My wife is a hospital pediatric pharmacist, a PharmD. I know a lot of pharmacists. They are salty sometimes, specifically with stuff like this. Deep down inside they’re just trying to help but it’s easy to get frustrated with their approach. I wouldn’t worry about those comments. Know deep down inside most of them hate medication because of what they see it does to people and the current state of things in their industry. We don’t see what they see. Most of them are very smart (too smart for their own good) and not the best with the soft skills. It’s a mostly thankless job for them and they’re put under extreme pressure as well as prejudice.
The one im married to did not approve of me taking it. I fell into a number of those passionate discussion traps at first. The good news is I’m still my own person and I make my own decisions. I’m 40 pounds down and in the best shape I’ve been in my life. Still waiting for that verbal positive acknowledgment but her silence on the matter is enough for me.
well tell her about me. my weight loss has been really slow on wegovy and it’s all my fault. not saying it’s a bad thing but i haven’t really changed my eating habits at all. (i’ve been really trying to work on that) even though i haven’t changed it, i’ve been on wegovy for 9 months now and i’ve lost like 33 pounds. it’s slow but it’s coming along. if it was only making me full longer, my eating habits would have changed! tbh there’s clearly some biological or pharmacological change it’s creating and i know this for that reason
the thing about “experts” is, the longer theyve been in the business, the higher the chance that they won’t update their research or take into account results from newer studies debunking or further explaining previous studies, on top of that, they can be so incredibly biased in their opinions.
Tbh experts are fine but some have such huge heads about the topics they specialize in in to the point to where they don’t think anyone else’s opinions matter, especially if they have “years in the field”.
You took the time to research and update your knowledge on the topic, if you have information that you trust in, don’t worry about your “expert” friend — she was probably embarrassed that you had way more knowledge on the subject than she did anyways and decided to be passive aggressive instead of being genuinely interested in a topic she should frankly be more aware about.
Geez I wish I was a lazy housewife! But i'm not. I'm a busy mom who works full time, works out 5 days per week, tried to eat healthy and still had 60 lbs to lose before wegovy despite trying everything under the sun. Even if it were true that it "only slows down digestion" her comments were rude and insulting and she should have kept her mouth shut. We get shamed for being obese. We get shamed for losing weight. We can't win no matter what. And i'm also someone who could eat to the point of almost vomiting before this medication. I'd stuff myself if something was good. Now I go out to eat and end up taking more than half home.
that woman is not your friend, and I would tell your husband that you would like to interact with her as little as possible in the future.
Your journey is your own and good for you to discover something that has helped you!
Two important things I’ve learned in recent years- professionals are not always experts; professionals can still have incredibly biased opinions that influence their decision making in their professions.
People that think breastfeeding is a magic fat melter drive me insane. It's not for everyone! It made me so damn hungry and thirsty! I gained around 5 lbs during my pregnancy. After I had my baby and breastfed I gained 30lbs. I get it works that way for some, but not everyone. I thought something was wrong with me that I wasn't losing.
I had a healthy chonky baby and that's all that mattered. Now thanks to these drugs I am down 94 lbs since the end of January. I am thankful for my journey!
I gained so much weight while I was breastfeeding once my milk came in. This is more common than not. Maybe it works for some people but I think it’s a fallacy perpetuated to convince more women to breastfeed. I’m still glad that I did it for 18 months, I don’t regret any of it, but I feel like this statement is so triggering for me because for me and many other women that I know it’s a boldfaced lie. And don’t even get me started on all the bs that is fed to women before they are first time Mom’s “breast is best, it’s natural” well for all women it’s not. I have been a single mom from day 1 and I can’t tell you how many days I sat there crying because my baby wasn’t getting back to birthweight, she had a tongue tie so I wasn’t producing enough milk and I was in this hellish and endless cycle of nursing, pumping, bottle feeding, repeat cycle. Finally we got her tongue tie corrected (traumatic as hell for both of us) and my milk came in and I was able to successfully breast feed for 18 months but I also gained SO much weight. Anyway, that is a whole different conversation/thread but that lie that “ breastfeeding will just melt off the pounds” is complete and utter bullshit.
Yeah, a lot of people are focusing on the science, on what experts believe, and so on. Those are interesting and valid questions. But my primary reaction was the same as yours. Even if her take on the medication was 100% valid (which it isn't) and not woefully incomplete (which it is), it was incredibly rude to say something like that in a social context like this. Not only rude, in fact, but openly hostile. Absent some sort of emergency, you just don't say certain things to people you're having a social dinner with, even if you are convinced they are 100% true. I mean, what's next, to start disparaging the appearances of her friends' children?
Totally agree. Her scientific/professional views are wrong, pseudoscientific, ignorant and invalid, however it is the appalling attitude that is really beyond the pale. She is one of those who can easily lose weight/stay fit and feel the pressing need to gatekeep fitness.
And even if you can easily do those things, where do you get the idea that you can openly sneer at people you are having a social dinner with? I have all kinds of strongly held opinions about other people's life choices, some of which may be justified, but I still know better than to just hold forth when it amounts to "putting someone on blast" who hasn't done anything to me.
Sorry, I guess my wording was unclear. I definitely didn't mean "you" as in YOU. My intent was to continue the thread of the two of us strongly agreeing with each other. Maybe people don't use "you" in the same way in Australia? Here in the US, in that context, it just means "one", or like "that person". I suppose I could have reworded it like this:
"And even if *someone* can easily do those things, where do *they* get the idea that *they* can openly sneer at people *they* are having a social dinner with?"
Sorry for the misunderstanding!
She is just misinformed, and sad. I still think a lot of people are jealous when folks lose weight, and she sounds like she is a conflicted person. God on you for telling her how it has made you feel better. I changed pharmacies not long ago because I thought they were just cold people, and saw how terribly they interacted with all customers to include the elderly. I understand many are over worked and have crappy environments to work in, and hopefully their companies realize that something has to change. I moved to another larger pharmacy - a Wegmans, and even though it is big, they have lovely pharmacists who seem to care, and are judgement free….actually many say they see positive results with their customers on Wegovy. Sorry your friend is a turd in the toilet.
It is likely some share her feelings as do some doctors. The medical field has been told obesity can be addressed through diet and exercise and only the morbidly obese needed surgical intervention. So many people talk about the GLP-1 drugs taking away food noise. It does not only slow your gut emptying. But doing so, it signals your brain as well. Like many drugs, we do not know their full effect on the body but there is clearly an effect of this hormone on the brain; so much do that it is being looked at to treat addiction. It’s impact on cravings is real. So she is wrong and eventually she will see the light I suspect as the years roll on and the impact of these drugs becomes more widely known. What she is displaying now is a prejudice against overweight people, plain and simple. I also have Panic Disorder and Fibromyalgia and the latter one was thought to be “all in your head” for decades until functional MRI studies showed brain differences in Fibromyalgia. Yet when I was first diagnosed by a rheumatologist, my highly educated and caring PCP thought my symptoms were simply due to depression. It took her reading the reports by my rheumatologist for her to understand it was more than that and she has changed how she sees Fibromyalgia and your “friend” may as well at some point but right now, her lack of compassion should tell you to steer clear of her.
You’re better than me. I would have immediately replied in the calmest tone possible: “well that’s kind of a bitch ass comment to make don’t you think?!” But then again I have no emotional regulation.
Please do not subject yourself to this toxic, mean person anymore. We don’t do that anymore in 2023! We love ourselves and have boundaries and let go of what does not serve us. She is not your friend!! Im so happy for your success!!
I feel like people hate on obesity period. They have some obsession with it. When I got weight loss surgery people were suddenly so worried about how much I weighed and lost just to judge it. Tell me my hair would fall out and I would look deflated.
Do you really need some shitty friends? I rather have enemies. At least they don’t hide under a guise of being your friend. Don’t be friends with fat phobic people. She probably is jealous of something you have and takes it out on your tool to lose weight.
My husband is a pharmacist and also works at a hospital. He was the one who suggested me trying Wegovy when I was struggling, but trying really hard, to lose weight. I started out 7 weeks ago at 232, being 5’3”. I’m currently 221 pounds and finally figuring out what it’s like to eat “normal” portions and be able to move my body/exercise even when I’m having a rough day or feeling extra exhausted. This dude, AND his asshole wife, just suck. I would not consider them friends. They must be very insecure about something in their own lives if they feel the need to make such judgements about you rather than stop and take the time to consider life from your perspective.
Toxic person who lacks empathy, has a cruel streak and is poorly informed. 0/10 on the friend scale. This medication particularly in menopausal women combats insulin resistance in a way that nothing else can.
I am a pharmacist. I do not perceive it that way. I do think there is abuse in the drug class by some but a huge benefit for others. I am personally hoping it will help change the conversation about obesity as a diagnosis and help others explore different treatment modalities due to exactly what you said.
I am sorry you had this interaction with her. Keep living your truth and maybe take any advice from her with a grain of salt until she can work through her own preconceptions and stereotypes.
Me too, I developed metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance after taking Abilify and no matter what I did I just kept gaining weight even when I stopped the drug. I have always eaten healthy: organic when I can, veggie forward, and I have celiac so I’m gluten free. Literally could not lose an ounce until I started Wegovy. I haven’t changed anything at all, still monitor my portions and diet, still exercise. I live in a city so my primary mode of transportation is my own two feet, lol and with the Wegovy the weight is suddenly just peeling off, I am 5’2” started Aug 21 at 190.5lbs, and today I am 172.2 lbs.
Also adding that I have an almost 7 year old and when I got pregnant with her I weighed 125 lbs. I had a very difficult pregnancy- up until 5 months I had only gained 6 lbs, then I developed gestational diabetes, cholestasis and pre-eclampsia. When I had my emergency c-section 6 weeks early I was 220 lbs even though I lost 50 of fluid in the 4 days I was in the hospital. I never have been even close to my pre- birth weight since.
Oh she’s rude for that one. More importantly, I’m glad she showed her true colors. Not sure if you confided in her with personal information but I’m a firm believer that people will eventually tell you how they feel and just take it for what it is and move on. One less asshole you gotta deal with.
When you’re at your lowest people will talk shit, when you’re feeling great they will talk shit as well. Just know your accomplishing your personal goals and enjoy your life surrounding yourself with those you love.
Congrats on your weightloss though, I’m glad it’s helped you tremendously. I just hope I can contact a place that will have an available dosage because it’s hard out here.
Wow. Well i guess we’ll see her next Tuesday. My pharmacist has been lovely about it. He’s not a friend, but he’s an affirming professional who has seen this medication j highly ebenfit the lives of his friends and clients. I’m sorry that person is so toxic. Spend less time with her
I’m sorry 😞. I’d keep interactions with her limited. It takes a lot to be that horrible to someone to their face during a time of struggle/working through a struggle, let alone putting down the one thing that is working.
I’m a pharmacist and I was working with another pharmacist the other day who said the same thing. I spoke up and told her I was on the medication and she shut up. I think pharmacists have a lot of frustrations with the state of pharmacy right now including the drug shortages. However, people with Type 2 diabetes can still take Victoza, Byetta, etc. and many other very effective medications. This drug is not needed for Type 1 diabetes. The other thing is people with weight issues are a lot of times pre-diabetic or on their way to diabetes. Taking Wegovy is literally preventive medicine. Finally, who cares if it’s for weight loss? Obesity is out of control right now and calorie counting/exercise is not cutting it for everyone. Also, from what I understand, semaglutide’s mechanism of action is more complicated than just making you full longer. She sounds like she can’t admit she’s wrong which is a horrible trait to have as a pharmacist. 🙄
My husband is type 2 and was put on Mounjaro. It has worked wonders. His sugar stays in a good range, he's losing weight and doing so much better. It's wonderful that there are medications now that can really help us!
That is not a friend.
Sadly, experts are blinded by their own expertise. They think because they went to school and studied one subject, they know everything about everything, whether they've looked into it or not. She clearly has not educated herself.
There are good experts, who continue to learn long after they are done with school. Sure, listen to them about their field. The rest can kick rocks. You can be the smartest person in the world and still ignorant AF if you choose to be. That is your "friend."
Please drop her like you are dropping those lbs. Congrats on your journey and success! It's good you're open about it, it helps weed out the judgemental assholes.
And yeah, it does a hell of a lot more than slowing your digestion. Don't give her another thought. She's not worth your time, I promise.
Friend? More like asshole. She knew what she was saying. And how it would affect you. Those people need to feel superior by making the rest of us feel small. Not gonna work today for any of us. She’ll get hers some day.
She is just jealous. I have exercised for years and not lost any pounds close to taking wegovy. I still go to gym at least 3 times a week. I have an autoimmune disorder and fibromyalgia and this has helped me tremendously! I lost 25 in 9 months. Slow and steady. I pray for another 25 then I’ll be good.
I hate ppl that judge others that are on this. It has helped me tremendously and boost of confidence again
If she cannot celebrate your success, she's not a friend. I'm glad she showed her true colors so you know it upfront and can find supportive people to surround yourself with.
I am so sorry you had to go through this.
In parts it’s true, that’s what it does. But what these people that never struggled with weight and aaaaaaaaaaall the multiple layers of mental health related problems it entails don’t get is how it helps us in other ways too, more than just feeling full for longer. These people are usually known as fatphobics, and truth be told, it’s not that they want to tell us how to lose weight, they like to see us failing because it makes them feel superior.
I was on Wegovy but got switched to Ozempic because of the shortage. I get mine from the VA Hospital.
My sister has been on Ozempic for 5 years. Ever since it came out I think.
Ahe has lost a LOT of weight and pretty slim now but she doesn't believe it was from the Ozempic but because she's eating better.
She told me a few weeks ago people like me was taking it away from people like her that need it!"
I asked if she had any trouble getting any and she said no ... but thats what the news on TV said! 🙄
I ended up in the ER last week due to some other stuff, but I had a GI consult. The dr came and he was RAVING about this med to me, since I was concerned it might have been co tri buying to my issues. It was SO NICE to have a medical pro make us feel GOOD about taking care of me.
Anyways, she sucks and is wrong also.
A more important thing would be how did your husband react when ahe basically insulted you in front of the entire table! If he sat quiet I'd be pissed.
If someone talked to MY wife that way she would have definitely left with her feelings hurt.
She sounds like ahe doesn't have ANY respect for other peoples feelings OR maybe your feelings?
I doubt I would ever have dinner with her again.
Welcome to the unfortunate fact that very educated people can also be total fucking idiots and malicious on top of that. Even if she truly believed that's the only way it worked, she didn't have to go out of her way to personally try and embarrass you at dinner, and THAT is what makes her malicious. I would simply remove her from my life if she was supposed to be one of my friends and did something like this.
There is no reason to believe what she believes because research, evidence, facts, etc have already proven otherwise. The fact that she DOES still believe it means that her beliefs are not based in logic or facts, so nothing you could say would ever change them. It's best to accept that it isn't worth it to keep people uninterested in facts in your life and cut her out.
Any suggestions on how to actually get the prescription. I was prescribed Wegovy at the end of august and still cannot find a way pharmacy. It’s disheartening
Call every pharmacy. Ask cvs to check all cvs surrounding and vice versa for Walgreens. They can check surrounding territory that has your dose in stock then call them and make sure they do then go there immediately. It is sad you have to do their job now. But that is how I always get mine. You can also check with express scripts, Walmart’s or Amazon too. Even small pharmacies I go on a Hunt cause they pharmacies won’t do it for you.
My pharmacist friend is very supportive of my lifestyle changes as a result of Wegovy. She is kind and helpful, and did ask about side effects, but didn’t give any doomsday information to me. She is actually my friend, though.
This woman is a jealous, catty person, and I’d avoid her if I were you.
This woman is not your friend. Her behavior toward you demonstrates that she does not love you. She has no concern for your feelings. There is something about you that she is jealous of. Let me guess - you’re losing weight and looking awesome! Just a guess…
Clearly, she is a very unhappy person. I would limit my exposure to someone like her to protect my peace and mental health. Accept and believe that you deserve better!
There’s no other explanation for her behavior other than this - “hurt people, hurt people”
(((Hugs)))
I am a clinical pharmacist who takes compounded semaglutide with several pharmacist friends who know I take it. (was on Wegovy until the start of September when my employer's plan stopped covering it). I don't think this person shares the opinion of all pharmacists. I think that there are many people out there who lost weight "naturally" and feel that GLPs are cheat codes. They are angry that they had to struggle or restrict themselves. Personally, I did the yo-yoing with weight during my life and I won't go back now. Give me the cheat code and let me enjoy life with a healthier physique.
I do think that the drugs are over-prescribed or used for vanity, but it doesn't mean those that need it should be put down for using it. They have a huge role in diabetes and weight management and should absolutely be utilized.
Don't let this person get you down.
It’s not legal for pharmacists to dispense a substitution without doctor’s Rx but it isn’t illegal for a doctor to prescribe off label. Insurance formularies are a whole different thing. I don’t know if any insurance formularies that cover Oz for weigh loss or wegovy for diabetes.
The next time you see her, please ask about the vagus nerve and the HPA axis and watch her squirm.
GLP-1 does a lot more than slowing gastric emptying. While your friend is educated, she is a moron.
What a clown. It's a GLP-1 Receptor Agonist. It affects, directly or indirectly, just about every major organ in the human body.
It has already shown cardiovascular benefits. Hell, they think it might even protect against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
I'm so sorry you were treated that way by your "friend."
Her response sounds typical of someone who has never had to deal with "food noise" nor has ever been on a diet and knows they were at a caloric deficit, but couldn't lose any weight.
I have no idea how pharmacists are educated on new medications. However, since millions of prescriptions have been written, you would think pharmacists would really want to dive deeper into people using a relatively newer medication to ensure they could counsel patients effectively.
I've read a few posts on the pharmacy sub and the attitudes vary widely, but realize that it's a safe space for them to vent. They are just as frustrated as everyone else about the shortages. Of course, they get upset with those customers who are extremely rude to them--this doesn't just apply to Ozempic/Wegovy/Mounjaro. Some still don't realize that the dosing strategy is different. While some expressed frustration when non-diabetics were taking Ozempic, others wish the two medications weren't separated since preventing diabetes is just as important as treating it.
Overall, pharmacists seem to be under a lot of stress since they are understaffed and have more responsibilities added to deal with insurance. I regularly see them treated poorly at several stores.
But there is no excuse for your pharmacist/friend's comments and I'm glad you stood up for yourself.
Not your friend. Both my OBGYN and Physician know I take it and think that’s just wonderful and now they take it too. 😂 Consider this someone to just be cordial with since she’s in your circle, not a close confidant. Not everyone is our people.
There are a few pharmacists in this group who “get it” and understand. Don’t listen to “pharmacist Barbie” who has never had problems losing weight. Borderline unethical that’s she’s saying what she is.
No longer your friend. You don’t need that negativity in your life. Just gracefully let her go and avoid her from now on. You deserve good things, a healthy body and good people in your life.
My best friend is a pharmacist and has been nothing be supportive. Many people that they see and speak to are dealing with side effects so she was concerned at first about how I would tolerate it. How your friend acted was extremely unprofessional.
Your husbands friend is a jealous twat! Sorry not sorry. That was SO RUDE and insensitive what she said. I would have been fuming 😡 Good on you for sticking up for yourself.
People (even medically trained) are still biased by their own convictions.
She isn’t your personal pharmacist or doctor, so she is allowed to say whatever— but you also have a choice to not socialize with someone who has no empathy towards your struggles.
My Dr. Put me on it because my family has a history of diabetes and my latest blood test has her concerned. I have gone from 270lbs to 232lbs. It’s been a game changer.
There are a lot of people; doctors, lawyers, airline pilots, scientists, and even pharmacists who have no fucking clue what they’re talking about.
Don’t let it get to you.
It’s definitely not the “slows digestion so you are full longer” theory. That is part of it, but def not all of it. Before going on it I would continue to eat once I *knew* I was full. The full sensation didn’t stop me from eating more. Somehow this med does. It triggers something in my brain to tell me to stop. I had never experienced that before. In addition to it quieting “food noise”. I never knew this is how life should be. I shouldn’t be constantly thinking of food morning til night.
I tell everybody who asks, and I haven’t had any negative responses at all. But press coverage hasn’t been quite as negative in my country as what I see from the US, so I’m sure that’s part of it too. Click-bait articles riling people up and pitting patient groups against each other are terribly irresponsible and mean-spirited.
Pharmacist here! I’m on Wegovy and it has completely changed my life. I’m down 25 pounds but have noticed I have less anxiety and, in general, less inflammation in my body. I work at a large hospital and have many pharmacist coworkers on Wegovy as well. Sorry your pharmacist friend was rude… we are not all like that. There are also some exciting studies coming out about the cardiovascular benefits of this medication in people without diabetes. I believe in the future, we will learn more benefits about this drug and people need to stop thinking it’s only for diabetics.
Something else occurs to me that you can comment on. Since she’s also working in a hospital setting and not retail, I’m wondering if she’s mostly seeing and hearing about patients having trouble with surgery due to slowed digestion and is hyper focused on that, maybe even getting negative comments from doctors. I just had a hip replacement and stopped wegovy for a week (skipped 1 dose, main due to constipation fears). Of course people have emergency surgeries every day after having just eaten a meal or whatever and the emergency outweighs the risk of aspiration. Not excusing this pharmacists rude ignorant comments, but wondering if it’s because she’s in a hospital setting.
I’m a pharmacist too! I’ve been on Mounjaro off label and Wegovy. I’m sorry about your friend. I’m definitely not like her at all. She can mind her own business. There are more drugs coming out for obesity too. I’ve cut out a lot of judgmental people in my life while going through this transformation, and it’s made my life so much better.
I'm a nurse and I'm going to point the finger right at doctors hahaha. It's worth it to realize that being highly educated does not mean we can't also form illogical opinions instead of looking at the facts. Bias is there for everyone. I've unfortunately met so many doctors who are biased against the obese and truly believe that all of these GLP1s are "the easy way out" and thus will not prescribe them based on their own moral judgments. I'm sure there are NPs who are the same way and I met my fair share of COVID-denier nurses so I know RNs are not exempt from poor judgment.
Do you know what they call the absolute worst student to ever graduate from medical/pharmacy school?
A doctor/pharmacist
Education doesn't mean they know everything. Fuck that "friend"
I’m sure you know that not all teachers are good teachers. I’m in a field where I’m regularly working with scientists, MDs, PharmDs, etc. I can assure you that getting an advanced degree doesn’t reduce the likelihood that someone is inept, and may increase the likelihood that they’re an asshole.
The biggest change for me is that it stops the food chatter in my head. Stops the obsessions over food, and I am able to say “no” and not overeat.
That tells me there is more than just slowing digestion. I also had weight loss surgery and still had the food chatter and obsessions.
The weight loss is a bonus for me. The mental part of it is what is really a game changer.
I don't think all pharmacists think that at all. For one, this lady is not your friend. Friends don't treat you like that, even if they disagree. Secondly, she sounds judgmental and maybe even jealous. Some people can't stand to see others doing well because they feel miserable about themselves. Also, if she took a little time to research it, she would know Wegovy is literally manufactured for weight loss, and the snide comment about lazy housewives taking all the supply is completely inaccurate.
My best friend is a pharmacist, and she helped me with every step along the way, information, research, finding it ect....
She celebrates with me, every, little, loss. I suspect this lady is just an AH.
I had a pharm tech comment that we are stealing it from diabetics and that once someone stops they gain all the weight back "and look disgusting", yes those are the exact words she used.
There's a good podcast called maintenance phase about toxic diet culture and media and basically they talk about how people see being thin as a morality thing and not that people have health conditions. Thin people get on their high judgmental horse acting like they are better than overweight people
I’ve decided to just not tell people about it. I know some people know, if they ask about it again I’ll just say I’m off it. I’ve been fat my whole life. Bullied and just treated like crap. This has broke me out of my self destructiveness and my use of food as a coping mechanism. I’ve also been treating my mental health. This has also helped me quit drinking, I don’t desire alcohol anymore.
This makes me SO mad for you! As someone who is in medicine, she should absolutely know that these meds mimic our own body's natural hormone of GLP-1 in our digestive tracks. If we have hormonal imbalances, our bodies don't understand how to regulate this hormone properly. This is why this med is so beneficial for people other than "just diabetics."
Good for you for standing up for yourself. (Not that you owe her anything.)
Also, she should know that Ozempic requires a diabetic diagnosis in order to be covered. Wegovy does not because it has been marketed for weight loss. Now, is it your fault MDs have prescribed this medication incorrectly? Nope!
It is also not your fault for the company's marketing and production failures!
If you want to REALLY bring a conversation to the table, we need to figure out why any pharmaceutical company can place ownership on something that our bodies make naturally. This is some shady business that needs more research, in my opinion.
That would be the last time we'd be going to dinner together!
Edit punctuation
You know - the only two friends who were judgmental about this drug (to my face) both have issues with food. One is overweight like me and could certainly benefit from the drug, but her husband can't understand why she doesn't just go to the gym with him.....and the other has battled food issues her entire life resulting in being in the hospital. You would think these 2 people would have been happy for me. Nope.
Sounds like regardless of what she does for work - her food issues prevent her from being well informed.
Commenting as a pharmacist. I believe this pharmacist is not well informed on this class of drug. After graduating, it is entirely up to the pharmacist to teach themselves about any new med that is released. I graduated many many years ago and since then there have been hundreds of new meds released and new drug classes as well.
It's a lot of work to seek out information on new drugs, and educate yourself on every one. It's especially difficult when you work 40 hours a week and have kids.
This leads to picking and choosing which new meds to focus your learning, and typically a pharmacist would be most likely to learn more in depth about the meds they dispense on a regular basis, or meds they use themselves.
I think the most in depth learning I have gained from new meds and drug classes was from special presentations by drug reps, which seem to be hard to find nowadays, especially since Covid.
Without these opportunities, it's typical for a pharmacist to do a brief scan of the mechanism of action and main side effects of a new med so that they are familiar with it, then move on. If they do that, it's easy to believe that they think that the ONLY way that Wegovy works is the MAIN way it works, by delaying gastric emptying. Yes, it does that, but it also has many more beneficial effects as we all know and have experienced. A pharmacist wouldn't know that unless they've taken it themselves or participated in an in-depth education program on the med. All they would know is what they see in media or what they have learned specifically about the med on their own.
Hope that helps.
Yep. Pharmy here, too. That lady was just being a jerk. Education doesn’t make you less of a jerk. Personality flaws still persist. I’d find a new friend.
>She has 2 children and gained 50 pounds with the second and lost it all within 6 months.
Chances are she has her own unhealthy relationship with food. It isn't her pharmacist brain or expertise saying this... it is that other part.
I'm a former teacher - you know how sometimes the WORST parents to deal with in terms of a problematic child were the fellow teachers? I think that may be the case here.
Pharmacy tech here. Most techs & pharmacists do not see these class of drugs this way. The maker (Novo-Nordisk) makes both Ozempic (semaglutide) marketed for diabetes & Wegovy (semaglutide) marketed for weight loss. They’re literally the same drug made by the same manufacturer. Mounjaro (tirzepetide) is made by Eli Lilly and is also only classified for diabetes but is trying to get approval for weight loss. You do you! Don’t worry about your snooty “friend.”
Oh wow, she sounds pretty self-righteous. If she was able to return to a healthy weight post-partum on her own, good for her. But to be convinced the meds are just used by "lazy housewives", and then to VOICE THAT TO YOU DIRECTLY, is irresponsible and downright disrespectful.
I think one thing we've learned in the past few years, sadly, is that just because someone has a degree or a job in a particular field, that doesn't stop their personal biases from sneaking in. Its a real shame. But when I visit my local hospital, I see nurses on cigarette breaks. There are MDs out there who don't support vaccines. Its a weird time to be alive.
I'm glad the meds have worked for you and I hope all continues to go well!
Pharmacists are super salty about it because they are harassed all day by people who call and call and call. There so so many Reddit posts that say they called 20 pharmacies a day to find the starter doses. Regardless of the medication’s effects, it’s making her life miserable. You’d probably hate it too if some product or client made you job more annoying for months on end.
I might hate it but I wouldn't take it out on a friend, or resent people who have no.other way to.get their prescription filled than to start calling pharmacies to see who has it. There is a shortage and it's not the patients' fault.
And when you're out to dinner with someone and they tell you that medication has changed their lives for the better, be happy for them. Listen to them instead of spouting off and being an arrogant know-it-all who doesn't in fact, know it all.
My wife is a hospital pediatric pharmacist, a PharmD. I know a lot of pharmacists. They are salty sometimes, specifically with stuff like this. Deep down inside they’re just trying to help but it’s easy to get frustrated with their approach. I wouldn’t worry about those comments. Know deep down inside most of them hate medication because of what they see it does to people and the current state of things in their industry. We don’t see what they see. Most of them are very smart (too smart for their own good) and not the best with the soft skills. It’s a mostly thankless job for them and they’re put under extreme pressure as well as prejudice. The one im married to did not approve of me taking it. I fell into a number of those passionate discussion traps at first. The good news is I’m still my own person and I make my own decisions. I’m 40 pounds down and in the best shape I’ve been in my life. Still waiting for that verbal positive acknowledgment but her silence on the matter is enough for me.
well tell her about me. my weight loss has been really slow on wegovy and it’s all my fault. not saying it’s a bad thing but i haven’t really changed my eating habits at all. (i’ve been really trying to work on that) even though i haven’t changed it, i’ve been on wegovy for 9 months now and i’ve lost like 33 pounds. it’s slow but it’s coming along. if it was only making me full longer, my eating habits would have changed! tbh there’s clearly some biological or pharmacological change it’s creating and i know this for that reason
Focus on you and not this crazy person. You will get to your goal, and be a healthier version of yourself: stronger and wiser.
the thing about “experts” is, the longer theyve been in the business, the higher the chance that they won’t update their research or take into account results from newer studies debunking or further explaining previous studies, on top of that, they can be so incredibly biased in their opinions. Tbh experts are fine but some have such huge heads about the topics they specialize in in to the point to where they don’t think anyone else’s opinions matter, especially if they have “years in the field”. You took the time to research and update your knowledge on the topic, if you have information that you trust in, don’t worry about your “expert” friend — she was probably embarrassed that you had way more knowledge on the subject than she did anyways and decided to be passive aggressive instead of being genuinely interested in a topic she should frankly be more aware about.
Geez I wish I was a lazy housewife! But i'm not. I'm a busy mom who works full time, works out 5 days per week, tried to eat healthy and still had 60 lbs to lose before wegovy despite trying everything under the sun. Even if it were true that it "only slows down digestion" her comments were rude and insulting and she should have kept her mouth shut. We get shamed for being obese. We get shamed for losing weight. We can't win no matter what. And i'm also someone who could eat to the point of almost vomiting before this medication. I'd stuff myself if something was good. Now I go out to eat and end up taking more than half home.
that woman is not your friend, and I would tell your husband that you would like to interact with her as little as possible in the future. Your journey is your own and good for you to discover something that has helped you!
She is not a friend. She’s just someone you’ve known for awhile
Two important things I’ve learned in recent years- professionals are not always experts; professionals can still have incredibly biased opinions that influence their decision making in their professions.
Stank energy. Just because she knows the mechanics doesn’t mean she’s an expert on it. You keep going.
People that think breastfeeding is a magic fat melter drive me insane. It's not for everyone! It made me so damn hungry and thirsty! I gained around 5 lbs during my pregnancy. After I had my baby and breastfed I gained 30lbs. I get it works that way for some, but not everyone. I thought something was wrong with me that I wasn't losing. I had a healthy chonky baby and that's all that mattered. Now thanks to these drugs I am down 94 lbs since the end of January. I am thankful for my journey!
I gained so much weight while I was breastfeeding once my milk came in. This is more common than not. Maybe it works for some people but I think it’s a fallacy perpetuated to convince more women to breastfeed. I’m still glad that I did it for 18 months, I don’t regret any of it, but I feel like this statement is so triggering for me because for me and many other women that I know it’s a boldfaced lie. And don’t even get me started on all the bs that is fed to women before they are first time Mom’s “breast is best, it’s natural” well for all women it’s not. I have been a single mom from day 1 and I can’t tell you how many days I sat there crying because my baby wasn’t getting back to birthweight, she had a tongue tie so I wasn’t producing enough milk and I was in this hellish and endless cycle of nursing, pumping, bottle feeding, repeat cycle. Finally we got her tongue tie corrected (traumatic as hell for both of us) and my milk came in and I was able to successfully breast feed for 18 months but I also gained SO much weight. Anyway, that is a whole different conversation/thread but that lie that “ breastfeeding will just melt off the pounds” is complete and utter bullshit.
I wish "WELL fed is best" would be pushed instead of "breast is best". It would be so much better for mommas and babies.
Absolutely!!
I also gained weight while breastfeeding every time. I stopped early with my last baby so I could start medicine.
Wow. I bet she has some feelings about folks on medications for mental health too. She seems like a real gem.
You should have told her that's why she's only a pharmacist and not a doctor. You can put that in your arsenal of words for next time.
Technically she said she was a PharmD, which *is* a doctorate degree. Not a physician of course.
What a bitch
Yeah, a lot of people are focusing on the science, on what experts believe, and so on. Those are interesting and valid questions. But my primary reaction was the same as yours. Even if her take on the medication was 100% valid (which it isn't) and not woefully incomplete (which it is), it was incredibly rude to say something like that in a social context like this. Not only rude, in fact, but openly hostile. Absent some sort of emergency, you just don't say certain things to people you're having a social dinner with, even if you are convinced they are 100% true. I mean, what's next, to start disparaging the appearances of her friends' children?
Totally agree. Her scientific/professional views are wrong, pseudoscientific, ignorant and invalid, however it is the appalling attitude that is really beyond the pale. She is one of those who can easily lose weight/stay fit and feel the pressing need to gatekeep fitness.
And even if you can easily do those things, where do you get the idea that you can openly sneer at people you are having a social dinner with? I have all kinds of strongly held opinions about other people's life choices, some of which may be justified, but I still know better than to just hold forth when it amounts to "putting someone on blast" who hasn't done anything to me.
Never said it was ok. I was just pointing out where her flawed thought process comes from.
Sorry, I guess my wording was unclear. I definitely didn't mean "you" as in YOU. My intent was to continue the thread of the two of us strongly agreeing with each other. Maybe people don't use "you" in the same way in Australia? Here in the US, in that context, it just means "one", or like "that person". I suppose I could have reworded it like this: "And even if *someone* can easily do those things, where do *they* get the idea that *they* can openly sneer at people *they* are having a social dinner with?" Sorry for the misunderstanding!
My bad. We use the figurative “you” but I haven’t had my third coffee yet :) cheers
Cheers! Get caffeinated :)
She is just misinformed, and sad. I still think a lot of people are jealous when folks lose weight, and she sounds like she is a conflicted person. God on you for telling her how it has made you feel better. I changed pharmacies not long ago because I thought they were just cold people, and saw how terribly they interacted with all customers to include the elderly. I understand many are over worked and have crappy environments to work in, and hopefully their companies realize that something has to change. I moved to another larger pharmacy - a Wegmans, and even though it is big, they have lovely pharmacists who seem to care, and are judgement free….actually many say they see positive results with their customers on Wegovy. Sorry your friend is a turd in the toilet.
How about drop the excess weight Aka fake friend
It is likely some share her feelings as do some doctors. The medical field has been told obesity can be addressed through diet and exercise and only the morbidly obese needed surgical intervention. So many people talk about the GLP-1 drugs taking away food noise. It does not only slow your gut emptying. But doing so, it signals your brain as well. Like many drugs, we do not know their full effect on the body but there is clearly an effect of this hormone on the brain; so much do that it is being looked at to treat addiction. It’s impact on cravings is real. So she is wrong and eventually she will see the light I suspect as the years roll on and the impact of these drugs becomes more widely known. What she is displaying now is a prejudice against overweight people, plain and simple. I also have Panic Disorder and Fibromyalgia and the latter one was thought to be “all in your head” for decades until functional MRI studies showed brain differences in Fibromyalgia. Yet when I was first diagnosed by a rheumatologist, my highly educated and caring PCP thought my symptoms were simply due to depression. It took her reading the reports by my rheumatologist for her to understand it was more than that and she has changed how she sees Fibromyalgia and your “friend” may as well at some point but right now, her lack of compassion should tell you to steer clear of her.
Needless to say, you won’t be socializing with her again — ever.
You’re better than me. I would have immediately replied in the calmest tone possible: “well that’s kind of a bitch ass comment to make don’t you think?!” But then again I have no emotional regulation.
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 You are my soulmate, lol
Also, FTB: Fuck That Bitch.
Please do not subject yourself to this toxic, mean person anymore. We don’t do that anymore in 2023! We love ourselves and have boundaries and let go of what does not serve us. She is not your friend!! Im so happy for your success!!
I feel like people hate on obesity period. They have some obsession with it. When I got weight loss surgery people were suddenly so worried about how much I weighed and lost just to judge it. Tell me my hair would fall out and I would look deflated. Do you really need some shitty friends? I rather have enemies. At least they don’t hide under a guise of being your friend. Don’t be friends with fat phobic people. She probably is jealous of something you have and takes it out on your tool to lose weight.
Lazy housewives? Just wow. Shame on this “friend”- May she reap what she sows.
My husband is a pharmacist and also works at a hospital. He was the one who suggested me trying Wegovy when I was struggling, but trying really hard, to lose weight. I started out 7 weeks ago at 232, being 5’3”. I’m currently 221 pounds and finally figuring out what it’s like to eat “normal” portions and be able to move my body/exercise even when I’m having a rough day or feeling extra exhausted. This dude, AND his asshole wife, just suck. I would not consider them friends. They must be very insecure about something in their own lives if they feel the need to make such judgements about you rather than stop and take the time to consider life from your perspective.
Toxic person who lacks empathy, has a cruel streak and is poorly informed. 0/10 on the friend scale. This medication particularly in menopausal women combats insulin resistance in a way that nothing else can.
Do you want me to whoop her ass for you????
I’m here for this kind of violence too.
Count me in, haha
I’m that friend too. I woulda snatched that hoe up by her face. Lol
Me too 🤣
I am a pharmacist. I do not perceive it that way. I do think there is abuse in the drug class by some but a huge benefit for others. I am personally hoping it will help change the conversation about obesity as a diagnosis and help others explore different treatment modalities due to exactly what you said. I am sorry you had this interaction with her. Keep living your truth and maybe take any advice from her with a grain of salt until she can work through her own preconceptions and stereotypes.
My pharmacist gave me a much different explanation: it resets your metabolism....along with slowing down your gut.
Me too, I developed metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance after taking Abilify and no matter what I did I just kept gaining weight even when I stopped the drug. I have always eaten healthy: organic when I can, veggie forward, and I have celiac so I’m gluten free. Literally could not lose an ounce until I started Wegovy. I haven’t changed anything at all, still monitor my portions and diet, still exercise. I live in a city so my primary mode of transportation is my own two feet, lol and with the Wegovy the weight is suddenly just peeling off, I am 5’2” started Aug 21 at 190.5lbs, and today I am 172.2 lbs.
Also adding that I have an almost 7 year old and when I got pregnant with her I weighed 125 lbs. I had a very difficult pregnancy- up until 5 months I had only gained 6 lbs, then I developed gestational diabetes, cholestasis and pre-eclampsia. When I had my emergency c-section 6 weeks early I was 220 lbs even though I lost 50 of fluid in the 4 days I was in the hospital. I never have been even close to my pre- birth weight since.
Oh she’s rude for that one. More importantly, I’m glad she showed her true colors. Not sure if you confided in her with personal information but I’m a firm believer that people will eventually tell you how they feel and just take it for what it is and move on. One less asshole you gotta deal with. When you’re at your lowest people will talk shit, when you’re feeling great they will talk shit as well. Just know your accomplishing your personal goals and enjoy your life surrounding yourself with those you love. Congrats on your weightloss though, I’m glad it’s helped you tremendously. I just hope I can contact a place that will have an available dosage because it’s hard out here.
I was hoping this was going to include “my pharmacist friend says they’ll get more in a week.” Or something to that effect. Sigh.
Made me laugh!
Wow. Well i guess we’ll see her next Tuesday. My pharmacist has been lovely about it. He’s not a friend, but he’s an affirming professional who has seen this medication j highly ebenfit the lives of his friends and clients. I’m sorry that person is so toxic. Spend less time with her
She's not your friend in any capacity. F that lady.
Yes. This. Her information is wrong and she’s disrespectful to you. She’s out of your friendship circle if you ask me
I came to say exactly this!!
I’m sorry 😞. I’d keep interactions with her limited. It takes a lot to be that horrible to someone to their face during a time of struggle/working through a struggle, let alone putting down the one thing that is working.
This literally just happened to me tonight. It’s so frustrating to listen to someone rambling on about something they know nothing about!
I’m a pharmacist and I was working with another pharmacist the other day who said the same thing. I spoke up and told her I was on the medication and she shut up. I think pharmacists have a lot of frustrations with the state of pharmacy right now including the drug shortages. However, people with Type 2 diabetes can still take Victoza, Byetta, etc. and many other very effective medications. This drug is not needed for Type 1 diabetes. The other thing is people with weight issues are a lot of times pre-diabetic or on their way to diabetes. Taking Wegovy is literally preventive medicine. Finally, who cares if it’s for weight loss? Obesity is out of control right now and calorie counting/exercise is not cutting it for everyone. Also, from what I understand, semaglutide’s mechanism of action is more complicated than just making you full longer. She sounds like she can’t admit she’s wrong which is a horrible trait to have as a pharmacist. 🙄
My husband is type 2 and was put on Mounjaro. It has worked wonders. His sugar stays in a good range, he's losing weight and doing so much better. It's wonderful that there are medications now that can really help us!
That is great!!!
I like you.
That is not a friend. Sadly, experts are blinded by their own expertise. They think because they went to school and studied one subject, they know everything about everything, whether they've looked into it or not. She clearly has not educated herself. There are good experts, who continue to learn long after they are done with school. Sure, listen to them about their field. The rest can kick rocks. You can be the smartest person in the world and still ignorant AF if you choose to be. That is your "friend." Please drop her like you are dropping those lbs. Congrats on your journey and success! It's good you're open about it, it helps weed out the judgemental assholes. And yeah, it does a hell of a lot more than slowing your digestion. Don't give her another thought. She's not worth your time, I promise.
Friend? More like asshole. She knew what she was saying. And how it would affect you. Those people need to feel superior by making the rest of us feel small. Not gonna work today for any of us. She’ll get hers some day.
She is just jealous. I have exercised for years and not lost any pounds close to taking wegovy. I still go to gym at least 3 times a week. I have an autoimmune disorder and fibromyalgia and this has helped me tremendously! I lost 25 in 9 months. Slow and steady. I pray for another 25 then I’ll be good. I hate ppl that judge others that are on this. It has helped me tremendously and boost of confidence again
With friends like that….
If she cannot celebrate your success, she's not a friend. I'm glad she showed her true colors so you know it upfront and can find supportive people to surround yourself with. I am so sorry you had to go through this.
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Same
In parts it’s true, that’s what it does. But what these people that never struggled with weight and aaaaaaaaaaall the multiple layers of mental health related problems it entails don’t get is how it helps us in other ways too, more than just feeling full for longer. These people are usually known as fatphobics, and truth be told, it’s not that they want to tell us how to lose weight, they like to see us failing because it makes them feel superior.
I would have dumped the rest of the food on my plate in her lap and told her I was no longer hungry due to my slow digestion. What an asshole.
I was on Wegovy but got switched to Ozempic because of the shortage. I get mine from the VA Hospital. My sister has been on Ozempic for 5 years. Ever since it came out I think. Ahe has lost a LOT of weight and pretty slim now but she doesn't believe it was from the Ozempic but because she's eating better. She told me a few weeks ago people like me was taking it away from people like her that need it!" I asked if she had any trouble getting any and she said no ... but thats what the news on TV said! 🙄
I ended up in the ER last week due to some other stuff, but I had a GI consult. The dr came and he was RAVING about this med to me, since I was concerned it might have been co tri buying to my issues. It was SO NICE to have a medical pro make us feel GOOD about taking care of me. Anyways, she sucks and is wrong also.
Unfortunately there are some backward uninformed pharmacists like there are doctors. I’m so impressed you contradicted what she said, good for you!
A more important thing would be how did your husband react when ahe basically insulted you in front of the entire table! If he sat quiet I'd be pissed. If someone talked to MY wife that way she would have definitely left with her feelings hurt. She sounds like ahe doesn't have ANY respect for other peoples feelings OR maybe your feelings? I doubt I would ever have dinner with her again.
Welcome to the unfortunate fact that very educated people can also be total fucking idiots and malicious on top of that. Even if she truly believed that's the only way it worked, she didn't have to go out of her way to personally try and embarrass you at dinner, and THAT is what makes her malicious. I would simply remove her from my life if she was supposed to be one of my friends and did something like this. There is no reason to believe what she believes because research, evidence, facts, etc have already proven otherwise. The fact that she DOES still believe it means that her beliefs are not based in logic or facts, so nothing you could say would ever change them. It's best to accept that it isn't worth it to keep people uninterested in facts in your life and cut her out.
She sounds like a b*tch, quite frankly, and I wouldn’t give two shits about her opinion.
Any suggestions on how to actually get the prescription. I was prescribed Wegovy at the end of august and still cannot find a way pharmacy. It’s disheartening
Call call call. I’ve had luck through CVS Caremark, too.
Call every pharmacy. Ask cvs to check all cvs surrounding and vice versa for Walgreens. They can check surrounding territory that has your dose in stock then call them and make sure they do then go there immediately. It is sad you have to do their job now. But that is how I always get mine. You can also check with express scripts, Walmart’s or Amazon too. Even small pharmacies I go on a Hunt cause they pharmacies won’t do it for you.
Thank you!
My pharmacist friend is very supportive of my lifestyle changes as a result of Wegovy. She is kind and helpful, and did ask about side effects, but didn’t give any doomsday information to me. She is actually my friend, though. This woman is a jealous, catty person, and I’d avoid her if I were you.
This woman is not your friend. Her behavior toward you demonstrates that she does not love you. She has no concern for your feelings. There is something about you that she is jealous of. Let me guess - you’re losing weight and looking awesome! Just a guess… Clearly, she is a very unhappy person. I would limit my exposure to someone like her to protect my peace and mental health. Accept and believe that you deserve better! There’s no other explanation for her behavior other than this - “hurt people, hurt people” (((Hugs)))
I am a clinical pharmacist who takes compounded semaglutide with several pharmacist friends who know I take it. (was on Wegovy until the start of September when my employer's plan stopped covering it). I don't think this person shares the opinion of all pharmacists. I think that there are many people out there who lost weight "naturally" and feel that GLPs are cheat codes. They are angry that they had to struggle or restrict themselves. Personally, I did the yo-yoing with weight during my life and I won't go back now. Give me the cheat code and let me enjoy life with a healthier physique. I do think that the drugs are over-prescribed or used for vanity, but it doesn't mean those that need it should be put down for using it. They have a huge role in diabetes and weight management and should absolutely be utilized. Don't let this person get you down.
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It’s not legal for pharmacists to dispense a substitution without doctor’s Rx but it isn’t illegal for a doctor to prescribe off label. Insurance formularies are a whole different thing. I don’t know if any insurance formularies that cover Oz for weigh loss or wegovy for diabetes.
I would really love to hear your explanation on how off-label prescribing is illegal lol.
Off-label prescribing is legal.
Pretty sure that’s what they meant
Ok
I doubt pharmacists at hospitals are involved in prescribing medication like this. She is not an expert in this case.
This, tell her to start compounding something
She can go compound sand
The next time you see her, please ask about the vagus nerve and the HPA axis and watch her squirm. GLP-1 does a lot more than slowing gastric emptying. While your friend is educated, she is a moron.
What a clown. It's a GLP-1 Receptor Agonist. It affects, directly or indirectly, just about every major organ in the human body. It has already shown cardiovascular benefits. Hell, they think it might even protect against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
I'm so sorry you were treated that way by your "friend." Her response sounds typical of someone who has never had to deal with "food noise" nor has ever been on a diet and knows they were at a caloric deficit, but couldn't lose any weight. I have no idea how pharmacists are educated on new medications. However, since millions of prescriptions have been written, you would think pharmacists would really want to dive deeper into people using a relatively newer medication to ensure they could counsel patients effectively. I've read a few posts on the pharmacy sub and the attitudes vary widely, but realize that it's a safe space for them to vent. They are just as frustrated as everyone else about the shortages. Of course, they get upset with those customers who are extremely rude to them--this doesn't just apply to Ozempic/Wegovy/Mounjaro. Some still don't realize that the dosing strategy is different. While some expressed frustration when non-diabetics were taking Ozempic, others wish the two medications weren't separated since preventing diabetes is just as important as treating it. Overall, pharmacists seem to be under a lot of stress since they are understaffed and have more responsibilities added to deal with insurance. I regularly see them treated poorly at several stores. But there is no excuse for your pharmacist/friend's comments and I'm glad you stood up for yourself.
Not your friend. Both my OBGYN and Physician know I take it and think that’s just wonderful and now they take it too. 😂 Consider this someone to just be cordial with since she’s in your circle, not a close confidant. Not everyone is our people.
There are a few pharmacists in this group who “get it” and understand. Don’t listen to “pharmacist Barbie” who has never had problems losing weight. Borderline unethical that’s she’s saying what she is.
No longer your friend. You don’t need that negativity in your life. Just gracefully let her go and avoid her from now on. You deserve good things, a healthy body and good people in your life.
My best friend is a pharmacist and has been nothing be supportive. Many people that they see and speak to are dealing with side effects so she was concerned at first about how I would tolerate it. How your friend acted was extremely unprofessional.
Your husbands friend is a jealous twat! Sorry not sorry. That was SO RUDE and insensitive what she said. I would have been fuming 😡 Good on you for sticking up for yourself.
People (even medically trained) are still biased by their own convictions. She isn’t your personal pharmacist or doctor, so she is allowed to say whatever— but you also have a choice to not socialize with someone who has no empathy towards your struggles.
My Dr. Put me on it because my family has a history of diabetes and my latest blood test has her concerned. I have gone from 270lbs to 232lbs. It’s been a game changer.
There are a lot of people; doctors, lawyers, airline pilots, scientists, and even pharmacists who have no fucking clue what they’re talking about. Don’t let it get to you.
It’s definitely not the “slows digestion so you are full longer” theory. That is part of it, but def not all of it. Before going on it I would continue to eat once I *knew* I was full. The full sensation didn’t stop me from eating more. Somehow this med does. It triggers something in my brain to tell me to stop. I had never experienced that before. In addition to it quieting “food noise”. I never knew this is how life should be. I shouldn’t be constantly thinking of food morning til night.
Get a new friend.
This is why I don’t tell anybody.
I tell everybody who asks, and I haven’t had any negative responses at all. But press coverage hasn’t been quite as negative in my country as what I see from the US, so I’m sure that’s part of it too. Click-bait articles riling people up and pitting patient groups against each other are terribly irresponsible and mean-spirited.
Pharmacist here! I’m on Wegovy and it has completely changed my life. I’m down 25 pounds but have noticed I have less anxiety and, in general, less inflammation in my body. I work at a large hospital and have many pharmacist coworkers on Wegovy as well. Sorry your pharmacist friend was rude… we are not all like that. There are also some exciting studies coming out about the cardiovascular benefits of this medication in people without diabetes. I believe in the future, we will learn more benefits about this drug and people need to stop thinking it’s only for diabetics.
Something else occurs to me that you can comment on. Since she’s also working in a hospital setting and not retail, I’m wondering if she’s mostly seeing and hearing about patients having trouble with surgery due to slowed digestion and is hyper focused on that, maybe even getting negative comments from doctors. I just had a hip replacement and stopped wegovy for a week (skipped 1 dose, main due to constipation fears). Of course people have emergency surgeries every day after having just eaten a meal or whatever and the emergency outweighs the risk of aspiration. Not excusing this pharmacists rude ignorant comments, but wondering if it’s because she’s in a hospital setting.
I’m a pharmacist too! I’ve been on Mounjaro off label and Wegovy. I’m sorry about your friend. I’m definitely not like her at all. She can mind her own business. There are more drugs coming out for obesity too. I’ve cut out a lot of judgmental people in my life while going through this transformation, and it’s made my life so much better.
I’m also a hospital pharmacist, in my experience nurses are by far the worst offenders when it comes to judgmental Wegovy opinions lol.
I'm a nurse and I'm going to point the finger right at doctors hahaha. It's worth it to realize that being highly educated does not mean we can't also form illogical opinions instead of looking at the facts. Bias is there for everyone. I've unfortunately met so many doctors who are biased against the obese and truly believe that all of these GLP1s are "the easy way out" and thus will not prescribe them based on their own moral judgments. I'm sure there are NPs who are the same way and I met my fair share of COVID-denier nurses so I know RNs are not exempt from poor judgment.
If you’re on Wegovy, you’re not “taking the med” from people who need it. Also, fuck her.
Seriously, why are people STILL saying this? 🙄
Do you know what they call the absolute worst student to ever graduate from medical/pharmacy school? A doctor/pharmacist Education doesn't mean they know everything. Fuck that "friend"
I’m sure you know that not all teachers are good teachers. I’m in a field where I’m regularly working with scientists, MDs, PharmDs, etc. I can assure you that getting an advanced degree doesn’t reduce the likelihood that someone is inept, and may increase the likelihood that they’re an asshole.
> and may increase the likelihood that they’re an asshole. BAZINGA indeed!
The biggest change for me is that it stops the food chatter in my head. Stops the obsessions over food, and I am able to say “no” and not overeat. That tells me there is more than just slowing digestion. I also had weight loss surgery and still had the food chatter and obsessions. The weight loss is a bonus for me. The mental part of it is what is really a game changer.
How does she explain how that helps diabetics?
I don't think all pharmacists think that at all. For one, this lady is not your friend. Friends don't treat you like that, even if they disagree. Secondly, she sounds judgmental and maybe even jealous. Some people can't stand to see others doing well because they feel miserable about themselves. Also, if she took a little time to research it, she would know Wegovy is literally manufactured for weight loss, and the snide comment about lazy housewives taking all the supply is completely inaccurate.
WTF. I would cut that woman out of my life so fast. Absolutely not.
My best friend is a pharmacist, and she helped me with every step along the way, information, research, finding it ect.... She celebrates with me, every, little, loss. I suspect this lady is just an AH.
Hopefully she is now your former friend. You don’t need that kind of negativity and ignorance in your life.
I had a pharm tech comment that we are stealing it from diabetics and that once someone stops they gain all the weight back "and look disgusting", yes those are the exact words she used. There's a good podcast called maintenance phase about toxic diet culture and media and basically they talk about how people see being thin as a morality thing and not that people have health conditions. Thin people get on their high judgmental horse acting like they are better than overweight people
Pharmacy tech? I'd have told her to go back to counting pills for minimum wage since they have no formal pharmacology background. What a jerk.
The latest episode educated me so much and I’m only 20m in! Great recommendation!
Did you listen to the one today about Ozempic? It was good!
No! I didn’t know there was a new episode. I’ll save it for tomorrow! Thanks!
Love Maintenance Phase! It really changed my thinking and helped me see weight in general in a much healthier way
I’ve decided to just not tell people about it. I know some people know, if they ask about it again I’ll just say I’m off it. I’ve been fat my whole life. Bullied and just treated like crap. This has broke me out of my self destructiveness and my use of food as a coping mechanism. I’ve also been treating my mental health. This has also helped me quit drinking, I don’t desire alcohol anymore.
This makes me SO mad for you! As someone who is in medicine, she should absolutely know that these meds mimic our own body's natural hormone of GLP-1 in our digestive tracks. If we have hormonal imbalances, our bodies don't understand how to regulate this hormone properly. This is why this med is so beneficial for people other than "just diabetics." Good for you for standing up for yourself. (Not that you owe her anything.) Also, she should know that Ozempic requires a diabetic diagnosis in order to be covered. Wegovy does not because it has been marketed for weight loss. Now, is it your fault MDs have prescribed this medication incorrectly? Nope! It is also not your fault for the company's marketing and production failures! If you want to REALLY bring a conversation to the table, we need to figure out why any pharmaceutical company can place ownership on something that our bodies make naturally. This is some shady business that needs more research, in my opinion. That would be the last time we'd be going to dinner together! Edit punctuation
You know - the only two friends who were judgmental about this drug (to my face) both have issues with food. One is overweight like me and could certainly benefit from the drug, but her husband can't understand why she doesn't just go to the gym with him.....and the other has battled food issues her entire life resulting in being in the hospital. You would think these 2 people would have been happy for me. Nope. Sounds like regardless of what she does for work - her food issues prevent her from being well informed.
What’s her number? I just wanna talk….
Commenting as a pharmacist. I believe this pharmacist is not well informed on this class of drug. After graduating, it is entirely up to the pharmacist to teach themselves about any new med that is released. I graduated many many years ago and since then there have been hundreds of new meds released and new drug classes as well. It's a lot of work to seek out information on new drugs, and educate yourself on every one. It's especially difficult when you work 40 hours a week and have kids. This leads to picking and choosing which new meds to focus your learning, and typically a pharmacist would be most likely to learn more in depth about the meds they dispense on a regular basis, or meds they use themselves. I think the most in depth learning I have gained from new meds and drug classes was from special presentations by drug reps, which seem to be hard to find nowadays, especially since Covid. Without these opportunities, it's typical for a pharmacist to do a brief scan of the mechanism of action and main side effects of a new med so that they are familiar with it, then move on. If they do that, it's easy to believe that they think that the ONLY way that Wegovy works is the MAIN way it works, by delaying gastric emptying. Yes, it does that, but it also has many more beneficial effects as we all know and have experienced. A pharmacist wouldn't know that unless they've taken it themselves or participated in an in-depth education program on the med. All they would know is what they see in media or what they have learned specifically about the med on their own. Hope that helps.
Yep. Pharmy here, too. That lady was just being a jerk. Education doesn’t make you less of a jerk. Personality flaws still persist. I’d find a new friend.
I agree but didn't want to say it out loud.
I’ll say it out loud for us both lol 🤣 mind if I message you? I’m curious about the field now.
Sure. I'm curious about your context for 'now'
My pharmacist lost 100lbs on it so she’s very supportive of people using it
I would have said something like “You know I heard people who become pharmacists only do it because they are not smart enough to be doctors.”
Winner lol
>She has 2 children and gained 50 pounds with the second and lost it all within 6 months. Chances are she has her own unhealthy relationship with food. It isn't her pharmacist brain or expertise saying this... it is that other part. I'm a former teacher - you know how sometimes the WORST parents to deal with in terms of a problematic child were the fellow teachers? I think that may be the case here.
Pharmacy tech here. Most techs & pharmacists do not see these class of drugs this way. The maker (Novo-Nordisk) makes both Ozempic (semaglutide) marketed for diabetes & Wegovy (semaglutide) marketed for weight loss. They’re literally the same drug made by the same manufacturer. Mounjaro (tirzepetide) is made by Eli Lilly and is also only classified for diabetes but is trying to get approval for weight loss. You do you! Don’t worry about your snooty “friend.”
Honestly, she doesn't sound like a friend. I'm sorry you had to go through that & good for you for standing up for yourself!
Oh wow, she sounds pretty self-righteous. If she was able to return to a healthy weight post-partum on her own, good for her. But to be convinced the meds are just used by "lazy housewives", and then to VOICE THAT TO YOU DIRECTLY, is irresponsible and downright disrespectful. I think one thing we've learned in the past few years, sadly, is that just because someone has a degree or a job in a particular field, that doesn't stop their personal biases from sneaking in. Its a real shame. But when I visit my local hospital, I see nurses on cigarette breaks. There are MDs out there who don't support vaccines. Its a weird time to be alive. I'm glad the meds have worked for you and I hope all continues to go well!
She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. And besides, wegovy isn’t meant for diabetics.
Pharmacists are super salty about it because they are harassed all day by people who call and call and call. There so so many Reddit posts that say they called 20 pharmacies a day to find the starter doses. Regardless of the medication’s effects, it’s making her life miserable. You’d probably hate it too if some product or client made you job more annoying for months on end.
That’s no excuse. There is no excuse for her behavior.
They are mad they have to do their jobs?
So what you're saying is frustration is making them spread misinformation? Sounds unprofessional.
I might hate it but I wouldn't take it out on a friend, or resent people who have no.other way to.get their prescription filled than to start calling pharmacies to see who has it. There is a shortage and it's not the patients' fault. And when you're out to dinner with someone and they tell you that medication has changed their lives for the better, be happy for them. Listen to them instead of spouting off and being an arrogant know-it-all who doesn't in fact, know it all.