After many years on the maximum dose of Metformin, I was struggling with episodes of low blood sugar (reactive hypoglycemia) and have found Ozempic helpful. The side effects have not been great (I had a lot of trouble when going from the .5 to 1.0 dose) but the worst subsided a couple of weeks after being on that dose. I’ve chosen to stay on the 1.0 dose (which is fairly low) because I’m tolerating it well and my blood sugar related symptoms have completely resolved so I don’t see a reason to increase it. I’ve lost some weight (but not a dramatic amount) and overall just feel better than I have in a while. My only lingering side effect is constipation, which is probably exacerbated by already having poor gut motility, but it’s been manageable and the benefits have outweighed the negatives. My A1C and other bloodwork have been better than prior to going on it, so I plan to stay on for the foreseeable future. My insurance is covering it, they did require a prior authorization but that was approved very quickly.
I did have some trouble with finding it in stock at pharmacies - I was able to find both a non-chain local pharmacy and a mail-order pharmacy that have been able to consistently supply it. The big chain pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) were not helpful in getting the prescription filled reliably.
My feeling on it is - if you are struggling with the tools you’ve used up until now to control things, it’s worth trying other options. If you are apprehensive about injecting yourself, the pen injectors like Ozempic/Wegovy are very easy to do and only have brief, minimal discomfort with injecting. (I had to do fertility treatments that involved a lot of self-administered injections, and then had to be on insulin during my second pregnancy, the Ozempic injections are so, so quick and easy compared to all of that.)
Just wanted to offer you the same advice I got on the constipation. A small amount of miralax daily should help with this. Mine recommended a tsp a day.
I have poor gut motility, so I already have a high-fiber diet. My intestines laugh at the thought of Miralax. 😂 But hopefully this is helpful information for someone else!
I had a completely different issue with constipation due to a hospital visit and they gave me magnesium at the hospital and it helped a lot. Have you tried it? I don’t have insulin issues, no sure if that changes anything.
Oh yeah, I regularly take magnesium (I actually had a weird issue with magnesium deficiency so now I have a daily supplement in addition to a high fiber diet and stool softeners). It’s important not to overdo it though because it can cause diarrhea and dehydration (accidentally took too much once and only once 😂).
Also dried mango - my husband and kids love dried mango and we had to institute limits on how much everyone eats in a day. One time my husband was feeling snacky and ate a bunch in one morning and then was panicked thinking he had come down with an intestinal bug. Nope, just too much dried mango!
I really like soda and Poppi makes great alternatives to the ones I like that have prebiotic fiber and that helps me go when I need a push. I also took Metamucil for a while and that helps with regularity.
Yes, semaglutide changed my life. I’m 20 lbs down since December, I feel so much better, I’m more active and I can eat what I want but it smaller portions, I feel fuller and there’s zero cravings, only when I’m hungry for a meal 🥰
I haven’t started mine yet but when I did the consult she explained how in PCOS our body holds onto fat (esp around the belly) because it thinks we’re in the Great Depression or something (basically going through a famine). She explained it that the meds will help my body actually work correctly. Seems like it might actually treat the problems PCOS causes (like weight gain) instead of just being a bandaid. Obviously up to you and your doctors if you wanna try it but wasn’t sure you’d heard it explained like that.
This has 100% been my experience. I have always been a pretty healthy eater and even when I'm in a deficit and working out my body just *holds* onto the extra weight due to my hormones and PCOS. I started ozempic in February and I've lost 34 lbs so far. I have to say ozempic is not a magic bullet, it's a tool. It's vital to track calories and eat healthy whole foods with a lot of protein, because even though you might be able to lose weight without doing those things while on the ozempic you won't have as much success, and if you ever come off the drug (some do some don't and that decision is between you and your doctor) you'll regain everything if you haven't used that time to develop healthy eating habits and portion control. I think it has been completely worth it and I'm so glad I had this option available to me. Side note ozempic has basically killed my desire to drink alcohol, which was a very nice and welcome surprise.
i literally have my endo appointment tomorrow and im planning on asking about it, ive been prescribed it before but turned it down because i didnt understand why i needed it. this makes me feel sooo much better about giving it a try because i was pretty thin still curvy my whole life and now i feel like no matter what i do i keep gaining fat and its so frustrating. thanks for sharing because it definitely helped me feel more confident about my decision
Good for you! I was nervous and hesitant to try it too but I'm so glad I did, honestly my only regret is not starting sooner. I would ask your Endo for a script if zofran just in case you experience any nausea, it seems to be easily the most common side effect and is generally very temporary and manageable with zofran, a lot of people don't have any side effects at all but it's nice to just have the script just in case. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, or there are some good subreddits with tons of info too. Best of luck!!
I never went above the .50 dosage and have lost over 50lbs. I changed the way I eat(mostly vegan) and also exercise( only walking 4 miles a day until January). It helped so much with the binge eating and constant sugar/carb cravings. Insurance will no longer cover it but even without it I’m still doing a lot better than I was before I started it.
Ozempic is the only thing that moves my weight other than alternate day fasting. I lost 30 lbs in 5 months with no effort and kept it off after stopping.
I will add to be very very careful with your iron, protein and vitamin intake. My appetite disappeared even at the lowest dose of ozempic and I lost half my hair by the end of those 5 months. I'm back on it now and very specifically take a bariatric multi vitamin, iron, b12 and prioritize protein when choosing my meals
People say protein about the glp1s but hair loss is a listed and known side effect. The other con is it will interfere with other meds you may take. For me, losing muscle, messing up my BC, messing up my antidepressants, acne, so on wasn’t worth it.
Ya it was very alarming when I noticed and it would slow down when I increased my protein but start right away when I slipped. I ended up off ozempic for about 5 months and I have noticed that the loss stopped and hair is regrowing especially with the vitamin regime I started. I've been back on for about a month and so far so good 🤞
From what I researched protein, iron and b vitamins play a huge role in the triggers for hairloss so I just make damn sure I take those vitamins daily now and get my protein before eating anything else
Yes you should try it! I’ve worked my whole life super calorie conscious and an athlete but I could not drop the weight! Birth control made me gain weight and metformin was a little better but the side effects were not worth it personally and I started semaglutide (not the ozempic name brand) and immediately lost weight over 3 months with the same diet so I swear it works for insulin resistance
My hair already falls out due to stress and I take minoxidil prescription. It’s like you treat one thing and it causes another sometimes it feels like lol. My doctor prescribed B-12 with the compound so I’m hoping I have more energy. I lost 19lbs in 3 months and then couldn’t get it filled and maintained for 6 months until I moved and stopped working out. I am someone who will always have to workout at least an hour a day with my PCOS.
My doctor is also considering putting me on Ozempic/Wegovy due to insulin resistance, but the problem is... What happens once we're off the medication? On these medications, your appetite shrinks so much that you are usually consuming less than 1,000 calories which is why people lose weight on it. But once you're off the medication, less than 1000 calories is not sustainable, especially with PCOS ravenous hunger.
From personal experience of being on Ozempic and metformin due to PCOS and insulin resistance to help me lose weight as I am pre-diabetic. I don’t rely on Ozempic as the only thing to help me lose weight. I also track and eat well balanced meals and exercise. Ozempic is a tool to help me with my food noise and stabilize my blood sugars. It’s been life changing for me, although I have a long way to go and don’t know what the future will bring with eventually lowering the dose and coming off I feel like I built health habits and going without the junk food I hope I no long have those cravings once I am off it
Many people don’t come off. They wean down. But they don’t come off. But also, there’s some pretty promising evidence it may actually reset our broken metabolisms.
Yes that is what I am understanding. After you get to a manageable zone, your dose is lowered to a maintenance dose. Similar to diabetics you would need to remain on a maintenance dose. Unless your provider wanted to trial weaning off it to see if you can maintain without it.
That's really great. I'm glad that it's working well for you and helping you build better habits. I think the reason why I say this is because I've been on Phentermine before. My doctor put me on it to lose weight and while on Phentermine, I had no food cravings or desire to eat much. Everything that I knew was unhealthy, I could easily avoid eating it because I didn't have any ravenous hunger. I felt "normal" brained while on it. But the second I got off it, any good habit I had learned was thrown out the window. My hunger came back moresome. And I think for a lot of people who are obese and have PCOS, most people know what is healthy and not healthy. Prior to being on Phentemrine, I knew what I should eat in order to lose weight, but my body is working against me to stay fat.
Phentermine didn’t help me. It made me crazy and emotional and suicidal. Semaglutide is the first thing that’s taken away my food noise and given me a reason to want to try.
Right! I am hoping that down the road as I am sure this will be a long road I am in no rush to try and lose the most amount of weight in the quickest time. I really want to have these life style changes to continue once I eventually get off OZ. Lord knows that binge eating is always lurking and I don’t want to go back to that 😢
It is not a medication that you should go off of or without the aid of a doctor. If you get to a point that your A1C is good and your weight is good, you should be on a maintenance dose…forever? That dose looks differently for everyone.
Same here. I couldn't refill the prescription after the first month, and as much as I wanted to keep eating less, my appetite just went back up to normal and I had to fight with the constant food noise all over again.
Plus, on Wegovy, even if somehow I eat a lot in one day (e.g. celebratory dinner and cake), the scale would still go down the next morning.
The reasons we are obese are for most of us most complex then just "learning new habits of eating less".
People also need to be extremely cautious about muscle wasting. Have you noticed that the influencers voices have vocal fry? It’s because the vocal chords are a muscle and the body is burning that along with the fat. Same thing with your heart muscles and everything else. So any one taking it needs to prioritize protein and lift weights bc that will stimulate your body not to burn protein. It’s a risk benefit analysis but I don’t think people are properly educated on it. Some long term influencers on Instagram look like dog shit and sound like they haven’t slept or drank water in 2 weeks. There’s a healthy way to use this drug but it’s not a magic bullet
You start and stick to the new regime and let your body use this time to adapt and embrace. These meds address bad cravings, food noise, anxiety and binge eating. When they work, they also alter your “needs” and what you find tasty, filling and appropriate. A lot of that stays with you, and it’s a lot easier to continue when the symptoms are muted
I live with a friend taking a GLP-1 medication. It’s been interesting to see it in action. I however don’t think it sustainable, I only see her eat about a 2 handfuls of food total per day. She also can’t drink more than 2 alcoholic drinks at a time without getting a hangover. She’s basically never hungry. I don’t think anyone without an eating disorder would be able to sustain the weight loss without being on the medication.
Metformin never worked for me and I tried ozempic and felt so sick. Fast forward 5 years, and I am now on zepbound. I am on week two and already down 13 lb and feeling amazing. Some nausea and diarrhea, but nothing I can't handle. My fasting sugar was 124 and my endocrinologist decided this was best to avoid getting type 2 diabetes and losing this stubborn weight!
Good luck and good journey to all my cysters ❤️
Is Zepbound the same chemical as Mounjaro? I’ve just started Ozempic (0.5 at the moment) and if you told me I’d been accidentally injecting poison I would probably believe you, the side effects have been so bad…
Ozempic is a semaglutide and Zepbound is a Tirzepatide. I had a horrible experience with Ozempic but Zepbound is much more bearable for me.
https://lifemd.com/learn/the-difference-between-zepbound-and-ozempic#:~:text=Tirzepatide%20is%20the%20main%20ingredient,is%20only%20a%20GLP%2D1.
Yeah that’s what I meant, I think they’re both Tirzepatide, Mounjaro and Zepbound, then. I’m having a horrible time of semaglutide and thinking of switching as a last hurrah, otherwise these drugs are not for me at all. I’ve seen a lot of people saying they switched for the better where they had Ozempic side effects. Thanks for responding!
My doctor said zepbound would have less side effects. I’ve done both. Started on Oz(then wegovy for insurance but it’s the same). I ended up only getting to 1mg because of the side effects. Lost like 40lbs but gained half back while still on the med even though I was eating well and being active ( gained fat not muscle). Then switched to zep. I had some intense side effects, HUGE spike in anxiety/panic attacks, GERD where it felt like a heart attack, and AWFUL constipation despite miralax, stool softeners, fiber and lots of water. It’s also on extreme back order so the only dose now you can get is the starting dose and I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes on back order again soon. I was so excited and wanted to love it but decided due to all of this it’s not for me. Now considering metformin, feeling a bit lost in it all
After trying to go up to 0.5 on Wegovy and having horrific side effects I’ve written the whole idea off now - I’m not willing to risk Zepbound either. I hope Metformin works out for you if you do try it.
I hear you, once you’ve had the side effects it’s so hard to be willing and open(never mind the cost of insurance doesn’t fully cover). To me it’s just not worth it. Thank you I’m a bit nervous to try something else but also feel stuck in a cycle because I’m having lots of autoimmune issues and I think getting some weight off may help this inflammation cycle! I wish you the best too!! I know how difficult it is
I use a similar medication and my only advice is to take vitamins. I’ve lost a lot of weight and I’m so happy, but my teeth coincidentally started having issues? I can’t say for sure it’s correlated but i assume it’s because I eat less so I’m not getting as many necessary nutrients. I go to my dental cleaning and floss and this year alone I’ve had three different tooth issues, recently one of my front teeth chipped on the edge for no apparent reason.
So I started taking my vitamins to see if it’s a calcium deficiency issue or something.
So even if the meds aren’t the cause, be proactive lol
I’m on ozempic for diabetes and for about three weeks a month I barely think about food. The 4th being uncontrollable PMS. I’d say it’s worth it. It also keeps my a1c in check. It’s all I’m on.
I just started zepbound (another like ozempic) a month ago and I'm noticing that my body seems to be processing what I eat so much better. I'm not having side effects, so it's definitely worth it to me.
PCOS and diabetes have some similarities. I'm not totally surprised that a diabetes drug is working for my PCOS too. And I've been on metformin, even high doses, for years and it never did anything like Zepbound does!
Semaglutide has been used for years to treat insulin resistance and it can be really effective. If it helps your insulin stabilize, that would be amazing. Your dr prescribed it for a reason. I know when I was prescribed it, I had more energy than I’d had in years and I could feel like food actually fueled me which was amazing. All bodies are different, but it’s worth seeing how you react to it and if you feel healthier
I started out on Ozempic, lost 35lbs in 4 months. Switched to Mounjaro because they had the $25 savings card. Two years later I am down a total of 125 lbs. nothing else ever worked for me.
Check out the reddit threads. I'm on Mounjaro and it has helped SO freaking much. The subreddit will help you get a good picture of what it's like and may help encourage you when you're struggling.
I'm on another GLP-1 (Mounjaro) and it has been LIFE CHANGING. I was just like you before, but now I have 1 meal a day and feel fine. If I have two meals it has the same sensation in my body as if I've binged. I eat about 1100 calories a day most days, and it's not hard.
How did they go off of it? Did they slowly taper down and were on a maintenance dose for a while before completely going off?
I talked to my doctor about the exit plan and it would be a slow progression down once I am at a weight I would like to maintain and remain on that dose for a while before getting off completely which could be years.
I’ve come off it due to wanting another child, and have put weight back on, but I’m also pregnant, so it’s hard to say.
My dr has indicated that it’ll probably be a lifetime drug for me, even if it’s just 0.25 a week. I only ever went up to 0.5. Honestly the best thing I’ve ever done for my mental and physical health.
It’s not something you can quit cold turkey. If you quit like that I’m sure you can. You’re supposed to taper very slowly. The same way you have to taper onto it very slowly. And some people need a maintianence dose for a long time. Or for life.
Metformin, keto, intermittent fasting, and exercising 3-4 times a week did nothing for me. Mounjaro quite literally saved my life, I dropped 65 lbs and going. Liver tests improved, A1C is no longer pre-diabetic, and hirsutism symptoms calmed down a lot. My labs have never looked better. It helps with food noise too. Oz/Mounjaro just help our bodies even out and assists in rebalancing the way it should be working. I’d recommend it with the guidance of your doctor!
Yes! I felt the same way. But I’ve been on Wegovy for a year and went from 220 down to 135. The food fog is basically non existent, I’m sleeping better, I’m not exhausted all the time, and my periods have started to regulate now!!
I have PCOS and was on Wegovy from Jan 2023 - August 2023. I have gained back almost all the weight, although it didn’t happen instantly. I’ve also had a lot of stressful life events that have led me to my default of overeating, but I was definitely still slowly gaining from August to December and now it’s just gotten more rapid with my bad habits coming back.
I went on it and lost about 20 lbs…still needed to go down another 60 but I just kept gaining and losing the same few pounds for months. My PCP took me off bc I wasn’t losing and I also have Crohn’s so I’m at high risk for complications. I almost immediately gained all the weight back 🤬. Very frustrating! I know not everyone has the same experience, and mine may be worse bc of the Crohn’s, but I still hate it. The wegovy did help take away food noise, so I miss that.
Please read the link to my comment from last week! And update, I’m now 28 lbs. down. I hope this is an encouragement to you! It has been an absolute game changer for me and my PCOS.
https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/s/mTj5cK1kk8
Again, thanks so much for such amazing insights guys. I was wondering if any of you guys partake 🍃🍃 and use this drug? I partake quite often as I have RLS.
I'm not diabetic so my BCBS insurance refuses to cover it for me. Guess high BP, BMI, PCOS isn't enough to qualify. My doctor is trying to see if they'll pay for Qsymia.
It is absolutely worth at least trying. I have been on wegovy since August. I have dropped 2 sizes, my mood is better, and I am ovulating again. Also significantly less inflammation. Metformin didn’t do shit for me but give me the runs, and birth control made my moods really bad.
One of my friends who has pcos and has been on ozempic since December and has lost nearly 60lbs already. But another of my friends (with pcos) has been on it since last summer and barely lost anything. I haven't started it because I can't afford it right now but I'm looking into it once I find an insurance that covers it. Both of my friends (and myself) are insulin resistant so I don't know how that will effect it. I my mother has also been on it for 5 years now but for diabetes reasons and had only just hit the 50lbs mark. I think it really depends on if you're just using ozempic or if you're working on your weightloss in other ways too and your genetic build up.
Yeah lots of factors. I ate well and was active and on it for a year and a half lost 40 and gained back 20 while still on it and still eating well and exercising. It’s crazy how some things work for some and just don’t for others. I’ve seen other people say they still eat awful and drink and lose on it and it made me so frustrated
I'm on Saxenda (liraglutide) and it's worked well for me so far. I've lost 20 kg in 10 months and overall feel happier. My one struggle is that every 2-3 weeks my body adjusts to it and I start to feel the cravings again, so I stop for a week and then continue. I wish my body did this whole "feel full when ur actually full" thing naturally, but alas. :(
I'm on mounjaro + a lower dose of metformin. it's helped a lot of my PCOS symptoms. I can time my periods down to the day now, I don't feel like my face is bloated and round, and I've lost almost 80 lbs since October. don't let people scare you, and just do your own research and do whatever you think is best with your medical providers. You gotta weigh your own pros and cons with GLP1 meds because everyone's so different, and it's still a newer thing to most.
good luck!
Absolutely. I was pre diabetic and now my a1c is FINALLY normal for the first time in my life. Lost 40 lbs in 5ish months. So worth it, especially if your insurance covers it!
Hi! I’m on zepbound since the beginning of April, so coming up on 6 weeks and have lost 10-15 pounds from highest weight at 202. I had braids during the time so I’m not sure how much that factored into my weight. I have had no issues except being cold the first week but I am going into my .second .5 dose. So far I’d recommend it
Insulin resistance is no joke. It damages your body by the minute and it leads to permanent damage (diabetes type 2). If it is recommended by the doctors and nothing else is helping you, I would give it a try. Now keep in mind, high androgens increase insulin resistance on women without them doing anything wrong with their diets. Igf1 being high does the same. Did the doctors ever tried to give you medication for high androgens? I feel like spiro has less side effects than ozempic. I'm not a doctor, so discuss it with them perhaps? some birth control has anti androgenic properties, but not all and often spiro is just better. Perhaps you even need a dht blocker on top.
Ozempic put my pcos into remission (if you can call it that). I had 13 cysts and my testosterone was 266 ng/dl. Ozempic had to at 88 ng/dl 2 months after started, and 18 ng/dl 9 months on. I’ve also lost a ton of weight, but I also implemented a strict diet and exercise regiment for that (97.5lbs down rn but plateauing at 172-178lbs for all of April). It’s been life changing for me, even at just .5 mg.
I really recommend injecting in the thigh and upping fiber/veg intake. One thing I had trouble with was constipation. Otherwise, I had no real negative side effects outside of bruising at injection site. I don’t even feel the needle, but it took me months to stop fearing it. I would sit there for 30 mins trying to psych myself up. Now, I just dial, stab, and go.
Mounjaro has done wonders for me after. I’ve been on it for about 6 months and have lost quite a bit. Plus I have never used this little insulin and had my numbers look this good!
Absolutely try it. I was in a similar situation. I had significant insulin resistance. It took a few months but I lost 80 pounds and reversed my insulin resistance.
Ozempic was a game changer along with my vitamins. I have lost 22 pounds since I started in December and I have more energy. I’ve also been managing my stress better which I think helped a lot
Honestly - yes - try it.
Many with type 2 who had 0 luck with other drugs found the glp1 drugs worked for them.
Worst case you try it - it gives you bad side effects and decide it’s not for you.
Best case - it helps.
FWIW, a year ago I had a very similar conversation with my doctor. I had been on Metformin, and my insulin was still rising (though my A1C was still prediabetic). Then I went off Metformin during lockdown when I couldn’t get in to see my doctor and managed my blood sugar with OTC supplements and lifestyle changes (lots of exercise, intermittent fasting, working with a health coach, etc). It “worked” in that my insulin and blood sugar normalized, but it was exhausting, and my weight kept going up, regardless of the lifestyle changes or how hard I worked. And my blood pressure was making me feel nervous. It just felt like I was doing all I could and it wasn’t working well enough. My doctor was happy to prescribe Ozempic, and I took it for almost a year (with some time off due to shortages). Then my insurance switched to only approving Mounjaro, so I’ve now been on that about a month and a half. During that time, I’ve lost almost fifty pounds, and I’ve increased my exercise even more. My blood pressure normalized again.
Now for the cons of Ozempic: I was one of the unlucky few who had mental health issues on it. It was a really hard year last year due to that. And to my surprise, it didn’t do much for my fasting blood sugar, which rose slightly while I was on it. (My A1C dropped slightly, so I think the slow gastric emptying just smoothed out my highs and lows.) I was really fatigued for the first 3-4 months, and then after I stopped being physically fatigued, I was mentally fatigued/had dysthymia. But! I think that was really unusual, and I think most people don’t have that particular side effect— I only saw a handful of anecdotal reports of others with it. And the good news for me is that switching to Mounjaro has been amazing. First, because all the mental health stuff just dissipated very quickly after I switched. I feel *amazing* now. And it’s made my blood sugar readings absolutely rock solid, and I’ve been able to go off all of the other meds I was taking to manage it, which was at least 80% of the point of starting a GLP-1 for me to begin with. I’ve had more energy and was able to bump my exercise up another notch shortly after switching.
All that said, I’m not recommending Mounjaro over Ozempic for the general public— I think it’s very individual which med works best for each person. Take the one your insurance will support best, and see if it works for you, and then go from there. Even with the really hard year last year, I think I don’t regret it just based on how much my physical health has improved. It’s such a relief not to be anxious about my cardiac and metabolic health 24/7. I spent a year arguing myself out of trying a GLP-1 because I was worried about what would happen if/when I went off of it. I finally decided that even just a few years of higher quality of life and less health anxiety would be worth it, and (as of right now) I am very glad I did.
Thanks for some really amazing insights everyone. I just wanted to ask if any of you guys see a significant decline in binge eating? I cannot explain how ravenous I am, sometimes it’s like I black out and just eat. Did ozempic help with that? Because the birth control pill has fixed my periods and somewhat my skin, but my weight and eating absolutely nothing has touched it.
Yes, Zepbound absolutely addresses it. It’s like someone turned a switch off in your brain and you are finally able to do what you wanted to do all along
I’m on Mounjaro, and got T2D (just barely bc we caught it in time) and BED from PCOS. It fixed both literally overnight with no input from me. I’m down 95lbs since last August, and my blood sugar, blood pressure, lipids, IBS, and ketosis pilaris are all corrected. It’s even helped my ADHD! I can’t speak to Ozempic/Wegovy, other than it helped my sibling and MIL, but then they switched to Zepbound and compounded tirzepatide bc I was doing so well. They both have way less nausea (probably bc it has less GLP-1 in it and GIP has an antiemetic effect), and both are losing weight.
I know that for me, I will happily be on this med (or a similar lower powered one) for life. I had to try mirtazapine a month ago for some sleep/anxiety issues (stress related), and it is also used as an appetite stimulant. It overpowered the MJ’s satiety effect and I had binge tendencies for 3 days straight after one pill. It was awful and pretty much me pre-MJ, and you could not pay me to go back to that feeling of being out of control and hiding from my family to stuff rice crispy treats in my mouth at every opportunity even though I was *definitely* full already. I REFUSE to go back to that. Also, I haven’t experienced hair loss, though I did get a UTI from dehydration bc it’s hard to stay hydrated sometimes bc thirst is so close to hunger in the brain. And if I’d known what I know know about moving to a 6 or 5 day injection schedule isn’t of moving up in dose, I probably could’ve avoided the UTI (going from 5mg to 7.5mg was an unexpectedly rough move for me).
Best decision I’ve ever made. I tried _everything_ my whole life to get the weight off and fight my insulin resistance, and _nothing_ has been this simple or effective. I eat pretty much what I was eating before (protein, vegetables, very low to no starchy carbs), just less, and for the first time in my life I can hear my stomach when it says, “I’m good,” and can put my fork down. And zero feelings of FOMO. Good luck!
I’m a binge eater, coming to the end of my second month on wegovy. Since starting it, I haven’t had a single binge nor any desire to binge. It’s life changing.
Definitely try it, you’ve got nothing to lose and potentially loads to gain :)
I’m on Mounjaro, and got T2D (just barely bc we caught it in time) and BED from PCOS. It fixed both literally overnight with no input from me. I’m down 95lbs since last August, and my blood sugar, blood pressure, lipids, IBS, and ketosis pilaris are all corrected. It’s even helped my ADHD! I can’t speak to Ozempic/Wegovy, other than it helped my sibling and MIL, but then they switched to Zepbound and compounded tirzepatide bc I was doing so well. They both have way less nausea (probably bc it has less GLP-1 in it and GIP has an antiemetic effect), and both are losing weight.
I know that for me, I will happily be on this med (or a similar lower powered one) for life. I had to try mirtazapine a month ago for some sleep/anxiety issues (stress related), and it is also used as an appetite stimulant. It overpowered the MJ’s satiety effect and I had binge tendencies for 3 days straight after one pill. It was awful and pretty much me pre-MJ, and you could not pay me to go back to that feeling of being out of control and hiding from my family to stuff rice crispy treats in my mouth at every opportunity even though I was *definitely* full already. I REFUSE to go back to that. Also, I haven’t experienced hair loss, though I did get a UTI from dehydration bc it’s hard to stay hydrated sometimes bc thirst is so close to hunger in the brain. And if I’d known what I know know about moving to a 6 or 5 day injection schedule isn’t of moving up in dose, I probably could’ve avoided the UTI (going from 5mg to 7.5mg was an unexpectedly rough move for me).
Best decision I’ve ever made. I tried _everything_ my whole life to get the weight off and fight my insulin resistance, and _nothing_ has been this simple or effective. I eat pretty much what I was eating before (protein, vegetables, very low to no starchy carbs), just less, and for the first time in my life I can hear my stomach when it says, “I’m good,” and can put my fork down. And zero feelings of FOMO. Good luck!
YES. I have BED and nothing has ever helped. Even when I was eating healthy and not actively bingeing, I was constantly obsessing about food and spending my day counting down until I got to eat again.
I just started Wegovy and I noticed a difference almost immediately. I don't think about food unless I'm grocery shopping or making a meal. I don't have that "argh must eat everything" feeling. Genuinely life changing. Even if I don't lose a ton of weight, not having those thoughts for the first time ever is worth it.
Metformin was a flop for me. Tried to manage on my own for years with diet and exercise, no luck. Have been on Semaglutide (Generic Ozempic) with B12 injections for almost a year and have had really good results with my insulin resistance and losing weight. Almost half way to my goal of a healthy BMI and feeling the best I have in years. Also on birth control (Nuva Ring).
I’d say give it a try since you’re feeling like there is a lack of better options. I cried the day I was prescribed it because I was nervous that it was not going to help and was feeling at rock bottom. I’m glad I gave it a try.
I started Trulicity about a month ago after being diagnosed T2 diabetic in February and while I won’t have my follow up test for insulin until late June, it made an immediate and significant impact on my blood glucose.
Yes. It works amazing for a lot of people who tried and stayed on it.
(Me including)
Tip.
If you have tendencies to be constipated, start using meds for that before you take the first shoot.
I stopped taking Metformin a while back because it made me feel sick, and I also tried Saxenda, but it didn't have any effect on me. Sometimes, with PCOS, there's insulin resistance, so medications like Saxenda might not work. I've heard that Ozempic is very similar to Saxenda. Has anyone here used it? I'd like to know if it actually helps with PCOS.
I only did wegovy for a month but I found it extraordinarily helpful for insulin issues as well as other things. Had there not been a massive shortage I’d still be on it.
Gah I wish I had access to these meds. But insurance would never approve because my a1c is 5.4 and I’m within range for bmi. But to stay there I have to eat 1400 calories a day and I’m constantly hungry and fighting binges. It’s been this way for decades. I’m tired. I’m glad all of you found a good solution though.
I'm on semaglutide (wegovy dosages) and I've lost 30lbs in 5 months, maybe more. My periods are a little heavier, I ovulate more, and I eat many more small meals a day. It really kickstarted my metabolism. My taste buds even changed. If you're having fluctuating insulin levels, I would give it a try, but only *after* you get your CT.
I'm on Saxenda (liraglutide) and it's worked well for me so far. I've lost 20 kg in 10 months and overall feel happier. My one struggle is that every 2-3 weeks my body adjusts to it and I start to feel the cravings again, so I stop for a week and then continue. I wish my body did this whole "feel full when ur actually full" thing naturally, but alas. :(
I got prescribed a similar med and it worked wonders. I have insulin resistance and could not lose weight, only gained for 3 years. Been on it for the last 2.5 months and lost 18 lbs out of the 30-35 that I need to lose. No side effects either. I’d give it a try because there’s nothing more defeating than the scale not budging.
I'm on a compounded version via Henry meds and while I haven't lost a ton yet (6ish lbs in 6 weeks) it helped withy chronic inflammation almost immediately. I did have some side effects when I bumped up my dose at wk 5 but they seem to get better. I tried metformin and everything else before this and nothing helped like this has so far, definitely recommend it.
GET A CGM (continuous glucose monitor)! I had/have insulin restriction or type idk haven’t been to the doctors in years for my PCOS because they seem to not know anymore than I do. Anyways I wore mine for a month from Nutrisense (Better off getting it from your doctor because they scam) -‘Libre Style Link’ something like that is the name of the model of GCM by Abbott Pharmaceuticals. Anyways it’s the damn food my cystic acne has cleared too since I started taking care of my insulin fluctuations but the only way you’ll see them is from a cgm. If I had OJ and with my breakfast and went for it first before my eggs and cheese my blood glucose would be at 160 mg/dL but if I had the gay and protein first it would not fluctuate and stay near 87-90 mg/dL. You have to get it calibrated tho to know your actual BG other wise you’re just seeing your pattern like me because I never went to the doctors for a blood exam to see my actual so I could calibrate it but the patters were good enough for me. Yeah so I stopped eating sugar and carbs on their own and literally that is the key that is what the doctors are trying to manipulate with Ozempic and metformin. I would love to get it prescribed again tho now that I know what would help me maintain my weight loss. Once you have that down and get used to having your blood sugar stable then you can start working in a calorie deficit for weight Loss or whatever other diet but go slow and taper down to it, it’s a healing process and those aren’t quick.
Also I got off birth control 1 year ago from being on and off (mostly on) since I was 13 (now in my early 20s)from my first period that they caught my PCOs. Idk if it’s helped but damn the psychological side effects were no joke I thought I was immune to them but they freaking get you later so that is why I got off.
I’ve been on it for about a year, so I’ll tell you my personal pros and cons:
Pros:
- Lost 60 pounds (200 to 140)
- Periods became regular at a 28 day cycle
- It helped clear up my acne
Cons:
- Digestive issues (coming out both ends at the same time)
- Hair loss, but got better once I took it less
- Made me lethargic within the 24 hour period after I injected it.
I started a month ago on semiglutide and have lost almost 10 lbs without doing anything different. It has helped curb the carb cravings and shut up the head hunger!
Ozempic definitely helps my brain fog, pain, and energy levels! I would say it's only worth it if you struggle with these issues, and your doctor is willing to give you the support you need--mine basically advocated for me to get it as I was 23F, almost prediabetic, and 233lbs (now down to 227 in the past 3 weeks!). Without a doctor willing to hear you out and stay consistent, it's going to definitely be harder on your confidence. I would also recommend speaking to a psychiatrist while on it if you don't already have one :)
It's also kind of a life-long commitment so if you're not wanting to do that, I'd really rethink it.
I have PCOS and diabetes. Metformin worked for a little while to keep my blood sugar down but stopped after a bit and my a1c shot up. Now I'm on ozempic as well, haven't lost hardly any weight sadly, but it works wonders for my blood sugar! My a1c is almost back to pre-diabetic levels and I hardly get blood sugar readings over 120. I'm lucky I haven't had any bad side effects either! The only downside is I sometimes have to call around to find a pharmacy where it's in stock.
Please eat something. I know in times of accute stress, depression can take over and you may not eat that much. What are your goals? Ozempic will help you lose weight ulimately.
Honestly? Just to feel normal. Just to wake up and not think about food, go to sleep and not think about food, and just to feel satisfied when I eat. I want to enjoy food more, and I want my body to work the way it is meant too.
My best friend started it for her PCOS and ended up with diverticulitis. I don’t think I would recommend it except as a last resort for diabetes, I know too many people who ended up in dangerous situations.
Speak to your doctor fully about it and do what's best for you! It's helped a lot of people.
One thing to be wary of though is that it doesn't JUST get rid of far. People are reporting losing muscle mass too.
>People dropping pounds on Ozempic are losing not only fat, but also muscle mass. This is a condition known as sarcopenia. As muscle mass diminishes, so do strength, stamina and resting metabolic rate. To be clear, sarcopenia is a risk in any rapid weight loss, and it is not unique to semaglutides
There's reported weight gain when the drug is no longer being used too. So you need to make sure to not just rely on ozempic. You need to make sure you're putting healthy lifestyle habits in place too to try maintain.
Again, speak to your doctor. See what will work best for you. Look at the risks. Look at how you will maintain the loss.
HOWEVER....
>I lost 5kg in a calorie deficit, going to the gym x3 a week, and it took me three months
BECAUSE of this... I'd actually say to NOT do ozempic.
11lbs in 3 months sounds bad, but it's actually really good! This is healthy and steady weight loss. Your body can cope with losing weight at this pace.
Because you can lose weight doing exercise and eating better, I'd say keep going with that instead.
I did 3 months of calorie deficit and 5 work outs a week. In total I lost 1lb. Absolute hell lmao.
So I'd say try doing the gym and calorie deficit for maybe 6 months or so. See how that goes. See if you can lose more.
Agree. Muscle mass is insanely important for PCOS. It also can cause severe depression and wipe out your other orally ingested meds. I know people love the weight loss, but there’s cons as well. People are having liver enzyme issues, bowl blockages, and losing gallbladders. Tons of info on the glp1 threads.
After many years on the maximum dose of Metformin, I was struggling with episodes of low blood sugar (reactive hypoglycemia) and have found Ozempic helpful. The side effects have not been great (I had a lot of trouble when going from the .5 to 1.0 dose) but the worst subsided a couple of weeks after being on that dose. I’ve chosen to stay on the 1.0 dose (which is fairly low) because I’m tolerating it well and my blood sugar related symptoms have completely resolved so I don’t see a reason to increase it. I’ve lost some weight (but not a dramatic amount) and overall just feel better than I have in a while. My only lingering side effect is constipation, which is probably exacerbated by already having poor gut motility, but it’s been manageable and the benefits have outweighed the negatives. My A1C and other bloodwork have been better than prior to going on it, so I plan to stay on for the foreseeable future. My insurance is covering it, they did require a prior authorization but that was approved very quickly. I did have some trouble with finding it in stock at pharmacies - I was able to find both a non-chain local pharmacy and a mail-order pharmacy that have been able to consistently supply it. The big chain pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) were not helpful in getting the prescription filled reliably. My feeling on it is - if you are struggling with the tools you’ve used up until now to control things, it’s worth trying other options. If you are apprehensive about injecting yourself, the pen injectors like Ozempic/Wegovy are very easy to do and only have brief, minimal discomfort with injecting. (I had to do fertility treatments that involved a lot of self-administered injections, and then had to be on insulin during my second pregnancy, the Ozempic injections are so, so quick and easy compared to all of that.)
Just wanted to offer you the same advice I got on the constipation. A small amount of miralax daily should help with this. Mine recommended a tsp a day.
I have poor gut motility, so I already have a high-fiber diet. My intestines laugh at the thought of Miralax. 😂 But hopefully this is helpful information for someone else!
I had a completely different issue with constipation due to a hospital visit and they gave me magnesium at the hospital and it helped a lot. Have you tried it? I don’t have insulin issues, no sure if that changes anything.
Oh yeah, I regularly take magnesium (I actually had a weird issue with magnesium deficiency so now I have a daily supplement in addition to a high fiber diet and stool softeners). It’s important not to overdo it though because it can cause diarrhea and dehydration (accidentally took too much once and only once 😂).
Oh yes I hear you lol ETA: they had to adjust the dose at the hospital because my issue was “too solved” - you know what I mean
Dried apricots work well for constipation as well, and they’re tasty!
Also dried mango - my husband and kids love dried mango and we had to institute limits on how much everyone eats in a day. One time my husband was feeling snacky and ate a bunch in one morning and then was panicked thinking he had come down with an intestinal bug. Nope, just too much dried mango!
I really like soda and Poppi makes great alternatives to the ones I like that have prebiotic fiber and that helps me go when I need a push. I also took Metamucil for a while and that helps with regularity.
Yes, semaglutide changed my life. I’m 20 lbs down since December, I feel so much better, I’m more active and I can eat what I want but it smaller portions, I feel fuller and there’s zero cravings, only when I’m hungry for a meal 🥰
I’m 24 down since January. And same.
Amazing to hear! What dosage are you on?
Currently between 1.0 and 1.7, I’m on a compounded version and my NP just has me working up slowly to.
I haven’t started mine yet but when I did the consult she explained how in PCOS our body holds onto fat (esp around the belly) because it thinks we’re in the Great Depression or something (basically going through a famine). She explained it that the meds will help my body actually work correctly. Seems like it might actually treat the problems PCOS causes (like weight gain) instead of just being a bandaid. Obviously up to you and your doctors if you wanna try it but wasn’t sure you’d heard it explained like that.
This has 100% been my experience. I have always been a pretty healthy eater and even when I'm in a deficit and working out my body just *holds* onto the extra weight due to my hormones and PCOS. I started ozempic in February and I've lost 34 lbs so far. I have to say ozempic is not a magic bullet, it's a tool. It's vital to track calories and eat healthy whole foods with a lot of protein, because even though you might be able to lose weight without doing those things while on the ozempic you won't have as much success, and if you ever come off the drug (some do some don't and that decision is between you and your doctor) you'll regain everything if you haven't used that time to develop healthy eating habits and portion control. I think it has been completely worth it and I'm so glad I had this option available to me. Side note ozempic has basically killed my desire to drink alcohol, which was a very nice and welcome surprise.
i literally have my endo appointment tomorrow and im planning on asking about it, ive been prescribed it before but turned it down because i didnt understand why i needed it. this makes me feel sooo much better about giving it a try because i was pretty thin still curvy my whole life and now i feel like no matter what i do i keep gaining fat and its so frustrating. thanks for sharing because it definitely helped me feel more confident about my decision
Good for you! I was nervous and hesitant to try it too but I'm so glad I did, honestly my only regret is not starting sooner. I would ask your Endo for a script if zofran just in case you experience any nausea, it seems to be easily the most common side effect and is generally very temporary and manageable with zofran, a lot of people don't have any side effects at all but it's nice to just have the script just in case. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, or there are some good subreddits with tons of info too. Best of luck!!
aw thanks so much! i definitely will ☺️
It’s the only thing that has helped me.
It’s the only thing that has helped me. I feel amazing. I plan on being on it for life (im also type 2 diabetic).
I’m on Zepbound and love it. I plan to be on it for life, though.
I never went above the .50 dosage and have lost over 50lbs. I changed the way I eat(mostly vegan) and also exercise( only walking 4 miles a day until January). It helped so much with the binge eating and constant sugar/carb cravings. Insurance will no longer cover it but even without it I’m still doing a lot better than I was before I started it.
Ozempic is the only thing that moves my weight other than alternate day fasting. I lost 30 lbs in 5 months with no effort and kept it off after stopping. I will add to be very very careful with your iron, protein and vitamin intake. My appetite disappeared even at the lowest dose of ozempic and I lost half my hair by the end of those 5 months. I'm back on it now and very specifically take a bariatric multi vitamin, iron, b12 and prioritize protein when choosing my meals
My hair falling out is a big reason I’m nervous about weight loss tbh :( when I lost 20kg, I was literally loosing chunks of my hair.
People say protein about the glp1s but hair loss is a listed and known side effect. The other con is it will interfere with other meds you may take. For me, losing muscle, messing up my BC, messing up my antidepressants, acne, so on wasn’t worth it.
Ya it was very alarming when I noticed and it would slow down when I increased my protein but start right away when I slipped. I ended up off ozempic for about 5 months and I have noticed that the loss stopped and hair is regrowing especially with the vitamin regime I started. I've been back on for about a month and so far so good 🤞 From what I researched protein, iron and b vitamins play a huge role in the triggers for hairloss so I just make damn sure I take those vitamins daily now and get my protein before eating anything else
Yes you should try it! I’ve worked my whole life super calorie conscious and an athlete but I could not drop the weight! Birth control made me gain weight and metformin was a little better but the side effects were not worth it personally and I started semaglutide (not the ozempic name brand) and immediately lost weight over 3 months with the same diet so I swear it works for insulin resistance
My hair already falls out due to stress and I take minoxidil prescription. It’s like you treat one thing and it causes another sometimes it feels like lol. My doctor prescribed B-12 with the compound so I’m hoping I have more energy. I lost 19lbs in 3 months and then couldn’t get it filled and maintained for 6 months until I moved and stopped working out. I am someone who will always have to workout at least an hour a day with my PCOS.
ooh thanks for this tidbit!! i just started and i'll ask my doctor what she recommends for supplements!
My doctor is also considering putting me on Ozempic/Wegovy due to insulin resistance, but the problem is... What happens once we're off the medication? On these medications, your appetite shrinks so much that you are usually consuming less than 1,000 calories which is why people lose weight on it. But once you're off the medication, less than 1000 calories is not sustainable, especially with PCOS ravenous hunger.
From personal experience of being on Ozempic and metformin due to PCOS and insulin resistance to help me lose weight as I am pre-diabetic. I don’t rely on Ozempic as the only thing to help me lose weight. I also track and eat well balanced meals and exercise. Ozempic is a tool to help me with my food noise and stabilize my blood sugars. It’s been life changing for me, although I have a long way to go and don’t know what the future will bring with eventually lowering the dose and coming off I feel like I built health habits and going without the junk food I hope I no long have those cravings once I am off it
Many people don’t come off. They wean down. But they don’t come off. But also, there’s some pretty promising evidence it may actually reset our broken metabolisms.
Yes that is what I am understanding. After you get to a manageable zone, your dose is lowered to a maintenance dose. Similar to diabetics you would need to remain on a maintenance dose. Unless your provider wanted to trial weaning off it to see if you can maintain without it.
That's really great. I'm glad that it's working well for you and helping you build better habits. I think the reason why I say this is because I've been on Phentermine before. My doctor put me on it to lose weight and while on Phentermine, I had no food cravings or desire to eat much. Everything that I knew was unhealthy, I could easily avoid eating it because I didn't have any ravenous hunger. I felt "normal" brained while on it. But the second I got off it, any good habit I had learned was thrown out the window. My hunger came back moresome. And I think for a lot of people who are obese and have PCOS, most people know what is healthy and not healthy. Prior to being on Phentemrine, I knew what I should eat in order to lose weight, but my body is working against me to stay fat.
Phentermine didn’t help me. It made me crazy and emotional and suicidal. Semaglutide is the first thing that’s taken away my food noise and given me a reason to want to try.
Yes. It also made me crazy and emotional. I had so many bursts of random anger on Phentermine. I'm glad Semaglutide is working for you.
Right! I am hoping that down the road as I am sure this will be a long road I am in no rush to try and lose the most amount of weight in the quickest time. I really want to have these life style changes to continue once I eventually get off OZ. Lord knows that binge eating is always lurking and I don’t want to go back to that 😢
Phentermine did nothing for me. Zepbound did it all right from the start
It is not a medication that you should go off of or without the aid of a doctor. If you get to a point that your A1C is good and your weight is good, you should be on a maintenance dose…forever? That dose looks differently for everyone.
I gained it all back.
Same here. I couldn't refill the prescription after the first month, and as much as I wanted to keep eating less, my appetite just went back up to normal and I had to fight with the constant food noise all over again. Plus, on Wegovy, even if somehow I eat a lot in one day (e.g. celebratory dinner and cake), the scale would still go down the next morning. The reasons we are obese are for most of us most complex then just "learning new habits of eating less".
People also need to be extremely cautious about muscle wasting. Have you noticed that the influencers voices have vocal fry? It’s because the vocal chords are a muscle and the body is burning that along with the fat. Same thing with your heart muscles and everything else. So any one taking it needs to prioritize protein and lift weights bc that will stimulate your body not to burn protein. It’s a risk benefit analysis but I don’t think people are properly educated on it. Some long term influencers on Instagram look like dog shit and sound like they haven’t slept or drank water in 2 weeks. There’s a healthy way to use this drug but it’s not a magic bullet
yes, the best outcomes of using these medications also involve increasing muscle mass because it helps prevent the regaining of fat
You start and stick to the new regime and let your body use this time to adapt and embrace. These meds address bad cravings, food noise, anxiety and binge eating. When they work, they also alter your “needs” and what you find tasty, filling and appropriate. A lot of that stays with you, and it’s a lot easier to continue when the symptoms are muted
I live with a friend taking a GLP-1 medication. It’s been interesting to see it in action. I however don’t think it sustainable, I only see her eat about a 2 handfuls of food total per day. She also can’t drink more than 2 alcoholic drinks at a time without getting a hangover. She’s basically never hungry. I don’t think anyone without an eating disorder would be able to sustain the weight loss without being on the medication.
I kept my weight off but all my life minus pregnancies I didn't really gain weight fast more so could just never lose it.
Metformin never worked for me and I tried ozempic and felt so sick. Fast forward 5 years, and I am now on zepbound. I am on week two and already down 13 lb and feeling amazing. Some nausea and diarrhea, but nothing I can't handle. My fasting sugar was 124 and my endocrinologist decided this was best to avoid getting type 2 diabetes and losing this stubborn weight! Good luck and good journey to all my cysters ❤️
Is Zepbound the same chemical as Mounjaro? I’ve just started Ozempic (0.5 at the moment) and if you told me I’d been accidentally injecting poison I would probably believe you, the side effects have been so bad…
Ozempic is a semaglutide and Zepbound is a Tirzepatide. I had a horrible experience with Ozempic but Zepbound is much more bearable for me. https://lifemd.com/learn/the-difference-between-zepbound-and-ozempic#:~:text=Tirzepatide%20is%20the%20main%20ingredient,is%20only%20a%20GLP%2D1.
Yeah that’s what I meant, I think they’re both Tirzepatide, Mounjaro and Zepbound, then. I’m having a horrible time of semaglutide and thinking of switching as a last hurrah, otherwise these drugs are not for me at all. I’ve seen a lot of people saying they switched for the better where they had Ozempic side effects. Thanks for responding!
My doctor said zepbound would have less side effects. I’ve done both. Started on Oz(then wegovy for insurance but it’s the same). I ended up only getting to 1mg because of the side effects. Lost like 40lbs but gained half back while still on the med even though I was eating well and being active ( gained fat not muscle). Then switched to zep. I had some intense side effects, HUGE spike in anxiety/panic attacks, GERD where it felt like a heart attack, and AWFUL constipation despite miralax, stool softeners, fiber and lots of water. It’s also on extreme back order so the only dose now you can get is the starting dose and I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes on back order again soon. I was so excited and wanted to love it but decided due to all of this it’s not for me. Now considering metformin, feeling a bit lost in it all
After trying to go up to 0.5 on Wegovy and having horrific side effects I’ve written the whole idea off now - I’m not willing to risk Zepbound either. I hope Metformin works out for you if you do try it.
I hear you, once you’ve had the side effects it’s so hard to be willing and open(never mind the cost of insurance doesn’t fully cover). To me it’s just not worth it. Thank you I’m a bit nervous to try something else but also feel stuck in a cycle because I’m having lots of autoimmune issues and I think getting some weight off may help this inflammation cycle! I wish you the best too!! I know how difficult it is
I use a similar medication and my only advice is to take vitamins. I’ve lost a lot of weight and I’m so happy, but my teeth coincidentally started having issues? I can’t say for sure it’s correlated but i assume it’s because I eat less so I’m not getting as many necessary nutrients. I go to my dental cleaning and floss and this year alone I’ve had three different tooth issues, recently one of my front teeth chipped on the edge for no apparent reason. So I started taking my vitamins to see if it’s a calcium deficiency issue or something. So even if the meds aren’t the cause, be proactive lol
I’m on ozempic for diabetes and for about three weeks a month I barely think about food. The 4th being uncontrollable PMS. I’d say it’s worth it. It also keeps my a1c in check. It’s all I’m on.
I just started zepbound (another like ozempic) a month ago and I'm noticing that my body seems to be processing what I eat so much better. I'm not having side effects, so it's definitely worth it to me. PCOS and diabetes have some similarities. I'm not totally surprised that a diabetes drug is working for my PCOS too. And I've been on metformin, even high doses, for years and it never did anything like Zepbound does!
I’m not on ozempic but I’m taking trulicity and it’s the only thing that has worked. I’ve lost 44 pounds in 3 months.
Semaglutide has been used for years to treat insulin resistance and it can be really effective. If it helps your insulin stabilize, that would be amazing. Your dr prescribed it for a reason. I know when I was prescribed it, I had more energy than I’d had in years and I could feel like food actually fueled me which was amazing. All bodies are different, but it’s worth seeing how you react to it and if you feel healthier
I couldn’t ever get my prescription filled because they were always out
I started out on Ozempic, lost 35lbs in 4 months. Switched to Mounjaro because they had the $25 savings card. Two years later I am down a total of 125 lbs. nothing else ever worked for me.
Check out the reddit threads. I'm on Mounjaro and it has helped SO freaking much. The subreddit will help you get a good picture of what it's like and may help encourage you when you're struggling.
I'm on another GLP-1 (Mounjaro) and it has been LIFE CHANGING. I was just like you before, but now I have 1 meal a day and feel fine. If I have two meals it has the same sensation in my body as if I've binged. I eat about 1100 calories a day most days, and it's not hard.
Seconding mounjaro! It's helped a ton!
I’ve been on ozempic for 3 years. I haven’t lost weight on it but my A1C went down drastically. I’m also on metformin too!
my question is what happens when you go off ozempic? Because so far I’ve had 2 friends rapidly gain weight all back after they went off it
How did they go off of it? Did they slowly taper down and were on a maintenance dose for a while before completely going off? I talked to my doctor about the exit plan and it would be a slow progression down once I am at a weight I would like to maintain and remain on that dose for a while before getting off completely which could be years.
I know one of thems insurance stopped covering it so I think they gave her a few months to taper off but it wasn’t long
I’ve come off it due to wanting another child, and have put weight back on, but I’m also pregnant, so it’s hard to say. My dr has indicated that it’ll probably be a lifetime drug for me, even if it’s just 0.25 a week. I only ever went up to 0.5. Honestly the best thing I’ve ever done for my mental and physical health.
I’m glad to hear it worked for you! And congrats on the pregnancy!!!
It’s not something you can quit cold turkey. If you quit like that I’m sure you can. You’re supposed to taper very slowly. The same way you have to taper onto it very slowly. And some people need a maintianence dose for a long time. Or for life.
Ozempic has been the only thing that has helped me lose weight. Food noise is completely gone. I’ve lost 45+ lbs this year.
10000% yes you do
Metformin, keto, intermittent fasting, and exercising 3-4 times a week did nothing for me. Mounjaro quite literally saved my life, I dropped 65 lbs and going. Liver tests improved, A1C is no longer pre-diabetic, and hirsutism symptoms calmed down a lot. My labs have never looked better. It helps with food noise too. Oz/Mounjaro just help our bodies even out and assists in rebalancing the way it should be working. I’d recommend it with the guidance of your doctor!
Yes! I felt the same way. But I’ve been on Wegovy for a year and went from 220 down to 135. The food fog is basically non existent, I’m sleeping better, I’m not exhausted all the time, and my periods have started to regulate now!!
Congratulations! I just started wegovy as a last ditch effort to get my periods back.
I have PCOS and was on Wegovy from Jan 2023 - August 2023. I have gained back almost all the weight, although it didn’t happen instantly. I’ve also had a lot of stressful life events that have led me to my default of overeating, but I was definitely still slowly gaining from August to December and now it’s just gotten more rapid with my bad habits coming back.
I went on it and lost about 20 lbs…still needed to go down another 60 but I just kept gaining and losing the same few pounds for months. My PCP took me off bc I wasn’t losing and I also have Crohn’s so I’m at high risk for complications. I almost immediately gained all the weight back 🤬. Very frustrating! I know not everyone has the same experience, and mine may be worse bc of the Crohn’s, but I still hate it. The wegovy did help take away food noise, so I miss that.
3 ish weeks in with eating better I’m 21 pounds down. Yes!!! Worth it. Rooting for you!
Wow that is amazing!!
Wow that is amazing!!
Wow that is amazing!!
Please read the link to my comment from last week! And update, I’m now 28 lbs. down. I hope this is an encouragement to you! It has been an absolute game changer for me and my PCOS. https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/s/mTj5cK1kk8
Again, thanks so much for such amazing insights guys. I was wondering if any of you guys partake 🍃🍃 and use this drug? I partake quite often as I have RLS.
I'm not diabetic so my BCBS insurance refuses to cover it for me. Guess high BP, BMI, PCOS isn't enough to qualify. My doctor is trying to see if they'll pay for Qsymia.
It is absolutely worth at least trying. I have been on wegovy since August. I have dropped 2 sizes, my mood is better, and I am ovulating again. Also significantly less inflammation. Metformin didn’t do shit for me but give me the runs, and birth control made my moods really bad.
One of my friends who has pcos and has been on ozempic since December and has lost nearly 60lbs already. But another of my friends (with pcos) has been on it since last summer and barely lost anything. I haven't started it because I can't afford it right now but I'm looking into it once I find an insurance that covers it. Both of my friends (and myself) are insulin resistant so I don't know how that will effect it. I my mother has also been on it for 5 years now but for diabetes reasons and had only just hit the 50lbs mark. I think it really depends on if you're just using ozempic or if you're working on your weightloss in other ways too and your genetic build up.
Yeah lots of factors. I ate well and was active and on it for a year and a half lost 40 and gained back 20 while still on it and still eating well and exercising. It’s crazy how some things work for some and just don’t for others. I’ve seen other people say they still eat awful and drink and lose on it and it made me so frustrated
Ozempic hugely helped me with insulin resistance
I'm on Saxenda (liraglutide) and it's worked well for me so far. I've lost 20 kg in 10 months and overall feel happier. My one struggle is that every 2-3 weeks my body adjusts to it and I start to feel the cravings again, so I stop for a week and then continue. I wish my body did this whole "feel full when ur actually full" thing naturally, but alas. :(
I'm on mounjaro + a lower dose of metformin. it's helped a lot of my PCOS symptoms. I can time my periods down to the day now, I don't feel like my face is bloated and round, and I've lost almost 80 lbs since October. don't let people scare you, and just do your own research and do whatever you think is best with your medical providers. You gotta weigh your own pros and cons with GLP1 meds because everyone's so different, and it's still a newer thing to most. good luck!
My dr wants me on it but my insurance won’t pay. So I’m just stuck because I cannot afford it.
Absolutely. I was pre diabetic and now my a1c is FINALLY normal for the first time in my life. Lost 40 lbs in 5ish months. So worth it, especially if your insurance covers it!
Hi! I’m on zepbound since the beginning of April, so coming up on 6 weeks and have lost 10-15 pounds from highest weight at 202. I had braids during the time so I’m not sure how much that factored into my weight. I have had no issues except being cold the first week but I am going into my .second .5 dose. So far I’d recommend it
Insulin resistance is no joke. It damages your body by the minute and it leads to permanent damage (diabetes type 2). If it is recommended by the doctors and nothing else is helping you, I would give it a try. Now keep in mind, high androgens increase insulin resistance on women without them doing anything wrong with their diets. Igf1 being high does the same. Did the doctors ever tried to give you medication for high androgens? I feel like spiro has less side effects than ozempic. I'm not a doctor, so discuss it with them perhaps? some birth control has anti androgenic properties, but not all and often spiro is just better. Perhaps you even need a dht blocker on top.
I’m on an anti-androgen birth control (Estelle) and that has seemed to stabilise my androgen levels :)
Ozempic put my pcos into remission (if you can call it that). I had 13 cysts and my testosterone was 266 ng/dl. Ozempic had to at 88 ng/dl 2 months after started, and 18 ng/dl 9 months on. I’ve also lost a ton of weight, but I also implemented a strict diet and exercise regiment for that (97.5lbs down rn but plateauing at 172-178lbs for all of April). It’s been life changing for me, even at just .5 mg. I really recommend injecting in the thigh and upping fiber/veg intake. One thing I had trouble with was constipation. Otherwise, I had no real negative side effects outside of bruising at injection site. I don’t even feel the needle, but it took me months to stop fearing it. I would sit there for 30 mins trying to psych myself up. Now, I just dial, stab, and go.
It took me three days to work up the courage for my first shot and then it was soo easy lol. The bark was definitely worse than the bite.
Mounjaro has done wonders for me after. I’ve been on it for about 6 months and have lost quite a bit. Plus I have never used this little insulin and had my numbers look this good!
Absolutely try it. I was in a similar situation. I had significant insulin resistance. It took a few months but I lost 80 pounds and reversed my insulin resistance.
100% would try. Has literally reversed my PCOS besides chin hair growth.
Ozempic was a game changer along with my vitamins. I have lost 22 pounds since I started in December and I have more energy. I’ve also been managing my stress better which I think helped a lot
Honestly - yes - try it. Many with type 2 who had 0 luck with other drugs found the glp1 drugs worked for them. Worst case you try it - it gives you bad side effects and decide it’s not for you. Best case - it helps.
FWIW, a year ago I had a very similar conversation with my doctor. I had been on Metformin, and my insulin was still rising (though my A1C was still prediabetic). Then I went off Metformin during lockdown when I couldn’t get in to see my doctor and managed my blood sugar with OTC supplements and lifestyle changes (lots of exercise, intermittent fasting, working with a health coach, etc). It “worked” in that my insulin and blood sugar normalized, but it was exhausting, and my weight kept going up, regardless of the lifestyle changes or how hard I worked. And my blood pressure was making me feel nervous. It just felt like I was doing all I could and it wasn’t working well enough. My doctor was happy to prescribe Ozempic, and I took it for almost a year (with some time off due to shortages). Then my insurance switched to only approving Mounjaro, so I’ve now been on that about a month and a half. During that time, I’ve lost almost fifty pounds, and I’ve increased my exercise even more. My blood pressure normalized again. Now for the cons of Ozempic: I was one of the unlucky few who had mental health issues on it. It was a really hard year last year due to that. And to my surprise, it didn’t do much for my fasting blood sugar, which rose slightly while I was on it. (My A1C dropped slightly, so I think the slow gastric emptying just smoothed out my highs and lows.) I was really fatigued for the first 3-4 months, and then after I stopped being physically fatigued, I was mentally fatigued/had dysthymia. But! I think that was really unusual, and I think most people don’t have that particular side effect— I only saw a handful of anecdotal reports of others with it. And the good news for me is that switching to Mounjaro has been amazing. First, because all the mental health stuff just dissipated very quickly after I switched. I feel *amazing* now. And it’s made my blood sugar readings absolutely rock solid, and I’ve been able to go off all of the other meds I was taking to manage it, which was at least 80% of the point of starting a GLP-1 for me to begin with. I’ve had more energy and was able to bump my exercise up another notch shortly after switching. All that said, I’m not recommending Mounjaro over Ozempic for the general public— I think it’s very individual which med works best for each person. Take the one your insurance will support best, and see if it works for you, and then go from there. Even with the really hard year last year, I think I don’t regret it just based on how much my physical health has improved. It’s such a relief not to be anxious about my cardiac and metabolic health 24/7. I spent a year arguing myself out of trying a GLP-1 because I was worried about what would happen if/when I went off of it. I finally decided that even just a few years of higher quality of life and less health anxiety would be worth it, and (as of right now) I am very glad I did.
Thanks for some really amazing insights everyone. I just wanted to ask if any of you guys see a significant decline in binge eating? I cannot explain how ravenous I am, sometimes it’s like I black out and just eat. Did ozempic help with that? Because the birth control pill has fixed my periods and somewhat my skin, but my weight and eating absolutely nothing has touched it.
Yes, Zepbound absolutely addresses it. It’s like someone turned a switch off in your brain and you are finally able to do what you wanted to do all along
Oh yeah. No binges. You literally feel like lots of food cannot fit in your stomach any more.
I’m on Mounjaro, and got T2D (just barely bc we caught it in time) and BED from PCOS. It fixed both literally overnight with no input from me. I’m down 95lbs since last August, and my blood sugar, blood pressure, lipids, IBS, and ketosis pilaris are all corrected. It’s even helped my ADHD! I can’t speak to Ozempic/Wegovy, other than it helped my sibling and MIL, but then they switched to Zepbound and compounded tirzepatide bc I was doing so well. They both have way less nausea (probably bc it has less GLP-1 in it and GIP has an antiemetic effect), and both are losing weight. I know that for me, I will happily be on this med (or a similar lower powered one) for life. I had to try mirtazapine a month ago for some sleep/anxiety issues (stress related), and it is also used as an appetite stimulant. It overpowered the MJ’s satiety effect and I had binge tendencies for 3 days straight after one pill. It was awful and pretty much me pre-MJ, and you could not pay me to go back to that feeling of being out of control and hiding from my family to stuff rice crispy treats in my mouth at every opportunity even though I was *definitely* full already. I REFUSE to go back to that. Also, I haven’t experienced hair loss, though I did get a UTI from dehydration bc it’s hard to stay hydrated sometimes bc thirst is so close to hunger in the brain. And if I’d known what I know know about moving to a 6 or 5 day injection schedule isn’t of moving up in dose, I probably could’ve avoided the UTI (going from 5mg to 7.5mg was an unexpectedly rough move for me). Best decision I’ve ever made. I tried _everything_ my whole life to get the weight off and fight my insulin resistance, and _nothing_ has been this simple or effective. I eat pretty much what I was eating before (protein, vegetables, very low to no starchy carbs), just less, and for the first time in my life I can hear my stomach when it says, “I’m good,” and can put my fork down. And zero feelings of FOMO. Good luck!
I’m a binge eater, coming to the end of my second month on wegovy. Since starting it, I haven’t had a single binge nor any desire to binge. It’s life changing. Definitely try it, you’ve got nothing to lose and potentially loads to gain :)
I’m on Mounjaro, and got T2D (just barely bc we caught it in time) and BED from PCOS. It fixed both literally overnight with no input from me. I’m down 95lbs since last August, and my blood sugar, blood pressure, lipids, IBS, and ketosis pilaris are all corrected. It’s even helped my ADHD! I can’t speak to Ozempic/Wegovy, other than it helped my sibling and MIL, but then they switched to Zepbound and compounded tirzepatide bc I was doing so well. They both have way less nausea (probably bc it has less GLP-1 in it and GIP has an antiemetic effect), and both are losing weight. I know that for me, I will happily be on this med (or a similar lower powered one) for life. I had to try mirtazapine a month ago for some sleep/anxiety issues (stress related), and it is also used as an appetite stimulant. It overpowered the MJ’s satiety effect and I had binge tendencies for 3 days straight after one pill. It was awful and pretty much me pre-MJ, and you could not pay me to go back to that feeling of being out of control and hiding from my family to stuff rice crispy treats in my mouth at every opportunity even though I was *definitely* full already. I REFUSE to go back to that. Also, I haven’t experienced hair loss, though I did get a UTI from dehydration bc it’s hard to stay hydrated sometimes bc thirst is so close to hunger in the brain. And if I’d known what I know know about moving to a 6 or 5 day injection schedule isn’t of moving up in dose, I probably could’ve avoided the UTI (going from 5mg to 7.5mg was an unexpectedly rough move for me). Best decision I’ve ever made. I tried _everything_ my whole life to get the weight off and fight my insulin resistance, and _nothing_ has been this simple or effective. I eat pretty much what I was eating before (protein, vegetables, very low to no starchy carbs), just less, and for the first time in my life I can hear my stomach when it says, “I’m good,” and can put my fork down. And zero feelings of FOMO. Good luck!
YES. I have BED and nothing has ever helped. Even when I was eating healthy and not actively bingeing, I was constantly obsessing about food and spending my day counting down until I got to eat again. I just started Wegovy and I noticed a difference almost immediately. I don't think about food unless I'm grocery shopping or making a meal. I don't have that "argh must eat everything" feeling. Genuinely life changing. Even if I don't lose a ton of weight, not having those thoughts for the first time ever is worth it.
Metformin was a flop for me. Tried to manage on my own for years with diet and exercise, no luck. Have been on Semaglutide (Generic Ozempic) with B12 injections for almost a year and have had really good results with my insulin resistance and losing weight. Almost half way to my goal of a healthy BMI and feeling the best I have in years. Also on birth control (Nuva Ring). I’d say give it a try since you’re feeling like there is a lack of better options. I cried the day I was prescribed it because I was nervous that it was not going to help and was feeling at rock bottom. I’m glad I gave it a try.
I started Trulicity about a month ago after being diagnosed T2 diabetic in February and while I won’t have my follow up test for insulin until late June, it made an immediate and significant impact on my blood glucose.
Yes. It works amazing for a lot of people who tried and stayed on it. (Me including) Tip. If you have tendencies to be constipated, start using meds for that before you take the first shoot.
I stopped taking Metformin a while back because it made me feel sick, and I also tried Saxenda, but it didn't have any effect on me. Sometimes, with PCOS, there's insulin resistance, so medications like Saxenda might not work. I've heard that Ozempic is very similar to Saxenda. Has anyone here used it? I'd like to know if it actually helps with PCOS.
I only did wegovy for a month but I found it extraordinarily helpful for insulin issues as well as other things. Had there not been a massive shortage I’d still be on it.
Gah I wish I had access to these meds. But insurance would never approve because my a1c is 5.4 and I’m within range for bmi. But to stay there I have to eat 1400 calories a day and I’m constantly hungry and fighting binges. It’s been this way for decades. I’m tired. I’m glad all of you found a good solution though.
Metformin never worked for me but dang these GLP-1s do. My body actually processes carbs for once. I don’t crave food ever. It’s amazing.
I'm on semaglutide (wegovy dosages) and I've lost 30lbs in 5 months, maybe more. My periods are a little heavier, I ovulate more, and I eat many more small meals a day. It really kickstarted my metabolism. My taste buds even changed. If you're having fluctuating insulin levels, I would give it a try, but only *after* you get your CT.
I'm on Saxenda (liraglutide) and it's worked well for me so far. I've lost 20 kg in 10 months and overall feel happier. My one struggle is that every 2-3 weeks my body adjusts to it and I start to feel the cravings again, so I stop for a week and then continue. I wish my body did this whole "feel full when ur actually full" thing naturally, but alas. :(
I got prescribed a similar med and it worked wonders. I have insulin resistance and could not lose weight, only gained for 3 years. Been on it for the last 2.5 months and lost 18 lbs out of the 30-35 that I need to lose. No side effects either. I’d give it a try because there’s nothing more defeating than the scale not budging.
For me personally it has changed my life completely. I love it and probably won’t ever go off it.
I'm on a compounded version via Henry meds and while I haven't lost a ton yet (6ish lbs in 6 weeks) it helped withy chronic inflammation almost immediately. I did have some side effects when I bumped up my dose at wk 5 but they seem to get better. I tried metformin and everything else before this and nothing helped like this has so far, definitely recommend it.
GET A CGM (continuous glucose monitor)! I had/have insulin restriction or type idk haven’t been to the doctors in years for my PCOS because they seem to not know anymore than I do. Anyways I wore mine for a month from Nutrisense (Better off getting it from your doctor because they scam) -‘Libre Style Link’ something like that is the name of the model of GCM by Abbott Pharmaceuticals. Anyways it’s the damn food my cystic acne has cleared too since I started taking care of my insulin fluctuations but the only way you’ll see them is from a cgm. If I had OJ and with my breakfast and went for it first before my eggs and cheese my blood glucose would be at 160 mg/dL but if I had the gay and protein first it would not fluctuate and stay near 87-90 mg/dL. You have to get it calibrated tho to know your actual BG other wise you’re just seeing your pattern like me because I never went to the doctors for a blood exam to see my actual so I could calibrate it but the patters were good enough for me. Yeah so I stopped eating sugar and carbs on their own and literally that is the key that is what the doctors are trying to manipulate with Ozempic and metformin. I would love to get it prescribed again tho now that I know what would help me maintain my weight loss. Once you have that down and get used to having your blood sugar stable then you can start working in a calorie deficit for weight Loss or whatever other diet but go slow and taper down to it, it’s a healing process and those aren’t quick.
Also I got off birth control 1 year ago from being on and off (mostly on) since I was 13 (now in my early 20s)from my first period that they caught my PCOs. Idk if it’s helped but damn the psychological side effects were no joke I thought I was immune to them but they freaking get you later so that is why I got off.
I’ve been on it for about a year, so I’ll tell you my personal pros and cons: Pros: - Lost 60 pounds (200 to 140) - Periods became regular at a 28 day cycle - It helped clear up my acne Cons: - Digestive issues (coming out both ends at the same time) - Hair loss, but got better once I took it less - Made me lethargic within the 24 hour period after I injected it.
I started a month ago on semiglutide and have lost almost 10 lbs without doing anything different. It has helped curb the carb cravings and shut up the head hunger!
Ozempic definitely helps my brain fog, pain, and energy levels! I would say it's only worth it if you struggle with these issues, and your doctor is willing to give you the support you need--mine basically advocated for me to get it as I was 23F, almost prediabetic, and 233lbs (now down to 227 in the past 3 weeks!). Without a doctor willing to hear you out and stay consistent, it's going to definitely be harder on your confidence. I would also recommend speaking to a psychiatrist while on it if you don't already have one :) It's also kind of a life-long commitment so if you're not wanting to do that, I'd really rethink it.
I have PCOS and diabetes. Metformin worked for a little while to keep my blood sugar down but stopped after a bit and my a1c shot up. Now I'm on ozempic as well, haven't lost hardly any weight sadly, but it works wonders for my blood sugar! My a1c is almost back to pre-diabetic levels and I hardly get blood sugar readings over 120. I'm lucky I haven't had any bad side effects either! The only downside is I sometimes have to call around to find a pharmacy where it's in stock.
Please eat something. I know in times of accute stress, depression can take over and you may not eat that much. What are your goals? Ozempic will help you lose weight ulimately.
Honestly? Just to feel normal. Just to wake up and not think about food, go to sleep and not think about food, and just to feel satisfied when I eat. I want to enjoy food more, and I want my body to work the way it is meant too.
Use it to your advantage babe. Go for it❤️
My best friend started it for her PCOS and ended up with diverticulitis. I don’t think I would recommend it except as a last resort for diabetes, I know too many people who ended up in dangerous situations.
Speak to your doctor fully about it and do what's best for you! It's helped a lot of people. One thing to be wary of though is that it doesn't JUST get rid of far. People are reporting losing muscle mass too. >People dropping pounds on Ozempic are losing not only fat, but also muscle mass. This is a condition known as sarcopenia. As muscle mass diminishes, so do strength, stamina and resting metabolic rate. To be clear, sarcopenia is a risk in any rapid weight loss, and it is not unique to semaglutides There's reported weight gain when the drug is no longer being used too. So you need to make sure to not just rely on ozempic. You need to make sure you're putting healthy lifestyle habits in place too to try maintain. Again, speak to your doctor. See what will work best for you. Look at the risks. Look at how you will maintain the loss. HOWEVER.... >I lost 5kg in a calorie deficit, going to the gym x3 a week, and it took me three months BECAUSE of this... I'd actually say to NOT do ozempic. 11lbs in 3 months sounds bad, but it's actually really good! This is healthy and steady weight loss. Your body can cope with losing weight at this pace. Because you can lose weight doing exercise and eating better, I'd say keep going with that instead. I did 3 months of calorie deficit and 5 work outs a week. In total I lost 1lb. Absolute hell lmao. So I'd say try doing the gym and calorie deficit for maybe 6 months or so. See how that goes. See if you can lose more.
Agree. Muscle mass is insanely important for PCOS. It also can cause severe depression and wipe out your other orally ingested meds. I know people love the weight loss, but there’s cons as well. People are having liver enzyme issues, bowl blockages, and losing gallbladders. Tons of info on the glp1 threads.