue what my weight is. But...
Well arguably the doctor weighs you so they can dose and track your meds correctly. I get weighed every time I'm in the office. I don't weigh myself at home or have any clue what my weight is.
But as part of that - since insurance isn't covering these drugs for weight loss, they're tracking A1C not so much actual weight usually. (If they started covering for weight loss then they'll do that instead) In a perfect world the doctor would document and adjust people's meds as needed and the drugs would be covered due to being medically necessary and helpful. So no, that isn't the doctors intent, but tis the outcome.
In our world best country on earth, insurance companies will stop covering everything from medication to physical therapy because of a lack of progress. Paraplegic partner was having problems making progress on PT and OT because of some infections... So they cut his PT because why pay for it even though it was helping him maintain his flexibility and strength when he was feeling pretty poorly. We've just recently got it restarted, sort of because now we're fighting scheduling because it's outpatient instead of in-home. And transportation. And his PA calling in. And, and and.
Good point. I was taking the approach that the comment was trying to point out the uselessness of these drugs, which is a take I am so far beyond sick of seeing. I suppose I got defensive. But the...
Good point. I was taking the approach that the comment was trying to point out the uselessness of these drugs, which is a take I am so far beyond sick of seeing. I suppose I got defensive.
But the charitable interpretation is that it was a comment about the frustration around health insurance, and I'm fully on board with that.
It's different talking about a hypothetical person vs a family member and there was no indication that the original poster was holding the drugs to a different standard. Even if not flippant, that...
It's different talking about a hypothetical person vs a family member and there was no indication that the original poster was holding the drugs to a different standard.
Even if not flippant, that wasn't my main complaint, I felt it came across as unkind and thus said so.
Also, fwiw people on other long term medications do get criticized for that pretty regularly too, it's sort of the basis for much of the "big pharma" complaint. I don't think it's unique, I do think it demonstrates why the focus on weight loss for weight loss sake is a mistake.
I get grief from a large number of people for using Wegovy, which, while frustrating, doesn't really surprise me. I also get people giving me side-eye for using and carrying my rescue asthma...
I get grief from a large number of people for using Wegovy, which, while frustrating, doesn't really surprise me. I also get people giving me side-eye for using and carrying my rescue asthma inhaler. They mystify me.
Some folks have very strange beliefs about medicine.
Absolutely, being diabetic, there's a weird pressure to "cure" or "reverse" their diagnosis. Which isn't really how it works, some folks can treat it with diet, some need medications, including...
Absolutely, being diabetic, there's a weird pressure to "cure" or "reverse" their diagnosis. Which isn't really how it works, some folks can treat it with diet, some need medications, including insulin. Many use a mix of these. But the pressure to get off meds is real and results in people trying everything up to cinnamon suppositories, and diets dangerous to diabetics.
See also chronic pain med use (you're just an addict), blood pressure meds (try yoga), ADHD meds (just stop eating refined sugar), depression meds (have you tried getting some sunshine instead?)
All this is why my default advice is talking to one's doctor, with broad "some things work for some folks but not for others here's my experiences or those of other people I know but take them with a grain of salt."
And to be clear while I don't love the fixation on intentional weight loss, and the mass use of wegovy and the like by so many - I am saddened by the number of people in this article who so dislike their bodies - I have zero I'll will to any individual who uses it for any reason. It's more I dislike the societal and medical focus on weight loss and thinness. What you or anyone else does with their body is their own choice.
This attitude reminds me of “if you have a cold, have some citrus for the Vitamin C” — sure, in extreme situations, lack of Vitamin C (aka “scurvy”) can weaken your immune system to the point...
See also chronic pain med use (you're just an addict), blood pressure meds (try yoga), ADHD meds (just stop eating refined sugar), depression meds (have you tried getting some sunshine instead?)
This attitude reminds me of “if you have a cold, have some citrus for the Vitamin C” — sure, in extreme situations, lack of Vitamin C (aka “scurvy”) can weaken your immune system to the point where you get sick more often, but with a modern diet where even the whitest of white bread is stuffed full of extra vitamins and minerals, I think it’s fairly unlikely anyone with a modern diet gets scurvy and that’s why they’re sick?
Likewise, sure in severe cases, lack of vitamin D might lead to being a bit morose, but that’s a long way from depression being cured with sunshine
Right and it's good to get outdoors and move too, but it's the least helpful thing for someone with a chronic condition who didn't ask for advice (and probably has a doctor for said advice).
Right and it's good to get outdoors and move too, but it's the least helpful thing for someone with a chronic condition who didn't ask for advice (and probably has a doctor for said advice).
Even as someone who has never struggled with their weight, I think the availability of these drugs is awesome; obesity is by far the biggest contributing factor that's within our control for...
Even as someone who has never struggled with their weight, I think the availability of these drugs is awesome; obesity is by far the biggest contributing factor that's within our control for basically all of the leading causes non accidental causes of death, and is responsible for so much human suffering in the US that it would be insane to not publicly subsidize them. We would absolutely slash our medical expenditures as a country.
I do, however, worry about wallpapering over the problem. I mean, ideally an otherwise healthy human being shouldn't have to take drugs just to maintain a normal weight. It's great that we have a means to address it, but it would be better if we could address the systemic problems causing obesity in the US, namely an extreme car culture, lack of other physical activity, and the insane amount of sugar in virtually everything we eat.
Even if these drugs are 100% safe long term, they still come with nasty acute side effects and a cost. I think they're overall a huge positive, but I do worry that this will cause the public sentiment to go "see? We solved obesity. Now we don't have to worry about physical education, nutrition, walkability, or encouraging adult physical activity".
I also do worry about long term safety. These drugs have only been on the market for less than 10 years, and only widely used for weight loss in the last two or three. Even though any long term effects are almost certainly going to be less detrimental than obesity, especially in extreme cases, we don't really know until we have the data. I'm worried that if people that are within the healthy range, but have a few extra pounds than they'd like start using them regularly, they'll set a new beauty standard and set a new expectation at the cost of our health.
well this way there's a giant industry making tons of money off of high-calorie food with cheap chemical ingredients and a new industry making tons of money selling medicine to treat the resulting...
well this way there's a giant industry making tons of money off of high-calorie food with cheap chemical ingredients and a new industry making tons of money selling medicine to treat the resulting obesity from that other industry—Novo Nordisk spent $3M on lobbying and $470M on advertising recently, paying off with a 25% increase in sales to over $40 billion dollars.
I'm optimistic though, because the two are mostly exclusionary. Ozempic results in people eating much less, it suppresses the craving that people have for that engineered food. If enough people...
I'm optimistic though, because the two are mostly exclusionary. Ozempic results in people eating much less, it suppresses the craving that people have for that engineered food.
If enough people took it and had a reduced appetite all the time, a lot of the junk engineered food just wouldn't sell anymore. Portion sizes at restaurants might slim down to something reasonable. (I was reminded how huge average US meals are after a recent vacation). In short, our whole relationship with food might change at a societal level.
Taking my rosy predicting further, if it shifts norms for 10-20 years, the next generations might not need ozempic at all after having better eating habits modeled for them.
I was having this discussion with my sister's boyfriend recently too actually. Just a disclaimer, I also lost (probably gained a bit back by now) 30 pounds in the last year but through sheer diet...
I was having this discussion with my sister's boyfriend recently too actually. Just a disclaimer, I also lost (probably gained a bit back by now) 30 pounds in the last year but through sheer diet change and exercise change. But I wonder if we're just exchanging one devil for another. I've seen a lot of responses about how if people get off these GLP-1's they just gain the weight back, so aren't we just giving money to pharma companies instead of food companies?
I fully understand that some people genuinely do have issues losing weight physically, and that good quality food is also expensive sometimes and time consuming to make, but it seems a bit cheaper than depending on a broken healthcare system to pay out the ass for these drugs.
I thought this was an interesting little 'slice-of-life' piece on the varied experiences of the spouses of people on Ozempic and similar GLP-1 related weight loss drugs.
I thought this was an interesting little 'slice-of-life' piece on the varied experiences of the spouses of people on Ozempic and similar GLP-1 related weight loss drugs.
Generally yes. Once you've reached your weight loss goal, you can scale back your weekly dosage to a "maintenance dose" that allows you to maintain your weight, but on which you hopefully don't...
Generally yes. Once you've reached your weight loss goal, you can scale back your weekly dosage to a "maintenance dose" that allows you to maintain your weight, but on which you hopefully don't experience side effects.
That assumes you experience side effects at all though.
For reference, here's the dosing schedule for Wegovy:
So someone might stay at 2.4mg per week for a year, until they reach their goal weight. Then, month by month, they might work backwards on the dosing schedule until they find a minimum dose that works for them.
A big problem right now though, is that insurance companies love denying coverage for these medications after someone has used them to lose weight. They don't want to cover "maintenance use" and that causes a lot of people to lose access, and also regain weight.
That's precisely what I did, although not for side effects reasons. I only had side effects for about 2 or 3 months. But I reduced my dosage down to a "maintenance" dose.
That's precisely what I did, although not for side effects reasons. I only had side effects for about 2 or 3 months. But I reduced my dosage down to a "maintenance" dose.
It also feels better to split your dose into smaller amounts, more frequently. Unfortunately, the autoinjector-only method that is available with the 'official' medications makes it rather difficult.
It also feels better to split your dose into smaller amounts, more frequently. Unfortunately, the autoinjector-only method that is available with the 'official' medications makes it rather difficult.
I can chime in here, my partner is on Saxenda and is losing weight because of it. In our country it’s covered by insurance if you’re morbidly obese and have followed one year of lifestyle...
I can chime in here, my partner is on Saxenda and is losing weight because of it.
In our country it’s covered by insurance if you’re morbidly obese and have followed one year of lifestyle intervention course.
I think this is a good system to ensure people learn about a healthier lifestyle which makes it easier instead of just relying on the drugs.
Maybe someone in here with experience with these drugs can explain to me what the end game looks like? Like once you've reached your target weight do you just stop taking it until your weight...
Maybe someone in here with experience with these drugs can explain to me what the end game looks like? Like once you've reached your target weight do you just stop taking it until your weight trends back up and kind of ping-pong around your goal weight? Can you start taking partial doses that keep the weight constant? If you want to keep the weight off is the expectation that you'll be using it for the rest of your life?
The comment chain directly above yours answers most of your questions: https://tildes.net/~life/1mo4/eleven_spouses_on_what_its_like_to_live_with_someone_on_ozempic#comment-f3sy
skybrian 20 hours, 40 minutes ago
I'm wondering what people do when they reach their goal weight. Is it practical to take a smaller dose to avoid some of the side effects?
hungariantoast 20 hours, 24 minutes ago
Generally yes. Once you've reached your weight loss goal, you can scale back your weekly dosage to a "maintenance dose" that allows you to maintain your weight, but on which you hopefully don't experience side effects.
That assumes you experience side effects at all though.
For reference, here's the dosing schedule for Wegovy:
So someone might stay at 2.4mg per week for a year, until they reach their goal weight. Then, month by month, they might work backwards on the dosing schedule until they find a minimum dose that works for them.
A big problem right now though, is that insurance companies love denying coverage for these medications after someone has used them to lose weight. They don't want to cover "maintenance use" and that causes a lot of people to lose access, and also regain weight.
F13 20 hours, 25 minutes ago
That's precisely what I did, although not for side effects reasons. I only had side effects for about 2 or 3 months. But I reduced my dosage down to a "maintenance" dose.
Oh this is really interesting to read. My husband is a couple months in and some of these experiences the spouses are reporting definitely resonate.
So far for us the nausea/stomach issues has been very real. The change in what foods he can tolerate has occasionally been sad, such as not being able to really enjoy going out to a nice steakhouse or not being able to split appetizers and desserts in the same way. On the other hand it has made it much easier for me in cooking dinners because I don't get complaints about making healthy food as much anymore. He is appreciating salads for dinner and "cleaner" tasting foods. I really enjoy that change as the person doing all the cooking and meal planning.
And for anyone who had previously seen my discussion about comparing my "old school" diet/exercise strategy against his medicated weight loss, we are both down roughly similar amounts in the past month and a half (~10lbs). He has the benefit of being able to worry less about monitoring his food choices (no more mozzarella sticks and Oreos, but lots of late night PBJs lately), but I have the benefit of being able to indulge for special occasions without the side effects he gets.
Are you at all tempted to join him in using it?
Seeing the transformation my mother has gone through on Ozempic has certainly tempted me to consider trying it too. We're both eating a lot healthier, and smaller portions, but she is just doing some walking and low-intensity 10 min sessions on the elliptical occasionally... whereas I've been working out a fair amount lately and at a much higher intensity (3-4x week doing 25 min flexibility focused yoga + 35 min HIIT on the elliptical, with the plan to add weightlighting 2x week into the mix). But I haven't come anywhere close to her weight loss. She's lost 30lbs in the last 4 months, and I've lost barely 10lbs.
Granted, I have a lot less to lose to be the "ideal" weight (I only need to lose 20lbs more to no longer be "overweight"), and am more focused on improving my overall fitness than weight loss at this point. But even still, seeing her rapid progress without her having to put in nearly the same amount of work has made it extremely tempting to join her in taking Ozempic, even though I have no intention of stopping my new exercise routine. :/
It's worth noting, and I'm sure you know this - but there is a difference between "losing weight" and "getting in shape". At the risk of being reductive, it sounds like your mother is losing weight, whereas you're getting into shape.
There's plateaus in fitness for weight loss, not the least reason being that as you lose fat, you're also gaining muscle mass - and muscle does carry weight.
... all of that said, I need to get myself back to the gym. I lost a ton of weight a decade ago, only for the past several years to steadily chip away at that progress until I'm almost back where I started.
Yeah, I'm aware of the difference, and about plateaus, but appreciate your comment anyways since it's still a good reminder. :)
p.s. Despite my comment, I am not actually that disappointed in my weight loss compared to my mom's. Whether I lose any more weight or not, I already feel much better, physically and mentally, thanks to working out regularly again. And that is the more important thing, and why I plan on sticking with it regardless of my weight. Ideally, at some point I would even like to start packing on way more muscle too though, so losing weight has never really been the major goal for me; Just being healthier and getting fit again is.
The other thing is that by increasing your cardio fitness and muscle mass, you are setting yourself up to keep the weight off more easily. Muscle mass burns calories just by existing, so even if you were to take some time off due to a vacation or injury, you would still have an easier time staying fit than someone who doesn't have those boons.
Additionally, with the flexibility training you're doing, you're less likely to injure yourself in the first place. Keep up the hard work!
Yeah, that's why I am not too concerned about the number on the scale. Seeing the gradually improving stats and streak scores on my Amazfit watch and in Apple Health/Fitness is ultimately way more satisfying anyways. ;)
Yeah, that's why I have been doing it. Well, that and I haven't been able to touch my toes without bending my knees since I was in my 20s, so being able to do that again is one of my ultimate fitness goals. :P I am actually surprised by how much I have been enjoying doing the yoga though. And my back has never felt better! :)
I wouldn’t be able to go on it because I am in the midst of IVF and from my knowledge it is very much not approved for pregnancy currently. When he first started I was a little jealous, but now I really wouldn’t go on it even if it was an option. The way his relationship to food has changed would have been really difficult for me as I find a lot of enjoyment in trying new things and cooking/baking. Having that be potentially limited or altered probably wouldn’t have been great mentally.
I find the routine from the exercise really enjoyable even if sometimes it is annoying with my schedule. Right now I am in a similar position as you weight loss wise in that I am about 20lbs from being in the “healthy” BMI range. For me the loss is mostly via my change in diet which is based on dietician recommendations and is monitored. The exercise really feels like it provides the fringe benefits of the routine, getting more calories in my day, and feeling more comfortable in my clothes.
TBH, I think I largely feel the same, which is why despite being tempted I haven't yet taken the plunge, and probably won't. I love eating too much to stick with Ozempic if it did effect my sense of taste like it has your husband's, or made me super nauseous like it makes many other people. I would rather just work out more than put up with any of that, and that's saying something since I am not really a fan of working out. I enjoy the feeling of the actual physical exertion, but I absolutely hate hate hate the feeling of sweating, and especially hate the feeling of my workout clothes being drenched with sweat. But the absolute worst part is peeling off my wet clothes after the workout. Ugh. Makes me shiver just thinking about it. So gross. :/
p.s. Good luck with the IVF! :) My sister went through IVF several times prior to her last pregnancy so I know how insanely physically and emotionally taxing it can be. So major kudos to you for managing to go through that while also working out, eating healthier, and losing weight. That's genuinely impressive!
My wife was on it for 6 months and she lost 40 pounds. Our health insurance company decided to no longer cover the cost, she stopped Ozempic, and gained the 40 pounds back.
Oof, that really sucks. I'm genuine sorry to hear that. :(
My aunt has been on Ozempic for 8 months now, and has lost over 80lbs. My mother has been on it for 4 months and lost 30lbs. It's only covered by the Canadian government for use in treating Type-2 diabetes, not for weight loss. But both of them are fortunate enough to be able to afford taking it for weight loss anyways. I honestly feel bad for anyone that can't afford it that needs it for weight loss though, since it's been truly life changing for them. They were both extremely overweight, to the point where they both struggled to walk for more than very short distances. But now they're both walking around just fine even over fairly long distances. So hopefully even if they do stop taking it, the lifestyle changes they've both made besides just taking Ozempic, like being more active in general and eating a lot healthier, will be enough to help them keep the weight off.
p.s. One of the reasons I found this article so interesting is all the varied side-effects and their severities some people were experiencing... none of which my aunt or mother have experienced. So I was a bit surprised to hear they could be so bad for some people. Did your wife experience any of them?
I was on it for 6 months, and lost about 15 pounds. My insurance also stopped covering it, and I was on the absolute highest dose. I stopped it abruptly and had horrific GI side effects, worse than what I had while I was on it. Nothing I did (including filing a formal complaint with the insurance commissioner) could convince the insurance company to continue covering it for a few more months so I could taper off of it and I gained about 25 pounds after going off.
I started Zepbound this week instead, because I'm trying to control my blood sugar and not lose weight, and iti's been a much better first week (compared to wegovy where I was instantly sick). Here's to the insurance not pulling the rug out from under me again.
Doesn't that encourage people to stash their dosages and or false report their weight so they can keep a maintenance dose?
The doctor's office weighs you for meds like that so it's not something that can be hidden without the doctor colluding
What you're expecting is an insurance company responding like a reasonable person instead of an entity that inspired constant, universal memeing when one of their CEOs was killed.
The default US stance that your fellow man is always a lying cheat trying to beat the system never ceases to stagger me.
Like what the fuck are they seriously weighing people to prevent them stealing medicine?
Well arguably the doctor weighs you so they can dose and track your meds correctly. I get weighed every time I'm in the office. I don't weigh myself at home or have any clue what my weight is.
But as part of that - since insurance isn't covering these drugs for weight loss, they're tracking A1C not so much actual weight usually. (If they started covering for weight loss then they'll do that instead) In a perfect world the doctor would document and adjust people's meds as needed and the drugs would be covered due to being medically necessary and helpful. So no, that isn't the doctors intent, but tis the outcome.
In our
worldbest country on earth, insurance companies will stop covering everything from medication to physical therapy because of a lack of progress. Paraplegic partner was having problems making progress on PT and OT because of some infections... So they cut his PT because why pay for it even though it was helping him maintain his flexibility and strength when he was feeling pretty poorly. We've just recently got it restarted, sort of because now we're fighting scheduling because it's outpatient instead of in-home. And transportation. And his PA calling in. And, and and."Man stops taking blood thinners, blood thickens. More news at 11".
That is less than kind to someone who's talking about their family.
Good point. I was taking the approach that the comment was trying to point out the uselessness of these drugs, which is a take I am so far beyond sick of seeing. I suppose I got defensive.
But the charitable interpretation is that it was a comment about the frustration around health insurance, and I'm fully on board with that.
I appreciate the callout.
I understand your frustrations, from your previous posts, I just think people's individual lives are more complex than that.
It's different talking about a hypothetical person vs a family member and there was no indication that the original poster was holding the drugs to a different standard.
Even if not flippant, that wasn't my main complaint, I felt it came across as unkind and thus said so.
Also, fwiw people on other long term medications do get criticized for that pretty regularly too, it's sort of the basis for much of the "big pharma" complaint. I don't think it's unique, I do think it demonstrates why the focus on weight loss for weight loss sake is a mistake.
I get grief from a large number of people for using Wegovy, which, while frustrating, doesn't really surprise me. I also get people giving me side-eye for using and carrying my rescue asthma inhaler. They mystify me.
Some folks have very strange beliefs about medicine.
Absolutely, being diabetic, there's a weird pressure to "cure" or "reverse" their diagnosis. Which isn't really how it works, some folks can treat it with diet, some need medications, including insulin. Many use a mix of these. But the pressure to get off meds is real and results in people trying everything up to cinnamon suppositories, and diets dangerous to diabetics.
See also chronic pain med use (you're just an addict), blood pressure meds (try yoga), ADHD meds (just stop eating refined sugar), depression meds (have you tried getting some sunshine instead?)
All this is why my default advice is talking to one's doctor, with broad "some things work for some folks but not for others here's my experiences or those of other people I know but take them with a grain of salt."
And to be clear while I don't love the fixation on intentional weight loss, and the mass use of wegovy and the like by so many - I am saddened by the number of people in this article who so dislike their bodies - I have zero I'll will to any individual who uses it for any reason. It's more I dislike the societal and medical focus on weight loss and thinness. What you or anyone else does with their body is their own choice.
This attitude reminds me of “if you have a cold, have some citrus for the Vitamin C” — sure, in extreme situations, lack of Vitamin C (aka “scurvy”) can weaken your immune system to the point where you get sick more often, but with a modern diet where even the whitest of white bread is stuffed full of extra vitamins and minerals, I think it’s fairly unlikely anyone with a modern diet gets scurvy and that’s why they’re sick?
Likewise, sure in severe cases, lack of vitamin D might lead to being a bit morose, but that’s a long way from depression being cured with sunshine
Right and it's good to get outdoors and move too, but it's the least helpful thing for someone with a chronic condition who didn't ask for advice (and probably has a doctor for said advice).
Even as someone who has never struggled with their weight, I think the availability of these drugs is awesome; obesity is by far the biggest contributing factor that's within our control for basically all of the leading causes non accidental causes of death, and is responsible for so much human suffering in the US that it would be insane to not publicly subsidize them. We would absolutely slash our medical expenditures as a country.
I do, however, worry about wallpapering over the problem. I mean, ideally an otherwise healthy human being shouldn't have to take drugs just to maintain a normal weight. It's great that we have a means to address it, but it would be better if we could address the systemic problems causing obesity in the US, namely an extreme car culture, lack of other physical activity, and the insane amount of sugar in virtually everything we eat.
Even if these drugs are 100% safe long term, they still come with nasty acute side effects and a cost. I think they're overall a huge positive, but I do worry that this will cause the public sentiment to go "see? We solved obesity. Now we don't have to worry about physical education, nutrition, walkability, or encouraging adult physical activity".
I also do worry about long term safety. These drugs have only been on the market for less than 10 years, and only widely used for weight loss in the last two or three. Even though any long term effects are almost certainly going to be less detrimental than obesity, especially in extreme cases, we don't really know until we have the data. I'm worried that if people that are within the healthy range, but have a few extra pounds than they'd like start using them regularly, they'll set a new beauty standard and set a new expectation at the cost of our health.
well this way there's a giant industry making tons of money off of high-calorie food with cheap chemical ingredients and a new industry making tons of money selling medicine to treat the resulting obesity from that other industry—Novo Nordisk spent $3M on lobbying and $470M on advertising recently, paying off with a 25% increase in sales to over $40 billion dollars.
I'm optimistic though, because the two are mostly exclusionary. Ozempic results in people eating much less, it suppresses the craving that people have for that engineered food.
If enough people took it and had a reduced appetite all the time, a lot of the junk engineered food just wouldn't sell anymore. Portion sizes at restaurants might slim down to something reasonable. (I was reminded how huge average US meals are after a recent vacation). In short, our whole relationship with food might change at a societal level.
Taking my rosy predicting further, if it shifts norms for 10-20 years, the next generations might not need ozempic at all after having better eating habits modeled for them.
I was having this discussion with my sister's boyfriend recently too actually. Just a disclaimer, I also lost (probably gained a bit back by now) 30 pounds in the last year but through sheer diet change and exercise change. But I wonder if we're just exchanging one devil for another. I've seen a lot of responses about how if people get off these GLP-1's they just gain the weight back, so aren't we just giving money to pharma companies instead of food companies?
I fully understand that some people genuinely do have issues losing weight physically, and that good quality food is also expensive sometimes and time consuming to make, but it seems a bit cheaper than depending on a broken healthcare system to pay out the ass for these drugs.
The point of losing weight isn’t to spite food companies, it’s because being overweight is bad for your health.
I thought this was an interesting little 'slice-of-life' piece on the varied experiences of the spouses of people on Ozempic and similar GLP-1 related weight loss drugs.
I'm wondering what people do when they reach their goal weight. Is it practical to take a smaller dose to avoid some of the side effects?
Generally yes. Once you've reached your weight loss goal, you can scale back your weekly dosage to a "maintenance dose" that allows you to maintain your weight, but on which you hopefully don't experience side effects.
That assumes you experience side effects at all though.
For reference, here's the dosing schedule for Wegovy:
https://www.wegovy.com/taking-wegovy/dosing-schedule.html
So someone might stay at 2.4mg per week for a year, until they reach their goal weight. Then, month by month, they might work backwards on the dosing schedule until they find a minimum dose that works for them.
A big problem right now though, is that insurance companies love denying coverage for these medications after someone has used them to lose weight. They don't want to cover "maintenance use" and that causes a lot of people to lose access, and also regain weight.
That's precisely what I did, although not for side effects reasons. I only had side effects for about 2 or 3 months. But I reduced my dosage down to a "maintenance" dose.
It also feels better to split your dose into smaller amounts, more frequently. Unfortunately, the autoinjector-only method that is available with the 'official' medications makes it rather difficult.
I can chime in here, my partner is on Saxenda and is losing weight because of it.
In our country it’s covered by insurance if you’re morbidly obese and have followed one year of lifestyle intervention course.
I think this is a good system to ensure people learn about a healthier lifestyle which makes it easier instead of just relying on the drugs.
Maybe someone in here with experience with these drugs can explain to me what the end game looks like? Like once you've reached your target weight do you just stop taking it until your weight trends back up and kind of ping-pong around your goal weight? Can you start taking partial doses that keep the weight constant? If you want to keep the weight off is the expectation that you'll be using it for the rest of your life?
The comment chain directly above yours answers most of your questions:
https://tildes.net/~life/1mo4/eleven_spouses_on_what_its_like_to_live_with_someone_on_ozempic#comment-f3sy