Posts by stormyfalcon4

Megan Anderson5 said:Aha, looking at what people are saying on the forums, I've realized that it seems like only private practitioners are handing out those Ozempic prescriptions. The hospital staff won't touch it. That's why I say I'm not a candidate. I read on one of the health portals that $233, which is $250 cheaper than Saxenda. I would much rather switch to that, but I seriously doubt my doctor will approve it if there's such a shortage.

There's really no point in attacking anyone here. We aren't all gathered here because we're elite athletes 😁 Besides, if I stopped eating entirely just to drop pounds rapidly, I probably wouldn't have any motivation left to stay active.

My endocrinologist, who works at a public hospital rather than in private practice, is actually the one recommending Ozempic to me, and my primary care physician writes the prescription based on her recommendation.

As long as you meet the BMI requirements, I don't think there should be an issue getting someone to prescribe it, since the medication is fundamentally used for weight management anyway. Well, okay, it might not be under the name Ozempic—it's Wegovy—but it’s essentially the same thing, just a different brand name. Plus, Wegovy isn't widely available here yet, so everyone just calls it Ozempic. Until it becomes more common, people tend to refer to Ozempic for weight loss because it’s more effective than Saxenda for both regulating blood sugar and managing weight. If I were on Ozempic, I shouldn't need an additional blood sugar medication, unlike the Forxiga (or the Glucophage I was on before) that I'm currently taking.

To "mainstream" doctors, there isn't a distinction in importance between diabetes and obesity. They are both chronic conditions that require medical management. So, one shouldn't really take precedence over the other.

Megan Anderson5 said:Wow, it sounds like it’s working incredibly well for you. I wish I could say the same, lol. Even on my full dose, I still feel hungry all the time. It's not overwhelming, and certainly less than before, but it's definitely there. Honestly, there were times I actually thought the Saxenda wasn't even working on me, haha.

Since it clearly works for some people, good for you that you can manage it the way you are. As long as it's doing the job, that's what matters!

Unfortunately, I'm not even a candidate for Ozempic, so I have to keep fighting this battle with what I've got.

Is Wegovy exclusively for diabetics too?

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I've realized that a higher dose isn't necessarily more effective. So far, my sweet spot was at 0.6 with 8 clicks. Now that I'm on 1.2, I actually feel hungrier than I did before. Well... I've read that if a higher dose doesn't work for people, they go back down to the lower dose that worked best for them. But then again... we're all different...

Losing 10 kg in 7 weeks is a fantastic result! In my opinion, it's actually not a bad thing that you still feel hunger and your appetite hasn't completely vanished. I'd much rather deal with that than struggle and force myself to eat enough calories; otherwise, you're consuming far too little, which isn't healthy, and let's be honest—you won't be able to sustain that pace once you stop taking Saxenda.

I'm not a candidate for Ozempic through Medicare either. If I recall correctly, you need to have a BMI of 30+ and diabetes where blood sugar hasn't been controlled by two other medications. Since Glucophage worked for me, I'm technically just pre-diabetic (though at the upper limit), not diabetic. But I'll pay for it myself once the supply stabilizes.

And, I won't lie, I haven't started any serious exercise yet (please don't attack me!! 😁). I'm sure the results would be even better if I did.

Here is another update on my journey with Saxenda (which I’m taking alongside Forxiga to manage my blood sugar, since my last HbA1C was 7.1; I tried Glucophage previously, but it caused way too much joint and leg pain). 👋

I started back on February 25th. Instead of strictly following the manual's titration schedule, I've been adjusting more gradually—moving from the initial 0.6 dose by adding just one or two clicks each day. Currently, I'm at 1.2 plus an extra two clicks, and I plan to stay right there for a few days. Based on a mountain of research and advice from my doctor—and honestly, considering the cost—my strategy is to stick with whatever dose actually works. As long as my appetite remains suppressed and the weight keeps coming off, I see no reason to increase it until hunger returns or the scale plateaus. That is exactly what my endocrinologist recommended: reach the 1.2 mark and then only adjust as needed. From the very beginning, my experience has fluctuated quite a bit; on some doses, I had absolutely no appetite at all, while on others, I’d feel hungry occasionally during the day, though even a small amount of food would make me feel full.

It might take longer this way, but this is a marathon, not a sprint, and I am in no rush. In these first two weeks, I’ve already lost 5 lbs, which I think is fantastic.

If I could maintain a loss of 4-5 lbs a month, I would be beyond thrilled, especially since nothing worked for me before. I’ve been dealing with diagnosed insulin resistance, PCOS, and hypothyroidism (currently on 150 mcg of Euthyrox daily). For the first time in my life, I actually know what it feels like to be full, and if you ask me, that alone is a massive win. 🎉

I am technically using Saxenda as a temporary measure because my endocrinologist believes Ozempic would be a much better fit for me once it's back in stock, or perhaps Wegovy once it becomes available here in the States.