Wegovy, are you curious?

[pythagorean]

I’ve been on wegovy for over a year. Would be happy to answer questions if you have any. I started at 182 and now weigh 156 which is 14 percent of my body weight (average loss is usually quoted to be 10-15 percent).

 

[Dusty22]

Did your insurance cover it? I know it is very expensive. I would love to try it nut I'm older with a few health problems so I'm sure I couldn't get it. Are the side effects bad? If you have any side effects which one bothers you the most?

 

[pythagorean]

My insurance covered it. I have diabetes, high BP and bmi >30. I was unhappy at 182 lbs but considered my size to be fairly average for 50 yo. It was the medical conditions that got me approved not necessarily my weight.

I’d be very happy to get below 150lbs but I’ve been stuck at this weight for a few months now. I lost the most in the first 6 months then it tapered off. Slow weight loss (1 or 2 lbs a week) is better, gives your body a chance to adjust.

The worst side effect I experienced was an increased heart rate (first couple of months), which left me out of breath during mild exercise but I kept on it and my body eventually adjusted.

You do have to try to take fiber and constipation supplements preemptively. If you don’t poo for more than 2 days, make effort to correct the problem before it gets worse or you will actually feel sick. This happened to me once or twice, I didn’t need medical help but did have to give myself enemas and felt lousy and in bed for a day or two. So I try to stay on top of it. Any opioid problem obviously makes constipation worse..

 

[pythagorean]

Honestly I’ve not had many side effects. For me it makes me desire small portions. I eat a little and feel full. I have always tried to eat healthy so I have not changed my diet at all. I simply am satisfied with much smaller amounts. With the medication I feel like my appetite is in balance with what I can burn. Before I was consuming more calories than I could burn (and as a result put on a couple pounds year after year) but I was just so hungry all the time! It felt impossible to lose weight. I tried ww but used all my points up by lunch! It just felt impossible to lose weight. The wegovy solved the constant hunger problem.

 

[Dusty22]

Can you stay on it indefinitely? Would the weight come back if you stopped taking it? My doctor thought I may be diabetic. He did some blood work and I am not. If I was diabetic Medicare would probably pay for it. I read that they will not pay for it for weight loss.
You've lost quite a bit. How much more would you like to lose?

 

[pythagorean]

My understanding is that obesity, like blood pressure or diabetes, is a lifelong condition and needs to be managed as such I.E. you stay on the medication even after achieving your weight goal. I’ve read that people tend to slowly gain the weight back when they go off the meds. (Like over a period of a year or so). I’ve also read that some folks taper down their dosage after reaching their goal. I myself have found the plateauing effect at a year to be accurate (I’m not really losing anymore, just maintaining). As I said earlier I’d be happy to get under 150lbs at my height of 5’5” or better yet, I’d like my waist measurement to be less than 34”. Carrying weight around the midsection isn’t good and a better metric to shoot for than the number on the scale..

 

[pythagorean]

Can you find out what your A1C was on your last blood test? My Dr was very aggressive in getting me on medication as soon as my number was within the diagnostic range. Not all drs are as quick to start treating. I’ve been on the lowest dose of metformin for years. What I’m saying is if you’re even pre diabetic, have high BP and your BMI is above 30 (at 180lbs mine was above 30) that may be enough to get you approved. There’s no doubt it’s nicer to not carry so much weight around my middle. It was so uncomfortable.

 

[Dusty22]

My levels were within the normal range. I'm am very overweight. The last 2 years I have piled on the pounds. I started having a lot of health issues. I'm anemic which makes me very tired. Therefore I do not get adequate exercise. I've had 3 operations on my hip which has slowed me down as well. I take medication for high blood pressure. It would be great to lose this weight.

 

[McFearless]

I began "Mounjaro" about a year and a half ago, and also tried out "Wegovy" for a few months last year. Insurance didn't cover it for me because I was not obese, and even with GoodRX, the out of pocket expense was insane. Instead I purchased the active ingredient, which is a raw peptide called Tirzepatide from China, and was taking it up until March of this year when I switched to Retatrutide, which is a superior GLP-1 and is going through FDA testing right now.

Buying the peptide without a need for a script saved me thousands of dollars and I was able to buy a year supply of it for the cost of 1 month (without insurance) in the US. When I began, I lost about 30 pounds within a few months, and then I stalled, but stayed on it at a lower dose for maintenance. Since switching to Retatrutide I've been able to lose another 10 pounds, and don't have much more left to lose at this point. I plan on staying on GLP-1's for the rest of my life at a low dose. The money you save on garbage food pays for the cost of of the medication and it's made me feel 1000 times better. My taste in food is completely different and I really enjoy eating healthy now.

 

[pythagorean]

@McFearless what did you start at and what are you at now?
Lost 40lbs total? That’s great.
FYI, I believe a month of Wegovy without insurance is about 1500$. So did you pay 1500 for a year of your med from china? Just curious

 

[McFearless]

@pythagorean I was about 196 when I started, and now I am 154. The largest portion of weight came off very quickly with the Tirzepatide, but the stubborn stuff wouldn't budge until I got on the Retatrutide. Last year I had purchased a year supply of Tirz for less than $1000, but it all comes down to what dose you take, and the pricing on the Chinese peps fluctuates with demand, but there is no reason for anyone to go broke buying the brand name pens. As far as I'm concerned, it should be illegal for the manufacturers to charge what they do in the US while selling it so much cheaper in literally every other country.

 

[pythagorean]

@McFearless can you reveal reliable sources? When you switched medicines, did you start from a starting dose with the new medicine or high dose or somewhere in between?

 

[McFearless]

@pythagorean I will make a new thread with the info (not sure it's allowed, but I will try). Regarding the switch from tirz to reta, after taking a month off, I started the reta at the lowest recommended dose. It would be very dangerous to jump into another one of these drugs at the full dosage. They don't all work the same, and I've read a few people that did it ended up in the hospital with pretty miserable experiences.

 

[McFearless]

@McFearless can you reveal reliable sources? When you switched medicines, did you start from a starting dose with the new medicine or high dose or somewhere in between?

I posted their info here and hope it helps: Best Pricing On GLP-1 Weight Loss Meds & Other Oils & Peptides

 

[eliot012]

I’ve been seriously considering Wegovy myself. The weight loss results sound amazing, and the way people describe finally feeling full after eating, that alone is so tempting.

But I’ve also been reading up on the downsides, just to know what I’d be getting into. Some folks have had a rough time with side effects, especially GI issues that didn’t exactly go away. I came across this while digging around, and it lays out some of the stuff that’s come up: Wegovy Side Effects & Complications | Oberheiden P.C..

Honestly, it didn’t put me off completely, but it made me realize this isn’t a magic fix. If I do go ahead, I’m gonna stay in close touch with my doc and really pay attention to how my body responds.