By Candis Morello and Parisa Karimian
updated 8/1/22
In December 2017, Ozempic (semaglutide) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Combined with eating healthy meals and regular activity, Ozempic may be used alone or with other diabetes medications. Ozempic is the 4th once-weekly glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) medication to enter the market after Bydureon (exenatide extended release), Trulicity (dulaglutide), and Tanzeum (albiglutide). Ozempic is expected to be launched in the U.S. by the spring, shortly before Tanzeum’s discontinuation from the market due to issues with sales. Ozempic sets itself apart from other once-weekly GLP-1 RAs by demonstrating the quickest and greatest effect in reducing blood glucose and body weight in studies. In addition, a pill version of Ozempic is now under evaluation in clinical trials.
How Does Ozempic Work?
Similar to the other once-weekly products, Ozempic is a GLP-1 RA. Even though it is synthetic, it acts similarly to the hormone GLP-1 naturally produced by the body that is deficient in people with T2D. It promotes the pancreas to release insulin (only when glucose values are elevated), makes people feel fuller faster so they tend to eat less, and reduces the amount of glucose made by the liver. Overall glucose concentrations are better controlled throughout the day and after meals, and most people lose some weight.
How is Ozempic Used?
Ozempic comes in easy-to-use prefilled disposable injector pens of 0.5mg, 1 mg or 2mg strengths. Since Ozempic has a long half-life (about seven days), it only needs to be given once per week. Select one day of the week (like Sunday, as an example) and make that your Ozempic day. To help you remember, you can mark your calendar or set a reminder alarm in your phone.
If you miss your day and remember within five days, administer it as soon as possible and set that day of the week as your NEW Ozempic day. If it is less than two days away from your next dose, wait the two days to administer.
Choose an administration site on your stomach (at least two inches away from your belly button), thigh, or upper arm. After uncapping the pen place the pen tip against your skin. Now, you are ready to press the injection button. Keep the button pressed down for 5-10 seconds to ensure complete dose delivery. Each week use a different injection site or rotate within that side. Each pen only contains four doses. Once empty, dispose the pen in a sharps container. New pens should be stored in a refrigerator, away from light in the original box.
What Can You Expect from Ozempic?
Ozempic improves both fasting and post-prandial (after meal) blood glucose concentrations; however, based on its long-acting formulation, it has a stronger effect on fasting plasma glucose. You can expect your A1c to reduce by about 1.2- 1.8%, depending on the weekly dosage used. Ozempic, like other GLP-1 RAs, is associated with low risk of low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). One benefit of Ozempic is weight loss up to 13 lbs, which is considerably greater than reports from other GLP-1 RAs on the market.
Additionally, data from the clinical studies suggest that Ozempic reduces risk of cardiovascular problems including stroke and heart attack. Longer-term trials will confirm these benefits.
Like other GLP-1 RAs, a common side-effect of Ozempic is the slowing down of stomach emptying. In addition, mild to moderate stomach upset and nausea may occur. These symptoms usually go away within a few weeks from starting Ozempic. To reduce the indigestion symptoms, eat smaller food portions throughout the day.
Is Ozempic Right for You?
Before starting Ozempic, you and your provider will want to discuss your medical and family history. Specifically discuss if you have problems with your pancreas or kidneys, have a history of diabetic retinopathy, are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, have any history of severe gastrointestinal (GI) disease, thyroid cancer, or family history of thyroid cancer. Getting an annual dilated eye exam is also recommended. Also, be sure to inform your provider of all prescriptions, over-the-counter, and herbal medications that you are taking, to avoid any interactions.
The Bottom Line:
Compared with other GLP-1 RAs, Ozempic is a strong A1c reducer with the added benefits of moderate weight loss and possible cardiovascular protection. The results of future studies will provide clinicians with more insightful information of which once-weekly GLP-1 RA is best for each individual patient. Consult with your provider to see if adding Ozempic is the next beneficial step to reach your personal glucose goals.
Additional Resources:
Can Medications Like Ozempic and Mounjaro Reduce Belly Fat?
Cardiovascular Benefits of SGLT2 Inhibitors & GLP-1 RAs
Do GLP-1s and SGLT2s Affect Insulin Use, and Do They Cause Hypoglycemia?
A Dose of Dr. E: Curbside Consult on Type 2 Medications
Practical Tips for Weight Management
About the Authors:
- Parisa Karimian, 4th Year Student Pharmacist at UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
- Candis M. Morello, Pharm D, CDE, FCSHP, FASHP, Associate Dean for Student Affairs at UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Clinical Pharmacist Specialist at VASDHS.
im interested with this cause im a type2 diabetic. And insulin dependent for 25 years . and i do shots twice a day
Glad it’s helpful info for you Yvette, and something to discuss with your doctor if you’re interested.
I have been taking Ozempic for over a year and my A1C is below 5. I’ve lost over 40 lbs and I’ve suffered thru the side effects and finally feel human again.
I had my next EpiPen refilled today and the cost had jumped from 47.00 per mth. with insurance to 164.00. I will not be able to afford this amt monthly and will probably discontinue using when this pen is empty. I would like to know the side effects of discontinuing using this medicine.
What does the EpiPen have to do with Ozempic?
He called it an epipen but he just meant the pen. Simple mistake
I think their reference to the EpiPen is actually referring to the prefilled Ozempic pen. It is very similar in appearance to an EpiPen.
I use an ozempic discount card. I pay $25 a pen. Ask your Dr. or see if you can find any info on Google.
Yes but if you have Medicare you are not allowed to use the card. I do not understand how this could possibly be fair
What card do you have. I just paid $297 for mine
There may be a discount card available to get it at a reduced rate. For a while I was unemployed and without insurance. My Dr. gave me the information for getting a discount card. I would provide it here, but no longer have it.
Get the manufacturer coupon going. If you have commercial insurance you can get a 90 day supply for 25$! It’s the only way I can afford it. Once it’s activated it’s good for a year I believe and then you can always get another started.
i have commercial ins & got a manf. coupon but i have to pay $75 for 90days. what coupon do you have that’s $25
The discount doesn’t apply if you are on Medicare. I’m paying $200 a month
Medicare doesn’t cover and I’m on a fixed income. It costs about 6-7 hundred a month. I think I’m screwed.
Also, I have zero problems with this drug, and been taking it about 3 yrs. I just moved up to 1mg per week. My A1C is 6.3. I thought all was good. I. Type 2
I thought I could deal with the side effects of this medication but recently became too sick. Now I just read it could take 5 weeks to leave my body ugh! My doctor is looking for an alternative but who knows? I think it is a good idea but way too much for most people to deal with
Hi Pauline, I’m sorry you are sick. Can you tell mw what your symptoms are?
I feel the same way. And I just started a new job as well as this medication and so far I went 11 days without pooping. Also I have thrown up just about everyday. My work is not going to continue letting me leave early or not showing up at all. And my doctor told me that I would only feel nausea if I over ate. I don’t over eat by the way. I am allergic to janument. It also made me vomit for months before they found out it was that medication. I can’t loose this job. I have a family. I just wish I would have researched this out more before I took it.
Yes I ate Alfredo the other day been sick in bathroom for 2 days stomach shaking pure yellow coming out my body sick as a dog weak try stay hydrated
Contact the manufacturer and share your dilemma with them.
Call the maker of Ozempic they might be able to help with lowering the cost do to financial hardship. Good luck! What a great med, my A1c is below 5 too.😊
How long before the side affects stopped? It’s been almost three months for me of feeling g sick. Not sure how long I can do this for
Really the side effects should only last about two weeks. If you were my patient (which you are not) I would decrease the dose to a level that did not cause any symptoms.
If your on Medicare or other insurance..but not medicaid u can get it for 25 month call the company..my sister only pays 25 for it monthly also rx will help pay..
hi I have been on this Ozempic for 7 weeks and I feel very sick with a tummy ache should I just stick with it of stop
started on Friday, nauseous all day Saturday, finally got sick in the p.m. also slept most of Saturday.Felt better after that. Nauseous again Sunday. ugh I hope it stops but I can see why you’d eat less,lol.
I took it for three weeks. Just stopped it this week because I was constantly in the bathroom. I couldn’t keep anything in my system and lost ten pounds in two weeks from that aspect alone. It was making it impossible to work, even though I work from home. Now to see how long it takes for the side effects to stop….
I read posts about people injecting less than what was prescribed (8 clicks on pen instead of .25 mg (17 clocks) then moving up only a few clicks up each week instead of another .25mga (17 clocks) as you are able to tolerate the drug to reach your lower glucose levels. I wish doctors would recommend this approach since everybody’s body is so different. I asked the Dr for a sample of the lifestyle 2 continues glucose monitoring system to help me monitor glucose levels instantly without having to pull out test strips and a meter while at work. Another patient wrote that their Dr prescribed zofran for the nausea. The best of luck. Going to start my ozempic tomorrow. I struggled with nausea using Victoza. Want to prevent that feeling if possible.
I might have to try that. My Dr. doubled my dose of Ozempic as it didn’t lower my A1C “quick enough”. Now I get the gas, heart burn and irritable bowels. I was fine on Victoza. Makes me wonder if Doctors are worth it anymore. I end up doing a lot of self diagnosis with better outcome.
I’m on my seventh week. Initially I was nauseous for a few days afterward, now I am nauseous on the day the shot is due and the next day. After that, it only seems to occur if I may a bad choice on food.
Regarding the constipation, I had problem when I first started taking Metformin Extended Release and so I take a Pepcid with the tablet at night and 1/2 of an anti-diarrheal dose and then in the morning I take a dose of 2 chews of Fiber Well (similar to Metamucil). On just the Metformin alone it evened out restroom habits, but the Ozempic has made me occasionally have to take additional Pepcid or more Fiber Well chews on certain days.
Starting my first dose tonight at .25. Very nervous as I got super sick after taking victoza and had to quit using it. Trying the sample from my doctor before filling my prescriptions
I got very sick on Victoza as well but doing ok on ozempic but still taking .25 This works so far a1c is down and have lost some weight. Not increasing dose until nausea gone. Just mild nausea one or two times a week. And it works!
I began Ozempic 2 weeks ago and just took my 3rd injection of .25. I am having all of the normal side effects (constipation/Gastroparesis, nausea, headaches) but want to try to push thru. I’m having foot surgery on the day that I am scheduled to increase my dose to .5, but would like to delay in the increase until I get thru the worst of the surgery. My pen only came with 6 needles, so can you tell me how you got the extra needles needed to extend the lower dose? Thank you!
How long did the side effects last after stopping Ozempic? I have been terribly sick with nausea and fisheries I can’t even hardly eat.
Victoza and Trulicity both made me really sick, so I was hesitant about ozempic already. Good call. I didn’t handle it well at all. Just stopped it. I have IBS so I think I just cannot tolerate these drugs.
I have IBS too and I end up cramping severely and vomiting and in the bathroom way too much. I think people with gastro issues already should stay away from these kinds of drugs.
Thank you
I’ve been searching for an answer from someone with IBS.
I want to lose weight was needing this answer
I have IBS as well and I seem to be the exception to the rule, I have been on Ozempic for a couple of months now and almost all of my IBS issues have cleared up!
As a type 2 diabetic I suggest that you try to reduce your insulin as much as possible as it directly causes weight gain. This was epic and these other types of drugs that support your pancreas are much better for you health-wise.
It is not good it has made my boyfriend unable to walk . Tired all the time, confused saying or asking the same thing over and over.
Correct. I find it is pretty useless does nothing for my blood sugar no weight loss and my legs feel like lead
It has helped my blood sugar but it has caused me to gain weight. Tired all the time
It is a miracle drug for me. Been on it for 8 months and have lost 56 pounds! It will make you feel really full causing you not to overeat and it also suppresses my appetite.
I have been sleeping a lot more and my feet feel heavy. Im also very nauseous but it has helped weight loss and lowered my fasting numbers a lot.
David, my legs feel the same ,that is iron deficiency so my DR tells me.
I tried this drug for just 3 weeks. My body’s reaction to it was just awful. I broke out in an awful rash all over my body. I was doing a trial and when I spoke to the doctor at the office he told me it was psoriasis and had nothing to do with the drug. I asked my GP to refer me to a dermatologist and he did. I went to Toronto Dermatology and she told me it was not psoriasis and she took a biopsy and sent it off to the lab and the labe confirmed it was not psoriasis but would not rule out an allergic reaction to the drug. I was given some cream for a month and when I went back to see her most of the “so-called psoriasis had gone away but left dark marks all over my body”. I kept up using the cream and all the breakouts have gone away but some of the dark spots still remain. Because I had a major breakout on my scalp, half of my hair has fallen out and keeps falling. I did report this whole experience to Health Canada and am now speaking to a lawyer because the severity of the allergic reaction was not explained to me. I found it by searching Ozemping online. One site to visit https://www.ozempic.com/what-to-expect/side-effects.html. Ozempic causes serious allergic reactions. Could also be fatal according to their spec sheet.
my grandmother experienced severe eye sight loss from this drug:/
I was taking Ozempic. 25 then went up to .50 I kept noticing red looking bumps. Like bug bites. I started the Ozempic in February and by June and July had to go to ER because the hives got so bad. I was covered head to toe. Every place on my body itched. I cause the bumps to bleed and scar because I itched really hard because I couldn’t stand it. It affected my white blood cells and platelets so the doctor took me off and I have to see a hematologist to see why my body is trying to fight off an infection and where is it. Plus the prednisone raised my sugar but got rid of hives. It was a nightmare just to lose 20 pounds and gain back 10 with prednisone. Now I am on trulicity and here come the bumps again slowly like last time. I guess I just can’t take these kinds of meds period. I looked so pathetic with all the rash every where and scratching and scratching at work they thought I had fleas or some other type of bug.
Wow. I too have what they call full body psoriasis. I didn’t take my injection yesterday as I felt it could be at fault.
The doctor started me on Ozempic three weeks ago and I have never been more miserable in my life. I have constant diarreah and GERD. It has taken away my will to live and I just feel miserable and I don’t want to get out of bed. Prior to Ozempic I was walking 3-5 miles a day and I was active in the garden and I was cycling almost every day. Now I am housebound because I have to be near a toilet because I don’t know when I will have to go. I’m not going to to take it anymore. I used to consider myself very healthy but now I feel like an old man and I’m losing my will to live. I have aches and pains which I did not have before. Now I have fatigue and constant stomach upset. I’ve lost all my energy (maybe because I’m not eating.) I think whoever created this semaglutide is an evil scientist who wants to punish people with diabetes. It can’t be true but that’s how I feel.
Hi. I had similar experiences but not quite as severe. I’m still in the process of “working out” the problems. I’ve been on it for about two months now. Last week I decided to just take the half dose and I immediately felt hungry again, tomorrow I’ll be returning to the full 1mg dose.
It’s a shame that it takes me being nauseated to not over eat from using insulin. Before starting Ozempic I had gained 50 lbs. by taking insulin. I’ve lost 25 since Ozempic
Nancy
I dont have diabetes but dr. Gave it to me for weight loss on it 3 months lost 15.lbs my side effects is blurred vision will that go away
Same here! I’ve been sick for almost 1.5 weeks since starting this. I am not coping! Nauseous, dizzy, sweating, stomach pain.
Ask for zofran. It could take a while to get used to it. Its great once u get over that hump.
Are you still dealing with those side effects
I also experienced severe nausea for the first three to four weeks, it was awful. But, I continued taking the weekly shot and the nausea subsided. I have been on it two month and I had to come off my insulin pump and insulin completely because my glucose levels kept dropping into the 40s. Also, my doctor increased my Jardiance dose from 10 mg to 20mg. Before taking Ozempic, my diabetes was very difficult to control. My A1c stayed between 12-14, and my doctor had to put me on RU 500 which is concentrated insulin that is 5 times stronger meaning 1 unit of RU 500 is equal to 5 units of long and short acting combo insulin . Before Ozempic, I was taking roughly 20-30 bolus units of (RU 500) three times a day, though my pump not to mention my constant basal rate injection. The reason for the high bolus was because I had to add 15% to suggested bolus just to keep my level in the mid 200. To put all that in perspective, I was taking roughy 300+ units of regular insulin a day and my diabetes was still uncontrolled. I am slightly over weight by 40 pounds, 38 years old and my eating habits were ok, soda is my weakness. I have been dealing with complications from open heart surgery with sternum non-union and wound healing problem which could have contributed to my uncontrolled diabetes. BUT, since starting Ozempic, and increasing my Jardiance dose my numbers are perfect, I haven’t seen anything over 180 and like I said no insulin. If you can push through the nausea till it subsides and your body does not have any other issues with Ozempic hang in there. My first three week were horrible, I was nauseas all day every day, which was made worse by acid reflux; but, I was able to push through and it has changed my life. It has caused moderate constipation; but, Miralx has helped with that. I do have to force myself to eat, because Ozempic has literally destroyed my appetite, and when I do eat after eating a 1/4 or less of my meal I’m full. Good Luck, the nausea does get better.
I have bad sulfur smelling burps and stomach pressure pain and bloating. It’s like I can’t eat at all some days it hurts too bad with the fullness and pain. Constant diarrhea and nausea, stomach bubbling all day long. I can say it has curbed by appetite because I’m too sick to eat most days . I am not on Ozempic for Diabetes but for weight loss I have PCOS
Ijust started ozempic and I feel miserable. Threw up twice yesterday for the first time. I can’t eat and I feel sicker because my stomach is empty.
what? he couldn’t walk?
Is your bf using steroids? Don’t sound like ozempic
It has made me feel so much better, my glucose levels have settled and I’ve lost over 20lbs, nothing comes close to it for me
My boyfriend having same problem this sucks need him off it!!!
Yes I’m stopping insulin because of weight gain
Anyone experiencing “egg burps” as well? I haven’t taken my metformin in months because of the same thing. I get nausea, diarrhea, and burps that taste like I ate hard boiled eggs… But haven’t. I hate eggs actually. And the sulphur taste is why. I think I’ll try smaller meals, but just wondering if I’m alone with the disgusting burps.
You are Not alone!!! I have had the sulfer burps, vomiting, diarrhea, sweats….. it took me forever to figure out what was going on. I was in so much pain. I’ve been on the shot for almost a year and this didn’t start until December. I’m just now seeing what it is
I have been on it for over a year. The first 2-4 months are really rough. I lost 40 lbs. My digestive system took a big hit and I thought I was dying. My doctors kept telling me to stick with it because my labs were looking good even though I was in so much pain. After the 4th month my stomach was better, used to the smaller portions. I now knew that red sauce and fried foods killed me. I adopted to the sulfur burps. Knew that they were stronger the first two days after the shot then they got lighter. The shot fills my stomach up with air so I don’t over eat. I don’t know where it comes from but I try to put the last bite in my mouth and I can’t. I’m worried though because I’ve been on it awhile and I’m scared I’m gonna start gaining again.
I am on 1mg shots I have sulfer burps the first 3 days after the shot and bad diarrhea those same 3 days It has lowered my a1c 4 points and I have lost 20 lbs been on it for a year I eat less on this medication. When active o lose weight now that I am off work due to covid shut downs I find myself less active and tired and gaining weight back I am going to try and walk the tred mill again while off
I have been on the 1mg dose now for two weeks. My injection day is Friday and I have found each of the two weeks that by Saturday night I am both extremely nauseated (occasionally to vomiting) and have severe (every 15-20 minutes) diarrhea. I also have these sulfur (egg burps) constantly. By mid-day Monday I feel relatively back to normal. I have lost 20 lbs. in the last two months, but I figure if I am missing roughly 6000 calories a week + water weight just from being sick. I am thrilled with the weight loss, but my weekends have been totally shot. Can someone tell me if this will eventually dissipate or is this the price I pay for better overall health?
Hi, I got Ozempic o.5 to try to lose the weight. One of the ways how it influences the weight is by slowing down the food digestion. One eats less as feel fuller.
I have slow digestion generally, so i lost nothing in 2 weeks.
On the other hand I did not vomit neither burped a lot.
But I smell.
My bf had noticed, he has sensitive nose.
Said I smell like urin or ammonium.
I tried to find out what causes it. Im a pharmacist, the change of odour is not mentioned at all as side effect so I did not connect it first.
But when I excluded all other factors I came to the conclusion it had to be Ozempic.
I have been using it for 2 weeks and I am considering not to carry on after I use my pen.
I read about side effects, not great.
On the other hand now I know much more.about Ozempic from the user point of view and can inform patients in a better way.
All I can say is at Ozempic is no miracle drug for weight loss as they try to marketing it.
It works maybe hand in hand with training and diet, not alone.
Good thing to rememeber when using it is better to eat small portions of food more often and drink a lot of water.
I have been on .25 for months and did okay but 2 weeks ago my Dr increased to .5 and I was okay the first week but now I feel like I am.dying. all the symptoms you expressed and more. Please tell me this will end I will not be taking it anymore but I have a baby and need to function, I have been like this for 8 days now. Tia
I am also getting the egg burps. I am only on week 2 but my work the gas is overwhelming. My numbers have drastically reduced though.
Ozempic has been doing wonders for my Diabetes Type 2. Sugars were higher in the morning even though my dinner meal was light. For a few months nothing I did would cause improvements. My endo recommend this medication and it has honestly changed everything. My glucose levels are usually less than 130 even after meal. This of course means I have to make healthy food choices and incorporate exercise. No complaints so far.
Sometimes change is necessary but thats something to discuss with your PCP or whoever your Healthcare provider is.
May want to take Pepcid twice daily, this helps unbelievably well
No burbs, just GAS!!!!
Omg! Yes! It’s so bad my family has to leave the room! This goes on for days at a time, why?? Also, Im coming off Victoza as it has stopped working after 2 years. I’ve heard and researched what to try next. Has anyone here tried Ozempic after victoza stopped working?
My husband is in week 2 and his A1c has gone up a lot, he too has the most disgusting egg burps his stomach rumbles all night and he is very bloated, tired and nauseous. It makes me worry because he had H pylori 15 years ago and almost bled out from an ulcer. The symptoms were similar.
I switched from Victoza because it stopped working after a couple of years. The first 3 months taking Ozempic it dropped my A1C from 8.1 to 6.8, if you can get past the horrible side effects they do subside after a bout a month and it’s totally worth it.
Yes, me! Ozempic working better than victoza!
Yes, I’ve come off victoza and moved to ozempic. I’m still getting side affects after a few months: burps,nausea, upset tummy, tiredness (really tired) however my sugars have drastically reduced, my appetite is pretty non existent and my weight has reduced. I’m sticking with ozempic for as long as the doctors allow (I know its an expensive drug on the NHS in the UK) the side affects are the worst I’ve had with any diabetes medication but the results are really good and for me, worth it!
I have now been taking Ozempic for over a year I’ve lost 37 lbs. I feel great and can now see past my stomach ☺️.
My A1C was 10.6 now 6.9
The only complaint I have is my navel area is hurting really bad. It’s been that way for approx 2 weeks. I’m thinking my maybe I need to shift the shot location on my left side. Just wandering if anybody else have had the issue of sore navel pains.
Me me! It stopped working over the summer so my doc put me on Ozempic. It was great being full so fast as I had just experienced 7+ weeks of being insatiably hungry All-the-time which I have never experienced in my life and had to literally tell myself when I could and could not eat. I had gained about 7 pounds those last couple of weeks. Ozempic dropped my intake to about 25-40 so was excited to weigh in after my first week to see I had gained a pound . Same with week 2 and 3. I’m ready to take my sixth week shot. But not excited that I’m that one person who doesn’t lose weight. I will say, my sugars are now beautiful. So that’s amazing. If I continue to gain weight I’ll go off all meds all together at the 12 week mark. I’ve been fighting being insulin resistant for 8 years (more likely 12 but it took forever for a diagnosis) and I’m fitter then ever and my diet is so much more healthy then way back then! Can anyone else shed some light on this?
I was on victoiza for 2 yrs . i lost weight than start gaining weight back . and i askes my doc about ozempic . i been on it for 2 mnths now . some days are good and some are bad with being sick . and i have been losing weight . but very hard to eat alot
Uggh I’m 41. This is day 12 for me and I’m nauseous and dizzy and had loose stool for the past 9 hours. The egg burps also started and I want to vomit but there’s no food in my tummy so just dry heaving. I also been having the most unbearable headaches. I don’t want to give up yet because my sugar was 100mg/dl yesterday. But I don’t know if I can handle these side effects.
I also dry heave, was thinking lowering my dosage from 1. to .75
I have been on Ozempic for a year, and the side effects aren’t that bad. This is my second time being pregnant and we lost the first baby early on. I just found out that you are supposed to stop taking Ozempic 2 months before getting pregnant. No one ever told us. Has anyone ever taken Ozempic in early pregnancy?
I just started on Ozempic. I took my 1st dose today and blood sugar went from 280 down to 97. I always have indigestion and gas all the time, so it’s nothing new for me. I hope this works on the long haul!
Headaches are caused from being dehydrated. Drink lots of water when starting this shot.
Less than a week on it so far and those same side effects are making me miserable, I really hope its worth it in the end.
So, I have been on Ozempic for about 6 months. My A1C dropped to normal levels and blood sugars are excellent. I have lost 60 lbs. However, I developed gastoparsis which is where your stomach will not release the food into the intestines or so slowly that the food ferments (rots) before it is released. At that point, my body thinks it has food poisoning. The symptoms are barf/egg burps, nausea, vomiting and horrific diarrhea for the next 12 hrs. This was happening about every 5-7 days and made me afraid to eat. Smaller meals did not help and there was no rhyme or reason to what I ate to when it would happen. It was awful. Finally, my endocrinologist said, “Well, Ozempic slows the stomach releasing and could be the cause. BINGO. Stopped the Ozempic and no more gastoparsis. Worst side effect ever and no amount of Zopharan or Fenigran would make the nausea stop. I hope this helps someone. 🙂
I am on day 11 and am giving up. I’ve been so sick and can’t leave the house for fear I’ll have horrible diarrhea. The worst is I eat almost nothing and still have diarrhea. I’m hoping that by not doing the next injection it will start to clear up. It’s terrible and I don’t recommend it.
Yes I’ve just started this medication and get all the side effects including the very loud and long burbs . Just hoping to lose the weight and hopefully these side effects will ease ?
I’ve lost 20 pounds. I started in Sept.2019. Started low and now am up to 1mg. I still get nauseated, so I take anti nausea med. But A1c is great. I still take metformin with it.
As soneone who has been on Ozempic since October 2019 I will say (from my experience) the brutal side effects dont go away. I took my dose wednesday and Ive been so sick since. Im sick so bad I cant get out of bed if I have to throw up. I have type of bowl for these days. Sulpher burps real bad for days. I only stay using becauseIve notice i lost weight on it.
Yes!! Its awful!
it really constipated me was on it a month .25 off it one week and still in my system doctor says give it another week only eat small salad going to gi doctor tomorrow my a1c used to be 6.8 went to 7.2 will do a good serious diet from on I am 77 and take other drugs and they might have increased the constipation but my doctor knows my drugs called the company and FDA ABOUT THIS sandy
I’ve always had stomach issues and migraine headaches, so I would know if its a “side effect” of just my “Normal.” I’ve been on it 2 weeks as of today and I am grateful to just have the FULL Felling so far.
I also experience these burps They are foul!
No they are horrible. I hate eggs as well. So fatigued and head aches missed a weeks work. I believe this was my last week on it.
Sulphur burps here as well. Nausea, stomach pain and vomiting as well
I have the egg burps as well and major stomach pain. I have had a few different digestive tests ran to see if it was my belly and my gastro Dr said she believes it is ozempic side effects. I have missed work and spend many days in bed with pain and vomiting with diarrhea it is bad. I am not going to take this anymore my dr needs to find something else for me ASAP
I have been on Ozempic for about a month. I started at 0.25, and now into my second week at 0.5. I am a little more uncomfortable with nausea, and at times diarrhea. I also have Gerd, and more concerned with this. I talked to my Gastro doc last week, and he said to start on Pepsid twice a day, and be religious about it. Cut out fried foods, fast foods of any kind, and sugars, and alcohol. I don’t eat a lot of any of this , but on weekends we tend to go off our diets. So Im learning. I am finding Small amounts of food are working, and plant based diet seems to agree . I am only on Ozempic for weight loss. Going to stick with it. My preferred doc recommended this, and my endocrinologist daughter said “it will do amazing things for you. Stay with it, and continue seeing your physician once a month. Eventually you will adapt in most cases, and probably drop 40-60 lbs”.. which is my focus. 🤞🏼🤞🏼
Yes especially if I have consumed some sugar in my diet, not like a candy, but even some fruit
Stay away from sweet n low! You blow up like Violet in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Buy some of my close relatives egg burps are a sign of gluten intolerance breads pastas Etc
I too have had the egg burps. I started taking Pepcid twice a day and it got rid of the egg burps. There are some other GI issues developing though.
No i get this too along with other gastro intestinal issues, most particularly the dryest mouth you could imagine, where my mouth is literally stuck together….I hope it will go eventually….
Me too alot of egg burps dont know why , also constpatio than diarreah , Had to cut way back on my humulin insulin because was getting alot of hypos and lost my appetite for food at times
I was on three drugs insulin included.Then started Ozempic 0.5mg.In a month i was on Ozempic only with a decrease of 4.5 lbsin weight.Bearable nausea and abd cramps not always only when empty stomach.but my A1c has gone from 8.8 to 6.
What else one can ask.
I get them too
Join the Ozempic Facebook group. It’s git lots of answers and opinions on this.
I started on Ozempic just shy of 5 months ago. I’ve been able to lower my A1C from 12-15 to 7.3 I lost 30 lbs in 3 months and have been able to maintain 170lbs by controlling my diet. I’ve recommended it to every diabetic I know including my 2 brothers who are seeing the same type of results
You are not alone. I have the same thing. Along with so much gas and bloating my family doesn’t want to be in the same room. The gas is so painful I can’t lay down. It’s like there’s a leaky sulfur tank in my belly that won’t shut off. It’s horrible.
This drug has been effective for me in terms of weight loss, curbing appetite and getting pre-diabetic A1C levels but the side effects are not worth the pain and discomfort associated with this medication. I suffered from terrible stomach side effects for weeks and weeks on end. Then they subsided for a period of time and are now back. Uncontrollable vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps that have left me terribly ill and uncomfortable. It just simply is not worth it. just eat small meals and stick to a doctor recommended insulin intake and the weight loss will come, the regulated A1C will come – but not as a result of constant stomach trauma.
I agree this medication has the worse side effects. It got me feeling like I’m carrying a 10 lb baby. No appetite, bloated all the time, nausea, fullness with air no food whatsoever…. now I’m dealing with constipation, regurgitation, crazy burps and passing gas that stinks….how is this so when I have no food in me? This Medication isn’t worth it, what your body does naturally….this medication just forces your body to do what your body does on its own naturally. I agree just stick with your dr recommendation of insulin and control your eating habits.
Hi Kirsten, my names Tracy I’m on Ozempic 1m, iv been experiencing the same symptoms as yourself, especially the sulphur burping, that’s only been happening for the last two months it’s very embarrassing and the smell is so disgusting I can’t go outside, yet no one mentioned this as one of the symptoms.
Iv lost quite a bit of weight and next to no appetite, and become very unwell over the weekend after taking it.
This is happening to me now it’s awful. I’ve been on it for three weeks I’ve lost 15pounds but two days after the Injection I get sick to my stomach Rotten egg burps and I just feels awful for a day or two. Then it’s right back to my normal self.
Yes, I have and it’s so embarrassing. I thought I was was some gastric issues. It has eased up some. I experience this with the first 6 weeks.
No I have exactly the same eggy burps and really bad diarrhoea that’s smells really bad. And not much warning when you need to go and stomach cramp so bad i hardly wanna move eat or drink
Nope not alone I have them constantly every day. Hoping they go away
Metformin did the same to me – I was prescribed 1000 mg in the morning and 1000mg at night – had to drop down to 500mg for each the nausea was so bad
Same here with the smell and taste of burping! Lol. And gas! I have also gained weight but my a1c is awesome. It was 5.7 before i started ozempic and i have maintained that number for about a yr. I am bloated for a couple of days after each shot and feel like crap..
I had the same or worse for years until my dr went in for diverticulitis and on the way out spread my esophagus for me and from that day on 4 yrs now and not even heartburn.ty Dr.
Also Ive been on this shot for 3 weeks severe stomach pain, Dark Dry Pebble Constipation, Heavy Legs, and sever blurred Vision. IDK if its the Med or me getting worse but I hope it improves soon.
Hi I have the same burps. They are really loud and disgusting. I don’t burp all the time. Am guessing it’s a reaction to some food and the ozempic?
I drink lemon mineral water all the time (99.99 sugar free) and haven’t had any problems with bad smelling burps. I have to run around at work to get everything done so I keep 1 litre mineral water within reach for thirst. I buy a carton of 8 bottles $1 each from Aldi to keep in my car boot to grab at work or when I get home. I don’t know if this is a cure because since taking ozempic for one month, there has been no bad smelling burps for myself.
Experiencing it right now! Took first dose Saturday and I’ve thrown up at least three times a day for four days now, today started with sulfur burps. I’m still vomiting but I have diarrhea now. Just hoping this ends soon. I’m not taking another shot.
How long did it take you to get back to normal. I did first shot 5 days ago and I’ve been vomiting and nauseous ever since. Not doing another shot. This is not for me. Trying to see light at the end of the tunnel.
I just started this last week on 10/28. I started burping a lot and I am tasting like I ate hard boiled eggs I thought I was crazy but now I seen this post of yours. Are you doing this on a daily basis as well? If you want to email me here or my email is hot1two2000@gmail.com as I’d really like to talk with you on this.
Cordially,
Georgia
Hi there I have to start this tomorrow how r u feeling now? Did the side effects wear off and how long before they subsided?
Exactly! The egg burbs or sour-stomach has been the most persistent side effect since I’ve been on this medication. All other benefits of taking this make it hard to not try to ride it out but… it’s 2:45 am and I’m surfing the web looking for a remedy?
I’ve just been on this drug for 2 weeks. I too have sulphur burps. Yuck!!
I commented on this earlier…its your body trying to adjust to the Ozempic. You just need to dial back on the dosage start low and work your way up so your body can adjust to it. I have been on this for a while and had the sulfur burps and hugged the toilet for 3 straight days before it all went away. So like any insulin start very low and work your way up.
I do for about 4 days after I take it . Oh the burps and gas stink so bad
Omg me too it’s really getting me down but I am so happy with all the other ways it’s working for me ..u found anything that helps? I’ve got omeprazol but not doing much
🍋 mineral water
Heli Kristen. I have been experiencing egg burps also and I don’t even eat eggs! I have vomited once only involuntarily. I’ve been taking Ozempic (Semaglutide) for about six weeks and tonight I decided I need to stop! I have constipation like I’ve never had in my entire life. I’ve been taking lots of things to counteract this plus lots of water but I don’t want to take lots of meds to be able to tolerate Ozempic. One good thing about this drug though, it does truly cut my appetite. But I find the less I eat the less I want. It truly does help with weight loss but the side effects are more than I can bear. Thanks for reading.
I just started this and I’m am feeling very gassy and sulfur burps and very tired but can’t sleep.
HI There can I ask what dose you started on ? im looking at commencing today with a dose of .25mg
I experienced this too and severe trapped wind and acid reflux
I took my first dose this past Friday and yes I’ve been burping and it definitely smells like sulfur.
Hi I’m from ireland and started taking ozempic yesterday…I felt a bit dizzy yesterday but woke up feeling fine today…i had that burping eggs and gastric feeling when I was taking janumet it’s a tablet I’m hoping I’m not going to still have it on this new medication
Omg yes it’s the worst taste to burp eggs
Not alone at all … nasty taste and mouth stays dry yes constipation I’ve been on ozempic for almost a month nausea fullness really fast when eating ..I will see my dr on tomorrow to have levels checked…hope it works and I’ve lost a few lbs also.good luck everyone…
Has anybody experienced numbness I’ve been taking it for 4 weeks and all of a sudden my hands feet and abdomen around are numb and bloated really bad
Apple Cider Vinegar gummies help with this.
I was also having this. It was due to delayed emptying of the stomach (Gastroparesis), which is worsened by Ozempic.
I have had those sulfur burps too; you are not alone. I have had similar side effects in nausea, vomiting, headaches, stomach aches, tiredness, etc. My doctor told me to fight through it for these first couple weeks.
I have. I’m on my second week and I had the worst taste of egg come up when I belched. I’m sure it has something to do with the acid reflux I’m also experiencing.
No your not alone. My partner had his first injection last Saturday. And he was severely ill on Sunday. Projectile vomiting. And thought he was dying. He ended back in hospital and is out as of yesterday. His burps are disgusting. Even he feels sick. They absolutely reek. And he can stink the room out in seconds. This is awful. The dr said he’s not to have anymore
How long did it take for him to recover after the first shot and stopping? I’m experiencing the same symptoms.
No I get them horribly too and when they start I know I’ll be vomiting everything I ate this week within the next 24 hours. I hardly eat anymore. I’m scared to. I take like 5 bites and then stop. Husband is mad because I used to eat constantly and now I refuse to. I can’t. I’m hoping this gets better.
I have only had one shot at .25 from the dr sample 3 days ago and it has already caused flare ups in my reflux and burping a lot, i hope these symptoms subside
Hello,
No, you are definitely not alone in your burps. But it’s true about reducing your Ozempic amount, eat low fat, smaller meals and tatzofran to reduce the nausea. After a few weeks it should get better. I also believe some people just can’t get through this process because their body doesn’t handle this drug. Oh, give the injection in your thigh instead of the abdomen. I don’t know why it makes a difference but combining all these tips made a huge difference for me. Take care!
That was supposed to read to try Zofran for nausea. My bad.
I just called my Dr. I have the same burps and other disgusting smells coming out nobody want to hear. They want to do a cat scan of my pancreas. Not after reading this. How about I stop taking this and see how I feel first. Stomach pains, diarrhea, vomiting. Dont want to eat, scared to eat. Feel like guinea pigs
No Kristen, Honey the Burps is a Hot Mess! My husband complains but is very impressed with the weightloss. My Doc diagnosed Prediabetes and asked me to start a Cardio influenced diet and workout. GOOD THINK I CHECKED OZEMPIC!! I CAN BURP AND FART ALL DAY , but I feel better than I have In Years. I’m HypoThyroid as well which slows down the metabolism, So I made a good choice. ITS WORTH IT!!! I’m Forty Fine!
I burp a lot and the nausea shows up unexpectedly…how do you eat through out the day…when my stomach is empty I get sick and throw up and then it’s gone just like that…when I get stressed I get sick…when I work in the I get si c
k…
I have them and hate it! They are gross! How did you get rid of them? How did you handle them?
I got the same, usually 3/4 days after injecting. I have found smaller meals helps. Large or greasy meals trigger the nausea and burps.
Used to inject in belly but been less side effects since injecting in my thigh
Yes sane here. Egg taste & burps in my mouth.
Each person is different but I. I longer take insulin ! It’s like a miracle in a pen!!!
I had the same experience, No more insulin. I fully agree that it is like a miracle drug.
Just wondered .. did you experience all the horrible side effects when starting ozempic? I would truly like to see some positives about this drug that my dr wants me to try.
I was really hopeful about this drug. This week marked my fourth injection. I have to stop this med due to serve side effects. I noticed major nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, irritability, constipation, fatigue, amongst a few other undescribable issues with in hours of taking my injection. The side effects only lasted 2 days at first but they seem to increase in duration as time goes on. I tossed it out yesterday. I can’t hang which sucks because I am noticing weight loss and better blood sugar control. Good luck to whoever can handle the side effects.
I have been on Ozempic for 3 weeks on the .25 dose – had non stop stomach pain, headaches and minor constipation and wanted to sleep all day. No energy at all. I did not take any this week and starting to feel a little better. Yes, I lost a couple of pounds – it does take away appetite -and I was able to reduce my regular insulin but I had my a1/C already at 6.4 – my Dr suggested I try a reduced dosage – half of the .25 – but I’m going to have to think about that – have to get my energy back first.
My boyfriend had rash with skin peeling off for 3-4 months.. confused. Unable to walk by his self . Basically needs around the clock care can I ask did you try to have a lawsuit
Did he stop using or call doctor about the medication when the skin problems, confusion and difficulty walking began.
Hi, I’ve been on this four weeks now and just binned it too as I feel so bad. Tummy issues are horrible. How long does it take once you stop taking the shots to feel better do you know? 🤢🤮
Are you saying; “I no longer take” or are you saying “I take”?
I have taken it bout 3 months, nausea and stomach pain, with severe constipation makes it impossible for me to continue. I am losing weight, but have to do that without ozempic
I’m finding I have nausea for 5 days after stick. I’ve been using ozempic for 5 weeks. I have IBS and I don’t think it is a very good mix.
I also have IBS and i told the doctor. He said it should be okay. I am doing my research before purchasing since its an expensive drug. I don’t have drug plan so i am not sure if i should get it. I have sensitive stomach.
I don’t have a drug plan that covers it either. I’m pre-diabetic but haven’t seen comments on pre-diabetic cases yet.
You should ask your doctor for a sample.
If you don’t have a drug plan or are pre-diabetic, I would not take it. I am beginning to wonder if all of these drugs actually cure anything or for the “right” people who don’t get a lot of symptoms, or they go away, just get us hooked on symptom reduction so we pay these ridiculous prices. I was on Victoza, which was working for me but whatever jack-wang decides the insurance formularies removed it. Now I’m quitting Ozempic since i feel like crap and have sulphur gas, pain, heart-burn and can’t sleep.
This is my 3rd week of using Ozempic. I only had nausea & minimal vomiting the past 2 weeks. I took my 3rd dose today. Last night I had diarrhea so bad I hardly got any sleep. I’m going to give it a chance to get better but if not, I’d rather using Lantus. I really don’t care about weight loss. I went to the store this morning for “supplies” for the diarrhea & the effect it has caused.
I love this medicine. I have horrific nausea with it but it is definitely something I will just deal with. Insulin for 3 months put 30 pounds on my 5 foot frame while dieting and exercising and I was miserable! All that insulin and my A1C was still on the high side! I’ve lost six pounds this week. I’m on week three now of Ozempic, and hoping the nausea will get better with time. My daily glucose numbers are much better now too! I have no appetite and I love not being consumed with feeling the urge to eat. I went ocean kayaking for 2 days straight after the first week of taking it. I haven’t felt this amazing in months. Yes I am nauseous all the time but nausea has literally been something I’ve dealt with my entire life and the payoff, lower A1C, lower glucose readings, less insulin medication, no appetite, and weight loss is so worth it for me.
May I ask… what is your age? How long were you on insulin before oxempic? Thank uou
Oh gosh it’s causing me to have severe constipation as well the nausea has gotten better and stomach pain but I can’t have a BM so I feel you on that I’m now going to start stool softeners and I hope it helps
This is exactly what’s happening to me during the last few weeks of taking this med for the first time in my life. It helps cut my appetite but I can’t take it anymore because of the severe constipation especially.
My BUN has gone up each month since using ozempic. It is now at 31. Has anyone else had this experience and why does it effect the kidneys?
I just started it less than a week ago i was told by my nurse coordinator being that i am a transplant patient that it causes dehydration. In other words you need to drink more water!!!
How about your other indicators of kidney health? Creatinine, protein, GFR, etc? Other things can cause an elevation in the BUN…
Are you suffering from CKD.Pl take plenty of liquids and every thing will fall in place hopefully
I took Ozempic for two months and 4 days. Spent the last 4 days in the hospital, I have acute pancreas. and Ozempic is the reason.
Be very careful with this drug. I wish I had been.
Hi, Jane-I had to discontinue Ozempic due to a horrendous rash. Looked like pictures I’ve seen of leprosy. How did you determine it was affecting your pancreas?
Thanks, Cynthia
I was just reading reviews on Ozempic b/c a Pharmacist recommended for me to switch from Glipizide. There are many reviews of people who have side effects that sound kind of scary. Then I read you were in the hospital with Pancreatitis? I hope you’re better. I am trying to make a decision whether to make the switch but I have been on Glipizide for about 25 years and my A1C is in the high 7’s sometimes it goes over 8. I am worried about the change.
It put me in the hospital as well! Acute Pancreatitis that caused necrosis of my pancreas.
Yrs this happened to me after exactly 4 weeks on .25 and mild symptoms! Literally at week 4 I had such an intense pain in my right abdomen I had to be rushed to the hospital! It’s been 4 days since my return. I am seeing a gastroenterologist in 3 days. The hospital ultrasound was not clear if if it was my gallbladder or pancreas. My pain is at a 4 now and I can barely eat and I’m constantly dehydrated! Bad medicine!
what was the result of the gastro appointment? are you all better?
I am starting on the 1mg of ozempic tomorrow. I have dawns effect which is between 2 and 3 your glucose rises bad. My fbs is 200 sometimes. During day it is good. Does anybody know if I took my shot at night would that help my fbs in the am.
has anyone experienced eye loss with this drug?
I’m on week 2 of .25. My vision has gotten ALOT worse. super fatigued and sweats. I felt better when my blood sugar was 500.
My husband experienced the exact same thing. He had to get injections in his eyes. I’m now wondering if it is Ozempic because it started right after his 2nd dose
just started Ozempic, was on Saxenda for 1 yr, lost 20 lbs then gained 10 my sugars went to 6 but now back to 10 or 12, so he switched me to Ozempic, so here is to hoping this one works I really do not want ot go on insulin,, this is day 2 so far no reactions. but stay tuned till I get further into my shots,
I have been taking this medication for type II diabetes since February 2020. Unfortunately it seems to be completely and utterly useless, I have actively initiate insulin, I was given this to control extremely high spikes and where I have not lost one single solitary ounce of way in the last seven months, nor is it doing anything whatsoever for my blood sugar. It is a complete and utter waste of time for me
I take a fast acting insulin I take a background in selling I also take this medication and I find that all three of them do not do very much unless I take extremely high doses but Ozempic has caused me severe insomnia
I’m almost 57 years old. I have had autoimmune problems effecting skin and joints for 45 years. I have taken a biologic drug for the last 6-7 years (stelera) to suppress my autoimmune system. I was diagnosed type 2 diabetic about 5 years ago but doctor warnings long before that as pre-diabetic. I paid no attention to early warnings and for the first 3 years after diagnosis I lost and gained back the same 25-30 pounds over and over again!. I have been on metformin for almost two years and Ozempic for almost 1 year. My starting weight 5 years ago 270 pounds, today 165 pounds and still going down slowly but surely. The 100+ weight loss has occurred since the addition of diabetic drugs and a massive change to the food I shovel into my mouth! My highest AC1 at the start was 25.5 and the lab contacted me the same evening that I needed to get to an emergency dept for care. As of now my last 3 AC1 lab tests 5.9, 5.8 and 5.6. My daily readings range 4.9 – 5.8 now a day. I do not have any other medical issues or other prescription medications.
My side effects for both metformin and Ozempic (puking, diarrhea, belching, upset tummy) diminished with time but never went away until I got serious about nutrition and they return when I eat poorly.
To curb tummy problems, I must take metformin with food, have smaller low carb meal/snack about every 5 hours. I must keep daily fibre amount in check or diarrhea is a problem. I just CAN NOT eat fast food at all anymore – creates huge stomach/diarrhea problems for me while taking the drugs. I have to drink a fair amount of liquids and keep hydrated.
I’m far from perfect with daily nutrition (I keep a daily food journal and it helps me balance nutrition and daily side effects) but after body did adjustment and got used to the drugs I absolutely had to change the way I was eating to minimize the side effects caused by the drugs. For me, these are wonder drugs but I did not get the optimal health benefits from them with far fewer side effects until I starting paying attention to nutrition as well.
I hope this is helpful to someone out there experiencing the nasty side effects of the diabetic drug regime as they work on their type 2 diabetes. Best wishes to all readers.
I have been on it for almost 7 months. Bloating still happens and my feet keep getting more and more swollen. On meds now for reflux. Have to take a very strong water pill and gained 10lbs. But doc keeps me on it. Very frustrated.
Do not do it! I got extremely sick and had severe IBS. It felt like my inside were on fire. In just 2 months I had severe pain on my side. I now have a liver issue that I know was caused by this drug.
Please research before you do. I have been on Ozembic for almost 60 days and it is pure he**, my doctor is begging me to stay with it until my body is use to it. I throw up every single day multiple times, my stomach hurts so bad, the constipation is unbelievable! There has only been a couple days I’ve felt decent. I have fainting spells that is uncontrollable. It has lowered my blood sugar readings in the mornings almost 100 points. I cry constantly and just basically feel like crap. I can’t judge as of right now whether I will continue this drug.
started 3 weeks ago, the nausea isnt bad for me just like first couple days after injection I have lost so far 6 lbs! I do feel full and each hardly nothing during day… my levels though havent changed its anywhere from 140 to 188 most days I stopped my diabetic medication though it was causing weight gain and horrible edema in my feet/ankles that has since went away! I hope my sugar levels come down and a1c so far good drug! its expensive though you can get card from company to pay less or ask for samples from your doctor to try first
Hi Sabrina,
We’re glad you are having positive results so far and hope it continues to benefit your diabetes management overall. Thank you for sharing – it helps others learn more about the effects of the medication as well!
Do you know if Ozempic is gluten free ?? I Have Celiac Disease with SEVERE reactions and was just prescribed Ozempic
Call your pharmacist od doctor’s office and ask. They might be able to help. 🙂
I am afraid to take this stuff.
My dr. Is always giving me things that make me sick.
I am not diabetic.
She says i am prediabetic, and this will help me lose weight.
I have a lot of nausea, indigestion, and ibs. She knows this.
I believe the injections will make these things worse.
If I were you, I would change Doctors. It doesn’t seem like your current doctor is listening to you nor do they have your best interest at heart.
Yes same here and I have been ill for months after. I now have a liver issue. Do Not take it. Go find another Dr. I am tired of just being a guinea pig. Why would someone put a pre-diabetic on this medication is beyond me.
I’ve been taking ozempic for a little over 2 most.
It does make me a little nauseated but I don’t mind because then I done want to eat and I’ve lost over 15 lbs in about 10 weeks. I also do heavy duty cardio 3x a week an cut out a lot of junk food.
I’m afraid is side effects. I don’t think I will stay on it long term. I don’t want to get pancreatitis or thyroid cancer.
You seem to be connected somehow with Ozepmyic. My blood sugars have been great since going on Ozepmyic however I feel awful! Belch, nausea, forceful vomiting. If you have info please let me know.
I have been administering Ozempic for just over a month. I was also taking 1000 mg of Metformin plus Invokana. I felt horrible with constant stomach pain, heartburn, and continual burping. I did not consult my Doctor but on my own decided not to take any more Metformin. My blood sugar has dropped and my stomach a tad less irritable. I will continue taking Ozempic as long as my blood sugar continues to stabilize. The side effects for me are worth the trade-off.
What caused the edema, Sabrina, the Ozempic or your original diabetic medication?
Hi, I just emailed my Dr about swelling in my ankles legs and feet and I’ve never had this before taking Ozempic, I am thinking this medication is the cause, have u gotten any answers on the matter? Thanks
Took Ozempic for a year and it helped lower A1 C to 5.2 and I lost 18 pounds which is all good. But during that one year period I had back aches, stomach pain and dehydration. No low glucose issues. But 3 months ago GP took me off ozempic. Basically no problems, January 4 2020 GP put me back on ozempic to try it. Next day I had low sugar issues, stomach pain, back pain and some dizziness. Should I stick with this a few weeks?
I think you should stick with it because you dont want your a1c to go back up and the medication helps curb your appetite so stick it out for a couple more weeks
Oh gosh who would know. I’ve read everything about this here. I was concerned about ckd. That says it will actually help kidneys. However the pancreatitis is scary
i had the same effect with bydureon, but my stomach slowed down so much, i could not even poop. so i am hoping this may work better. i lost 16 pounds on budureon and my a1c went down to 6.8 from 9.3
Same thing happens to me with Ozembic.
depending what dose you are on, I took the starter dose of 0.25mg and it did nothing for me my sugar and blood pressure went up, started the higher dose 0.5 after a month and it worked like magic, plus lost a couple of Kilos in a few days now I am feeling fine and my morning sugars are down to 140, so I just hope it keeps on going down,I think a month as a starter dose is too long, I felt very ill during that month, fingers crossed for you (and me)
I gained weight in weeks 3-12 and had severe constipation…. Seemingly the opposite of many folks on this forum. Has anybody else experienced this?
I took myself off to see if it was better. I feel “like myself” again after 6 weeks of being off, and weight settled back down (lost 15 lbs in 6 weeks with zero change in diet and I’m not exercising (gym closed due to pandemic)) and no more constipation.
Now of course, my sugar is high again because I’m taking no meds. Seems like Ozempic isn’t for me. But neither is Metformin. Any suggestions?
Try changing your diet and eliminate or reduce carbs to less than 30g per day .
I am 5 weeks in on starting Ozempic. I do experience slight nausea a day or two after injecting. I don’t have much of an appetite the first few days after injecting. Those are the only side effects I’ve had. I am now on .5 mg after having 4 weeks of .25 mg. My blood sugars range from 130 to 150, versus 230’s before Ozempic. I’m loving this drug!!!
That’s great to hear, Linda! We’re glad it’s working for you, and thanks for sharing your experience.
I am supposed to start this meds but very scared how ppl say they are getting so sick. I’m just starting at.25mg
Yes I’ve gotten sick. I took the drug and my doctor said also stay on my metformin. I felt weird. Like spacey and no appetite at all. Leaving me feeling constantly like my sugar was way too low. I expressed my concerns to my doctor he said feeling dizzy and me having that weird feeling had nothing to do with the new meds. I beg to differ. I know my body. I lost 10lbs too fast!!
You’re right that you know your own body. Get a new doctor.
I took this too and was dizzy all the time when I went from 25 to 50 . Off balance…my blood pressure was unusually low when I was on it 96/65. I normally run 120/80. Went off and my blood pressure returned to normal and no more dizziness. I did lose 20 lbs tho! Now the cravings are back!
Hi
Iam experiencing those same symptoms along side slimmingworld I have lost 12lb in 4 months
I started this 6 weeks ago: never felt so ill in my life ” its so different to the victoza ” i have lost 2 stone in weight so far
I have been taking ozempic since Jan 2019. I am no longer on insulin and I have lost 19 pounds. I have to force myself to eat
Be careful…you are right to be cautious
the nausea doesnt last long, I cured mine by drinking Ginger Tea twice a day, worked a dream for me no stomach problems and no indegestion
I haven’t even thought about food, the nauseating feeling turned into actual regurgitating as well a diarrhea. Hopefully it will subside but i very much the case with me.
I will start this weekend. My sister took it successfully until she switched jobs and lost her benefits, but she advised me, eat small. Eat healthy, easily digestible foods, but don’t ever eat until you’re full. Don’t push it and you should be ok. I am counting on this advice *sigh*
I’ve taken this medication for 5 weeks. I have lost about 8 pounds; which puts me at 145 lbs. I really do not want to lose much more weight. However, my appetite is restricted and most times once I get full I start to feel nauseated. how can I prevent losing more weight. I’m also taking synjardy. 5/1000. AM Blood sugar ranges from 99 to 130
Also, has anyone had depression while on this mediciation.
Yes I had depression on this medication. Which I’ve never had before. I only took two weeks of .25mg and had to stop it. I had anxiety and depression on this drug. I also was very bloated and constipated. I felt aweful on this drug.
I’m already taking meds for anxiety. It caused me to be irritable.
I have only been on it a week myself and have felt very irritable too, I’m on antidepressants already too
Same here. Terrible irritability on Ozempic. I have lost weight but it’s no longer worth it.
My depression worsened very rapidly. I am now on an additional medication for depression and my dr. wants me to stop taking the ozempic.
Hi. I just stated it as well. I’m also on metforium. Blood pressure pills as well. I feel so sick, I’m hungry but cant eat or I feel like vomiting. Terribleheadaches. I feel like this for 4 full days after just the .25. I also feel depressed and just not right
My dr. Daid it should go away. Lot 3 lbs only
My A1C went from 9.7 to 7.0 with no life style changes. After 7 months or so on the .50 dose I started to get diarrhea. I went in my pants once. . Could not hold it. Went off and on for 2 months. Finally I quit taking it. I feel great. No stomachache aches. No diarrhea. A1C up to 9.8 without it. I went back on it after a month off it. Need to bring those numbers down.
Thanks for bringing this up
I also started very low .025 ,was great the first week , lost appetite as well as about 2.5 kilos at the end of first week, 4 days after the second injection things got so bad very low blood suger and low blood pressure rapid heart beat something like an anxiety attack , sent me to emerge, dr said its nothing it’s just stress, I stoped taking the medication however I’m experiencing a deep depression…its very strange. I lost 5 kilos in 2 weeks I think that was a shock for my body…
I have been on this for 3 weeks. So far I’ve lost 13 lbs. The nausea is still pretty bad…and shortness of breath only at night..
I don’t like that feeling.
I was being treated for anxiety long before this, but yes, this medication made me much more anxious and much more irritable. I’ve never had panic attacks like I have while on this medication. It completely negated any benefit the med was having.
Except for the severe nausea…. my biggest complaint ugh
I have been on Ozempic for 19 weeks and currently at .5. I am willing to put up with the occasional nausea, infrequent constipation. Since taking this drug I am no longer on an insulin. I was on short term 8mc and 70 long acting. I have lost 30 lbs. I didn’t even realize it happening except for non of my close fit. I do worry that I lost that much in 15 weeks. I am still on metformin, but may be able to come off of that too. A1c dropped 1.2 from 7.3. I just happy to be off insulin 12 years.
Ginger is the key for me and the nausea. Works wonderful. Numerous ways to take. If you check in the pregnancy area in the pharmacy they have these candies to suck on. works immediately.
Thanks for the candy idea!
Great idea on the ginger
Jann, thank you for your advice on the ginger candies. They work great!
Where do you get ginger candies?
Does the nausea ever go away? I am getting so nauseous from it and I have ended up taking off work the second day after injection because I have bad nausea and I also have vomiting and diarhea. It lasts for 2-4 days. I already have a bit of Gastroparesis. I have been able to control it since eliminating one of my other meds but now that I have introduced Ozempic it seems to have returned. I can’t afford to be taking time off and I also can’t handle feeling sick all the time. Do I press on or switch to a different med? Any advice would be appreciated.
I’m on my first week, I find the only time I feel sick is when I eat way too much food! Before taking this med I found myself eating less food because I was trying to do better. My body likes the smaller amounts of food. So if I try to eat even one meal like before I feel like I’m going to throw up! As bad as it feels throwing up might not be so bad tonight. Hope that helps!
Your experience is the same as mine. No side effects but if the meal is to big, then I am nauseous. Each time I do the weekly dose on Sunday the medicine makes me relaxed and I take a nice nap. I have tried many T2D meds and I had irritability and still hungry. I feel this this a miracle drug. Lost 5 lbs from 212 in first week and the constant hunger is gone. I eat about a measuring cup of protein (chicken, beef, pork) with a cup of steamed veggies and 1 slice of bread, Each meal. I hope this helped anyone who was really anxious about trying this meditation.
Statred w/.50 on that dose for 3 weeks w/2 lbs loss nothing substantial, still crave food but levels down from 160-188 with just metformin to 100-120. Flu like symptoms, burbs, indigestion some nausea. Eyes ache. All this is manageable though I am waiting for weight loss to kick in
I also have gastroparesis amd am having bad stomach issues. I am only 3 days in from my 1st shot of .25. I really hope i can continue!
I am in the exact same boat. I just took my 5th injection since bumping up to 1000mg. I am not sure what to do. Did you continue taking it or stop?
I hope it went away for you, I am headed for dose five and have been constantly nauseated thrown up several times. My sugars are awesome though. Hoping it’s worth it.
Oh that sounds great. I just did my 3rd injection I hope I have your results they’d be perfect for me I to am in the 200’s. Hope you are still have good luck.
I have been taking Ozempic for several months but am still bothered by stomach pains much like when you know a bout of diarrhea is coming on. What can I do to lessen this? Otherwise, the results are favorable.
You should definitely ask your doctor, but he or she may suggest lowering the dose until it’s tolerable, and then slowly trying to go back up.
I was told I’m pre diabetic so my Dr prescribed this and metformin . My goal was to lose weight. I did a fasting glucose test and that was her diagnosis. However I do not eat carbs and recently found out that would affect my results for fasting glucose test as no carbohydrates affect the function of pancrease ! So now I’m wondering if I should even use both these drugs?
I have been on Ozempic for 10 weeks. The first 4 weeks I was experiencing fatigue and diarhea and left my job.
The next 4 weeks, on the .5 dose, I spent mostly in bed with nausea, poor appetite, dizziness, and severe diarrhea up to 4 times per day.
I lost 12lbs in the first 8 weeks
I am on week 11. Still have fatigue, nausea and loss of appetite. Some days I can get up and do things and some not. Diarrhea is subsiding. Dizziness and being lightheaded is subsiding as well.
I have had 3 blood tests showing higher than normal calcium levels and we are monitoring closely due to the potential thyroid issues with this drug.
My last A1C and fasting glucose levels were 8.1
I was prescribed this drug because I am a commercial driver and would no longer be permitted to drive commercially if I were taking insulin.
My GP and Endocronoligist think the dizziness my have been caused by dehydration due to the severe diarrhea.
Hope this information is helpful to someone else.
Hello, just based on the info you provided their is a strong possibility your symptoms are likely not being caused by this drug. If your calcium levels are elevated then it is a high probability that you have what is called “primary Hyperparathyroidism”. Also known as Parathyroid disease. This is different from and unrelated to a more common thyroid disorder. You should have labs done for the following: Calcium, phosphate, creatinine, PTH, Vitamin D. They may also may want to do a 24 hour urinary calcium test but I would strongly advise against it as unless there are others in your family with high calcium levels the urine test only causes confusion to an otherwise easy diagnosis. Also if your Vitamin D comes back low, DO NOT, IF SUGGESTED, TAKE HIGH DOSE VITAMIN D!!! I cant stress this enough! This is a very common error. If the calcium is elevated, even just slightly, Low Vit. D CANNOT be the cause. Taking it if your calcium is high can be dangerous. Lastly, do not allow this to be taken lightly or take the watch and wait approach. Please contact me if you have questions at Patriots.81@outlook.com
I have been taking the drug for 7 weeks. And 16 lbs down. But I’m nauseous all day and night. I keep feeling like I’m going to throw up. I maybe eat 500 calories a day as food makes me feel sick too. I have thyroid (hypo) issues that I’ve been struggling with for 2 years now and put on 40 lbs within 6 months. I don’t have diabetes but my endocrinologist wanted me to try it for weight management as it comes on so quickly with the thyroid not working properly. What do you suggest I do about the nausea? I also feel lightheaded and black spots in my eyes when I stand up or bend over and my breath always feels so laboured like I’m a heavy smoker…but I’m not. I can’t seem to also stand for long periods of time without feeling like im going to pass out. Help please.
Hi Olisha, Obviously I am not your doctor and don’t know your case well, but you might be getting light headed if you are on blood pressure medication too and haven’t adjusted those pills. Ozempic does lead to weight loss and some doctors recommend lower doses to get the desired effect of weight loss but but without nausea. The Ozempic pen allows you to titrate the dose according to symptoms, but please discuss all options and your symptoms with caregiver first before making any changes to your dosing.
I started 0.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.50 mg for a couple of weeks, then up to 1.0. I knew I couldn’t carry on with that dosage because I felt so nauseous all the time. My Dr okayed me dropping back to 0.5 mg and I thought maybe I could manage that. I lost 10 lbs in the first week and another 7 a few weeks later so I wanted to make this work. However I ate far too little food, probably around 500 -750 cal a day. Still I felt so terrible all the time that I completely stopped taking it about 3 weeks ago. After eating too few calories while taking Ozempic, I ate everything in sight and gained 8 lbs back. I am trying to decide whether to go back on it (will consult with my Dr first) and just live with the nausea, hoping that eventually it will go away, or find another way to lose weight, like WW.
I’m not a professional. But I’ve been taking victoza for years it is made from the same company. I’ve recently been changed to Ozempic because of insurance. My point is I had a hard time with the nausea. But I found that taking Apple Cider Pills. Completely got rid of the nausea most days, and made it more barrable on the occasion that I had it. Side benefit I also lost 25 lbs. But ask your doctor if it would interfere with your medications and what your trying to achieve before you try it. Good luck.
Gail, please also go to http://www.parathyroid.com and review.
Your symptoms could be and likely are due to the calcium rather than the drug. I would also suggest finding an experienced Endocrine Surgeon who specializes in Parathyroid Disease.
When my calciums level started coming back high, I did all the reading as shown above. I stopped taking ALL vitamin supplements and my blood tests came back normal.
My Endocrinologist asked me to continue on Ozempic as she said my only remaining option would be insulin. (I went into Ketoacidosis in March after contracting the flu while taking Invokana).
I have been on Ozempic for 6 months. .25 for 1 month. .50 for 4 months and .25 for the past month. I reduced my dose as the nausea, fatigue, stomach cramps, severe cold and hot body tempersture changes, diarhea and light headedness were leaving me with no quality of life.
On the lower dose, I am still experiencing nausea, fatique and painful intestinal cramping for 2-3 days per week. My blood sugars have increased to an average of 8. I have lost over 20lbs.
I plan to visit my endocrinologist in early Jan to ask to be taken off this drug as I need to be able to work and have a life.
FYI
Yes I’ve gotten sick. I took the drug and my doctor said also stay on my metformin. I felt weird. Like spacey and no appetite at all. Leaving me feeling constantly like my sugar was way too low. I expressed my concerns to my doctor he said feeling dizzy and me having that weird feeling had nothing to do with the new meds. I beg to differ. I know my body. I lost 10lbs too fast!!
I hear you girl, I lost 28lbs in 16wks. I’m giving it time to stabilize a little more. I too feel I lost too much weight. I wondering if at some point I can stop taking Metformin. I am no longer on insulin.
I am a commercial driver as well. I tried ozempic a month ago. My a1c was at 8 when i started. I started the sample pen to get my body used to the medicine and then do the prescription pen. Things started off well. I read comments on it and seen the side effects people were having and i said im not having them i feel great. But the prescription pen only had 1 mg doses and when i took it after using up all the sample pen i started to feel real bad. Severe nausea where youre on the verge of throwing up but nothing happened. And very bad diarrhea. I basically felt like death was coming to get me. So i stopped using it and went back on my original pills. So i used it about a month.. Little more maybe. I was weighing 230 and i had dropped to 214. And my last a1c yesterday i was at 6.1 from 8. I discussed with my doctor and we lowered the dose to .05 instead of 1mg. I found my miracle drug now i hope i have a better go round this time. I get so scared at physical time because my life and everything is on the line. And the people administering the physical are all annoyed and dont care just rush people through like a cattle line. But ive been passing. Im hoping for the same result in July when i have to renew.good luck to you.
I have been on Ozempic since January. I have not had any concern over stomach upset at all. It truly is the miracle drug! My A1c went from 10 and is now 7 again, my daily blood test had reduced from 10-12 down to 4.5-6. I have dropped 26lbs and feel great!!!
What dose are you on?
Me Too! My A1C is like a 10 or 11 and I’ve been on glucoside extended release and they want to put me on ozempic I work walmart I do not have time to be sick 40 hours stocker cap2
Thanks. Ive taken the meds for 3 weeks. I miss work for the upset stomach and eruptions from both ends. Weight lose is great but not to feel like crap. Sorry not worth it.
Are you taking just this? I wonder if some may be taking Metformin too as Metformin causes major issues for me like this!
I have been taking it for the last 3 weeks.
I have lost my appetite completely, very tired and sleepy throughout the day. Experiencing cramps,shakiness,pulse rate extremely high . Ozempic has been more harmful than beneficial for me,I will not take another dose !
I have been on this for just over a week and I am experiencing the same things. I will not be taking another dose of this poison.
How they managed to hide these symptoms amazes me since a google search shows so many people with the same issues.
What I don’t understand is why they don’t put warnings on the information given about how you should eat or exactly how sick you’re going to be while taking this injection? I’ve tried eating small portions of healthy food throughout the day and I’m still so sick I can’t function!
Hi Laura. I too am very sleepy 3-4 days after injection. And I am dizzy. Does your sleepyness come right away or couple days after?
I am on my 4th injection of Ozempic, I am on 0.5. On the lower dose I did much better, the 0.5 dose I have nausea almost every time I eat, even if I eat small amounts. The nausea sometimes ends in emesis and or dry heaves. Diarrhea is frequent but not as bother some as the nausea and vomiting. My appetite has decreased for sure because I don’t want to eat because I feel like I will be sick if I do. I want to do well on this medication, I am just getting tired of feeling sick all of the time. Will it ever go away? Is this why people lose weight on the drug because they are sick all the time? Any suggestions to improve symptoms? Anyone notice if any specific food makes it better or worse.
Hi Angie,
You better have a talk with your doctor. If you go down to .25 and it still happens, it sounds like it may not be the best medication for you. Victoza is a once daily but you can titrate it from super small doses upwards to avoid nausea. A good conversation with your HCP is in order.
Eat organic food.take .25 mg you don’t need.5 my
If your A1C is around 6.6 you just need to injection only.25 mg you need to talk to your doctor about this.
I have a problem with diarrhea , so everyone has some problems with this medication.
Ginger tea or Ginger Ale worked for me
I have been taking it for 4 weeks I started the .25 then went to the higher dosage like instructed. My levels still range 160-190.. When is this medication supposed to start lowering levels immediately or does it take time.
I have seen lower doses work well without the nausea. Thanks for sharing.
I’m beginning my 5th week on Ozempic and considering just keeping the dosage at 2.5. My glucose has dropped from 300-400 to 138 today and constantly dropping. Someone gave a tip on this forum of taking the injection just before bed to avoid nausea. Maybe that’s why I’ve had practically none. No diarrhea either but am having several bowel movements throughout the day which is WONDERFUL when you’ve been constipated your whole life. I have been tired a good bit but the side effects have been so small in the light of the results I’m getting. Weight loss hasn’t been remarkable — about 6 lbs. I’m trying to stay away from greasy food as someone here recommended to eliminate the stomach distress. So far, very good — really loving this drug.
I tried Ozempic as part of a drug study and my A1C dropped dramatically. After the study my Dr prescribed me the drug. My insurance does not cover it, and it will be over $700 a month. I am very disappointed.
Go to their web page and get coupon for $25 each prescription
I feel for you. Total cost is $928 where i live but after my insurance i only pay $24. My doctor gave me a coupon card thing to help with the cost. Maybe your doctor can do the same for you.
I have been taking Ozempic for abt 8 weeks now and I will not be taking it any longer. The weight loss is great 25lbs gone but the nausea vomiting diahrea and stomach pain is unbearable. I am not diabetic was just taking it for weight loss. Food now turns my stomach due to all the side effects as described!!
I had pancreatitis 12 yrs ago due to bile duct blockage. Had stone removed and duct flushed. I dont drink except a little wine at holidays. No further issues
Would like to try as I am tired of pills.
I have been on ozempic for 6 weeks. I have lost 17 pounds. I have way less discomfort or nausea than I experienced on Victoza. I find it helps if I eat low carb while taking ozempic.
My blood sugars are stable, between 101 and 103 fasted and between 127 and 133 after a meal. I am not currently taking any other medications for my diabetes. I am going back to my doctor to re take my A1C the end of October. So far so good! Looking to lose more weight and manage my diabetes.
Started Ozempic and within one week developed chest pain. Continued taking it thinking it may be some sort of indigestion from in for one month. Pain continued. Took off Ozempic and a month later pain and shortness of breath. Ended of having emergency heart cath with 98% blockage in LAD the widowmaker. No history at all of high BP or coronary disease.
Sounds like Ozempic saved your life
Disease = Money
Especially Diabetes and Cancer. Then the prices are hiked because they know some insurance company’s will pay. Or if your part of ” The Haves” opposed to the “have not’s” I have T2D I am on A very good solution Metformen which is a old drug and helps more things than controlling Diabetes. I started Trulucity because Glipizide was causing weight gain. I am on an all raw veggie no carbs, some fruit like dark berries. I eat to fill the hole. Lol, but weight gain is something that must be managed to contribute to lower sugar.I’ve been fatigued a Lil nauseous. But the fatigued is something I’m not willing to deal with. Ive just rebuilt my life after major depression and chronic pain which I’ve stopped all poison opiates. I must stay busy to deal with this pain and not fall into depression. If it don’t pass, its not worth it.
Peace
Just started this injection this week. The constant stomach pain is awful. Im tired, fog brained and after reading all of this and the packaging from the box Im starting to feel Im making a big mistake getting involved with this drug. My doctor is very pushy about me going on insulin with a combination of meds, or this injection with a combination of meds to lower my blood sugars. They have been averaging 230-269. Since I brought the hammer down a week ago they’ve dropped to below 170. My first injection was Wends and today my blood sugars are down to 141. I feel absolutely horrible though. My kids are running circles around me! Im not sure I can continue this
Hi Angie,
Glad your numbers are down, but if the side affects do not become tolerable then a conversation with your healthcare provider is in order.
Hi I started Ozempic .05 for a month, then went to 0.25 for a month. Felt also nausea, Now I am on 1 mg. Still feeling nauseous but not all day. Do have a headache off and on. But my numbers dropped 4 points in 2 1/2 months. I am tired which is what really bothers me. Being that I have to run allday. I am not sure if I am gonna continue with it if I don’t start to feel better
That’s what I’m scared of. Being so debilitated that I can not care for my special needs child. I’m starting to tomorrow.
Started Ozempic 3 months ago. A1C was 10.7. Recent A1C is 6.9. Doc wants it down to 6.5. I take Metformin 1000MG 2x a day and Atrovastatin 1x day. Glucose meter reads 104 in morning consistently. 135 in afternoons. However tonight after a low carb dinner it registered at 85. I have consistent nausea, burping, gas and I feel like I grind my teeth more so now. Sleep is hit or miss. Great results on Ozempic but unsure of long term effects. Blood and urine tests all come back in range.
I just started taking it this week. Sick so far. Are you still taking this med?
Just keep taking it. The first 3 weeks I was on it I did get sick. But as my body started getting use to it, I didn’t have as many or severe of side effects. I’ve been on it about 4 months. It sincerely does help. For me I agree with the hit or miss. Some weeks I dose I’m fine, other weeks I could get sick. Just hang in there. And keeping eating healthy that really does help. I’ve lost 30 pounds so far from being on this medication. And my sugars have dropped dramatically from 250 fasting sugars, to now 119 or 123 the average.
I started taking this 2 month ago, I’m non diabetic person but my dr prescribe this drug to lose weight.
2 weeks ago I started feeling panick attack,feeling completely breaking down.
Just last night I started reading about the severe side effects. Last nite my blood pressure was 80/40 I couldn’t go to work this week because I felt so bad,dizziness, fast heartbeat , It is so hard to breath!!! I’m stopping the medication, I feel awful!!
Curious, do you take your injections in morning or evening? Does it matter?
Just started this week. I am very nauseous and have very bad mucle pain and stiffness all over my body. Is this normal and how long will it laat? I never get hungry except when I first wake up in the morning. I Would really prefer Ozempic because treseba causes alot of weight gain.
I started Ozempic 5 weeks ago about to start 1mg bs considerably low very happy but only have one concern I started feeling neck pain then tense feeling on neck At first thought I had slept wrong but now going on two weeks. Throat feels swollen Should I be concerned?
Hi Alma,
There is no association with neck pain, so you should check with your doctor.
I went to my daughter to talk about weight loss and he prescribed this to me I am not diabetic what should I do?
Hi Maria,
You may want to have a conversation with your doctor to find out why, and you may also want to seek out a second opinion.
I’m on my 5th week and the nausea and vomiting are still bothering me. The last 2 days I can barely eat anything without getting sick. Does this get better the longer I’m on the medicine? I have called my doctor today. I just don’t know how much longer I can take this. Thanks. Beverly
I am on the sixth day after first injection. Have been nauseated since day two, even now. I will take second injection tomorrow. I have already lost weight as food is no longer my passion. 4 pounds lost. Morning sugar levels are great already. Just need nausea cure. Could be a miracle drug if I can stay the course. By the way I am a borderline diabetic over 50 years old. Good luck to all.
I’ve taken Ozempic for about months, it worked well for me with weight loss, lower A1C and other health issues have improved. However after the initial savings card is no longer accepted, my insurance will not cover the medicine after several attempts. Unfortunately I am switching medicines even though the medication worked great for me, I just cannot afford it without insurance.
Got to the Ozempic web site. They state $25.00should be your payment amount without insurance
Please, look into GOOD RX for discounts. There is information online. Good Luck!
I have been on Victoza for 2 years (full strength) what is the different besides once a day shot and once a week shot? Does Ozempic have a different drug in it or is it just stronger then Victoza?
Thanks
It is a different drug.
I’m wondering if Ozempic can effect your Menstral cycle. I’m in my forth week of the medication and my menstral cycle is delayed this month and was wondering if this could be related..
I do not know of any GLP-1 RA or drug in the class that has menstrual effects..but I am not the expert in that area…ask my ex wife.
LOL…
Hello, I’ve been on Ozempic for approx 3 months. Started at 0.25 for one month, then went to 0.5. For about the last month I am so tired I can hardly function. Literally wake up in the morning and shortly thereafter just sleep on and off all day.
I know Ozempic can cause fatigue, but is it normal to come on after taking it for a little over two months? My numbers are all good within range.
Just seems strange that I didn’t have the fatigue in the beginning. I did try going back to 0.25 a couple of times but that didn’t help at all.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
what else are you taking, Chris? Check out the other meds too. Sometimes after being on something a long time you can develop reactions. I was on statins for years and then all of the sudden my muscles ached all over. Joint pain also very tired. I stopped them and all pain went away and no longer tired as much.
Reading this I am wondering if Ozempic is why I have been 3 days later on my menstral cycle for the last 2 months.
Did you ever her your cycle or were you pregnant? My daughter is having the same issue. He period is now over a week late.
What did you find out regarding this medication and your menstrual cycle? I just started a week ago and my cycle is extremely light, which is why I’m asking.
I’ve been taking ozempic for roughly 3 4 months now. I noticed that I’ve been gradually having issues swallowing. Some days my throat feels like I have a lump in it and it bothers me. I can eat something and feel like my throat is closing in almost like an allergic reaction to what ever I eating. I dont take anything else. I feel like my stomach is bloated all the time and i do get nausea. I took my dosage this past monday and tried to eat something and felt like it got stuck in my throat and paniced. I went to the ER thinking I had something stuck and they sent me home since i didnt have symthoms of an allergic reaction but my throat was still swollen. The next day I could not eat. I was able to get a spoon full of eggs and one gulp of coffee and boom instantly felt sick and throat swelled up. I have no allergies to no food. I cant even vomit it up if I wanted. I tried to force my self and nothing worked. I dont think this medication is worth the nausea and anxiety i feel with my thoat and stomach swelling. I was on Victoza previously and dont know why they switched me to this. Its been two days since my doesage and today I can finally eat a little more but after wards nausea and anxiety. I need to be able to eat more than a couple spoon fuls of food a day.
I’ve been taking Ozempic for 3 months..I’ve noticed shortness of breath like an asthma attack, troubles swallowing, and now have seen spots and dizziness. I have been to many dr appointment. They come back with nothing..its getting worse and I struggle to breath.
I would consider stopping Ozempic for a couple of weeks, take your sugar levels 2 or 3 times a day so to make sure you dont get crazy spikes in the 400’s.
That’ll help you see if Ozempic is the culprit.
I did that with Trulicity to figure out how it was impacting me.
I noticed shortness of breath too.I asked for and inhaler it does not work.I also have bad indigestion and head aches along with naseous and vomiting.
It works. Two weeks lost 6lbs. No side effect effects. Love this. Coupons not accepted with Medicare Insurance.Never been ableHeavy9.rw@gmail.com to lose weight before.I’m looking forward to getting in the 90’s, then 8’s. I’m 209. Who would have thought that would have made me smile.
I have been on ozempic .5mg for 5 months now, a1c is down, I do have bouts of diarrhea, but on the whole feel well. I have lost weight but now, I have plateaued these last 2 weeks, is this normal? I need to loss more weight, what can I do?
Reaching a plateau with regard to weight loss is not uncommon – everybody’s response is a little different. To lose more weight, you need to have a face to face appointment with a physician who is knowledgable about weight loss.
Game changer. Switched from Trulicity. Better A1c and the side effects are much better to handle. Trulicity, nausea was brutal for up to 4 days after injection along with indigestion and a lot of fatigue. Ozempic, no nausea, no fatigue, but now I have bloating and indigestion. I realized this is due to the diet. I am full almost all the time now. Whereas on Trulicity, I would eat to quiet down the nausea. As I’ve cut the amount I eat, the side effects are going away.
Has anyone experienced a “bad breath” side effect on Ozempic ??
Like sulphur? Yes. It is awful. I feel like this med is killing me.
Yes! My husband keeps telling me my breath is awful AND nothing seems to help.
I’m happy you wrote this bc I also have nausea,fatigue and lethargy.
I did not have these issues while on trulicity.
Seeing my doctor on Wednesday.
How much does Ozempic and diabetic consultants/doctors get paid/kickbacks for this? It seems meds are only made to make profit, and a lot of profit at that.
My doctor decided to start ozempic yesterday after my A1C went from 7.8 to 5.3 after starting a low carb diet with regular exercise. I lost 60 pounds since January, and my janumet that I was taking had become too strong for what I need. I have never needed insulin, and my doctor is hoping that the .25mg dose once per week will be enough to keep my sugars under control (they are upper 80s to low 90s and post meal 100-120 now on janumet). He’s also hoping it will help me lose the last 20 pounds to my goal and have me completely off all diabetes medication in the next year.
This is an old post but I just had to reply that your numbers and stats are great! I wonder how you got on with Ozempic. You are doing great with the low carb diet and exercise. Keep it up! You don’t need Ozempic!
Hello… I am hoping for some insight either way (positive or negative). Anyway, I have been looking at trying Ozempic. I asked my Doctor about this alternative hoping it may assist helping me lower my overall blood sugar and a1c levels over time. After discussions and reviewing if I was a good candidate for the drug my Doctor gave me the thumbs up and prescribed it to me. I was excited at first, I saw the commercials for the drug and did some brief reading about it. Then when I was prescribed the medication I did even more reading before I tried my first injection. To be honest I am extremely nervous and not feeling positive about trying this medication now. I have read so many horrifying side effects that I don’t know what to do. I would not describe myself as someone with a low pain tolerance so that’s not the issue. I am reading things like possible cancer warning side effects, massive stomach and nausea issues. Kidney and Liver ailments and possible shutdown etc etc.
So now I am not sure what to do. Even some if the people out here that has had some positive results seem to have all battled thru a variety of side effects. I actually read one comment out there that his stomach pain was so bad that after his 2nd week he feared having to take his next shot. He had been counting down the days as they grew closer to his next injection he was horrified. After week 3 injection he was so upset at himself for continuing but pushed himself hoping it would get better as time went on. There are also many more stories like that out there as well.
I’m just not 100 percent sure now. Again, I was all for it and really pumped to start. I almost wish I didn’t keep researching about the medication. So, I know I will get the “it’s ultimately up to you” replies but my ultimate hope is that I will get some positive reinforcement that this drug isn’t as bad OR the negative responses/ side effects truly are not as bad as they sound.
MAYBE even a NEW referral to some other medication that doesn’t have so many negative side effects??? Anything would help at this point. Thank You and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone out there.
PS. I sincere thank you to anyone who reads this and replies. I know I might sound ridiculous but it’s just my thoughts on dealing with Type 2 diabetes. Sometimes I read some crazy or ridiculous questions or comments and I think how can a person be so worried, concerned or over reacting to certain things. Now I AM that person lol. Thanks for reading!
OMGosh I’ just got mine today and your story is my story ! Im scared to start it now 🙁
Hi Will,
It’s been a few months since you’ve written, but I just saw your post and wanted to give you some hope, regarding Ozempic. I have been taking it for about 6 months. I’m not gonna lie, at first the nausea was incredibly bad, but I kept taking it, and the nausea gradually started to subside. Finally, at about month 4, it completely disappeared and I no longer suffer from nausea or diarrhea. To date, I’ve lost about 25lbs, my A1C went from about an 8 down to 5.9 just recently. My doctor told me at my next appointment, if my A1C goes down again, she’s going to take me off my Metformin. Ozempic has been a life saver.
I hope this helps you or someone else, out there.
Oh, just an FYI drug company’s HAVE to list all those possible side effects, even if just one person experienced it. It doesn’t necessarily mean the side effect came from the Ozempic, though. Just have your doctor check your blood work for your Liver and Kidneys, on a regular basis if you’re concerned.
Best of luck,
Doug
Great Doug! I’m getting to where you are. I wish people would give it a chance. I don’t want to sound mean but sometimes you just have to fight thru it. I found something to eat that I could stomach. Ate it every day until I got past the worst of the nausea.
Doug, I have had the same experience as you. I hope that people will give it some time. I think that these horror stories are really affecting some people.
I agree with both of you. Keeping going it will get better !
I have been taking it now for 4 weeks, on my 5th dose and the only side affect I experience is headaches and i.m not sure if they are from the Ozempic. I don’t have diarrhea, upset stomach or constipation. I do get hungry sometimes probably because I eat so little (had gastric bypass years ago). I was on an insulin pump for years and after weight loss no longer needed the pump. after insulin was stopped my A1C jumped up to 8.6 so now I am trying Ozempic. I don’t need to loss anymore weight. I was terrified of the stories I heard/read from others but in the end I made the decision to try it (byetta made me very sick and so did bydoren) this med seems to work perfect if only I could get past the headaches. My BG is near to perfect now. Every one is different, you’ll have to try for yourself to see if you’ll experience any negative side affects.
You wrote this a long time ago so by now you’ve probably made your decision. But if you are still wondering, I can tell you this. I, too, was very worried and delayed starting ozempic until I had nothing going on in my life that could be affected by it’s side effects. But I’ve really had so few it’s not worth mentioning. Just a bit tireder than usual, frequent headache, and more bowel movements than usual. Here’s how I’ve dealt with it: Advil for the headaches — one per day has been enough. Take the injection before bed to ward off nausea or stomach pain.
On line you can get 5% liquid hydrocloric acid to sprinkle about 8 drops on your food that will prevent the stomach upset and aid digestion. There’s nothing dangerous about this liquid; been using it for years. Or you could use a bit of apple cider vinegar with the same result but the taste might not be so good. You will be less hungry on ozempic so just adjust your food choices to reflect less oils, salt, and wheat to control the bloating some have mentioned. Good luck!
I found that Trulicity had much less side effects versus Ozempic.
With trulicity, there was really minimal nausea.
Got mine yesterday and am now afraid to start this. I was on Trulicity and that knocked me for a loop. I was fatiged and nauseous. Dr. said Ozempic doesn’t have those side effects, then I read all these people haveing problems. Dr. did say if you eat to much you will throw up. Oh great, that’s not fun!!! Still putting of taking this, but if I don’t then I will have to use insulin and that puts on more weight!!!
Will, what you wrote is EXACTLY how I feel right now. The sample box is sitting in front of me as o wrote this and I was to start my first dose tomorrow night. I am scared out of my wits reading all these and other comments. I am seriously thinking of calling my doctor so I can start Metformin instead. Did you ever start the Ozempic? Or are you taking something else?
Did you ever start it ? If so, what were the results?
I started taking those epic .25 injection for two weeks for the last three weeks I’ve been on .5. I have lost a total of 10 pounds so far but my morning blood sugar checks have not really come down. They were in for 165 to 130 . So far I’ve had no side effects. Oh my blood sugar come down on the daily morning checks?
I have taken two sample boxes of ozempic and I love it, however I have tried to get my prescription filled given to me by my doctor and my insurance doesn’t cover it (United Heakthcare Medicare Advanrage). Is there anything I can do to be able to afford this medication.
Gail Noland
Sadly not through Medicare.
I am on my second week of Ozempic,.The first week I had stomach pain loss if appetite, headache.I think it was because ofnot drinking enough water.When I figured that out things got better.This week I carry a bottle of water around, side effects much better.lost 4lbs in one week.Will get my results on everything else after a month.The reviews will scare you but everyone is different,Make sure you drink plenty of water..
Agreed… Everyone is different. I read many plenty reviews, but am tired of taking a pill twice a day. My A1C went from 6.3 to 6.7 over the course of a year… So, I decided to try Ozempic despite people’s reviews. The goal is to get my A1C back down AND to get rid of 15 lbs.
So far my experience with the pen is underwhelming. The spring delivery is inconsistent across my four doses ranging from 5 seconds to 90 seconds to receive my full dose. Only one of my last ten pens has NOT exhibited this issue. Overall, a poor quality delivery system.
I have achieved great success with Victoza. It never once made me feel ill and has my A1c at about 5.9 consistently (down from 8.0) My question is…If Victoza doesn’t give me side effects am I less likely to get them with Ozempic? My doctor wants me to switch.
I have been using Ozempic from almost the time it became available on the market.
1- No side effects with me.
2- Not a single ounce in weight loss. If anything, I gained 3 pounds so far.
3- My A1C has no noticeable improvement. I was before using Ozempic between 6.8 & 7.3 A1C. I am still within this range (more on the 6.8 to 7.2 range).
4- Ozempic claims a potential reduction on A1C of between 1.2 to 1.8%. I am not sure what does this mean. Does 1.2% reduction mean my if my pre-Ozempic was 7.0; then post Ozempic I should expect 7.0 less 1.2= 5.8 or is it 1.2% of the 7 making the expected value 6.9x???
5- The drug is extremely expensive. In the US, it costs around $ 850.00 per pen. That is $ 212.50 weekly. So, I got a prescription to buy it from Canada where the same costs $ 220.00 Canadian (approx. $ 160.00 US$) which is approximately 5 times cheaper.
5- I did not find any reference on the long term effects on the pancreas or kidneys.
Regards,
Nad
Ozempice does have a savings card where you won’t pay over $25 for your prescription.
Check it out to see if you qualify. I got a cardc, but my co-pay was $24.99 so it would not work for me. Check it out.
https://www.novocare.com/ozempic/savings-card.html
I have been a diabetic for 30 years. Taking Lantas and Humalog. My doctor switched my insulin to Ozempic. Since October I have been taking .025 once a week without side effects. Well on January 22 (16 weeks) I took my shot and have been sick with Stomach pain,diarrhea belching and gas. My weight has dropped 30lbs ans my AlC was 9.2 now 5.9. I love the results, but why and i feeling this way now
Ozempic is not a insulin though. My goal is to eventually get off my insulin. I currently take 60 units of Treciba (new to me) as before I was taking 80 units of Levimir a day. I have not had good control of my sugar, my A1C is usually around 8.2-9.4 I want to lower that. I am not liking Treciba. I was told insulin will not cause weight gain, but it did cause me to gain 3 lbs over the last 2 weeks. I may ask to go back to my levimir as treciba I swear is the reason for the small gain/bloated feeling. I took my first dose of .25mg ozempic on Sunday. I have 3 more weeks to go until I raise to .50mg. So far, I am ok. Nausea a bit on day 2. Headache. I will try to up my water, as I have a big diet coke love and know this isn’t the best choice. It dehydrates me more, I realize so will rectify that. I sure hope I see some good results with the medication. I admit some of the reviews make me nervous, but I will see how I do on it. Would love to lose 10-15 lbs and get off insulin completely. I am currently 195 lbs, and would like to be 180 if I could get down a bit.
I’ve been on ozempic since 8/24/2018 I’ve lost 42 pounds, my glucose and A1C are completely normal. I love this medication.
If I was previously taking Victoza, is it normal that the .25 is not having any sort of strong effect? Can i move to the .5 sooner without risk?? (Week 2 or 3)
I was prescribed ozempic and received my first injection in the endocrinologist office. I’m T1D, yet i’ve seen no indication that this is safe for T1D. Woke up with a headache but a lower morning BG reading. Should I even be taking this?
I am T1D also and was given this in the endocrinologist office. Day three I became sick with vomiting and Diarrhea. I’m not sure if I will give myself a second dose. Mt DR said it may help me loose a few extra pounds I’ve been working on for months, but I’m not sure it’s worth it.
doesn’t it say “not for T1D. That doesn’t sound right. Call the Ozempic Hotline.
I just started my first injection of ozempic this past Tuesday and so far so good. My appetite has dramatically decreased but I’m ok with that. I have struggled with my type 2 diabetes since I was 22 and I am now 38. This medication seems like it is going to do the trick. I eat less than half of what I used to. Typically I eat about 4 or 5 bites and I am full. What I do now to keep from feeling sick is eat 2 or 3 small very small meals per day and it seems to help. Im looking forward to see how this medication does for me long term. Good luck to all of you out there. Hang in there
I have been on Ozempic since Aug 2018 and love it. My A1C is way down and I have lost 20+ pounds. I take Ozempic in addition to Metformin and Jardiance. Initial experience with the drug was nausea at night, stomach aches, loss of appetite, sleepiness and diahreah. These have all steadily decreased and pretty much gone away after 5 months and were nothing that couldn’t be handled. If starting this drug just be prepared that there will be inconveniences initially but it is worth the long term outcome. The downside – this drug is very expensive, luckily it is covered by my healthplan.
Just wanted to share my experience, I have been using Ozempic since January 7th of this year. My previous blood test were done in November 2018 and my A1C back them was 9.5 and my weight was 212 pounds. I just had my blood test done again on 3/8/2019 and went to see my doctor last Friday, the test results were in and my A1C is now down to 6.6. I also weight 205 pounds.
I have done nothing different that what I was already doing before I started taking Ozempic. So far I have not experienced any side effects that I know. It seems to work in the past I have never been bellow 9.5 in my A1C test.
I was given a sample of this led 2 days ago and I’m anxious about using it now. I’m afraid of needles and even more afraid of nausea and vomiting. You could say I’m phobic. I was instructed to take .25. Are most of the side affects y’all are having are from the .25? Also, I took a Zophran in prep of the nausea, hoping if I did inject, it would keep nausea from happening. How long do the symptoms last? Every day for the next 7 days? I don’t know what to do. Also, I have Blue Cross insurance and am not sure what it covers.
The needle shouldn’t scare you; it’s so tiny, you will be amazed that it’s even in your skin.
I hate shots and rarely notice when my daughter in law gives it the needle is so small. To me it does better in the arms. I drink only unsweet decaf tea, coffee and water. Anything carbonated makes me sick. That’s when I’ll have reflux, belching and stomach issues. I avoid bread also for the same reason.
Tall me more please about the Ozempic and Thyca? I’ve had my thyroid completely removed. Could this cause modules to appear in the neck area?
I must be one of the lucky ones. i started ozempic 7 months ago at the 1mg dose from day 1
i stayed home from work expecting what most have experienced but i never got the to the nausea and tossing my cookies part. the closest was a 10 second uhoh moment when i thought here it comes and that was it…
so far i am just pounds away from 100lb loss… it does effect diet… urge to eat less… changed my taste buds so i dont crave pizza anymore… and i eat more lean meats and fruits..
i also have moments at night watching tv where without warning i just check out for an hour or 2 regardless if the program is of high interest or not.
i am also experiencing dehydration and just need to keep track of increase fluid intake..
HOWEVER… it has been a miracle for me and i love what it is doing for me…
dave…
100 lbs attributed to the med or due to diet change? All I’ve read said 13 lbs is the most it can make you lose weight.
I’ve been on Ozempic 4 weeks 3 days at .25 dose and I have lost almost 10 lbs. I expect to loose more than 13 overall.
I started taking this in June 2018 as recommended by my Endocrinologist. While I do not have diagnosed Diabetes I have struggled for 40 years to lose weight and nothing I’ve done has been successful. I eat a very restricted diet and my doctor suggested trying ozempic in addition.
I lost 30 pounds in three months. It’s been fantastic.
Side effects: severe constipation, severe nausea. However, having worked so hard to lose weight in the past and finding that this worked right away I was willing to keep going. I’ve never been able to tolerate above the .5mg dose. The weeks I had bad side effects were the weeks my Dr. tried the 1mg dose which I did several times.
The bad news: my insurance covered this in 2018 but cut off all coverage in 2019 which also negates any discounts from the manufacturer. I’m now paying $800 per month.
My hope is that Novonordisk will soon allow their discounts to work for patients who have no insurance coverage
The nausea comes from overeating or eating foods high in carbs.
I’ve been on the drug for 6 weeks. The first 4 were at .25mg and the last 2 weeks have been at .50mg.
I haven’t had the nausea as much as others nor the stomach pains. No diarrhea. My biggest side affect is feeling depressed and my stomach/inside feeling full all the time. I have slight headaches that only go away if I take Aleve Cold & Sinus. Also I don’t sleep as well at night.
I’m not overweight…I’m 6’5″ and weight 190lbs.
My blood sugar has gone from 235 to just under 200 (177-199). I’ll give Ozempic a full 90 days to see if these feelings go away. If not I’ll talk with my doctor and try something else.
I have been on Ozempic for 4 weeks now and have had constant headaches and sleepless nights. I normally fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, now it takes a while and I wake up often. Also I normally would have bowel movements three times a day, 1/2 hour after I eat, now it may only be two to three times a week. Not sure how much longer I can stand these headaches. My blood pressure is still near to perfect and my sugar levels are reduced but my head!!
Switched last week to .25 dose of ozempic from Victoza – A1c was at 7.8 – blood sugars actually have risen the first couple days on this new medicine – when should I expect a change and lower blood sugar
I am on my 4th week of Ozempic and I am not going to continue with this therapy. I will go back to Victoza. After I inject Ozempic, I am nauseous for a few days – which I can handle. What I cannot handle is the leg stiffness and soreness to the point where it is super painful to move, walk, sleep, sit. I have been keeping notes on when this happens and when it goes away. It starts the afternoon after I inject (Friday morning) and then it starts fading on Wednesday. On Thursday I feel great and on Friday morning I feel great. Then around noon on the day of injection the stiffness and soreness start back in. By Saturday and Sunday I can barely walk and have to wait until Wednesday to have a life again. Dr. says it isn’t a known side effect but I have had no other changes of any kind.
I have a headache on left side of my head which didn’t have until I started on Ozempic. Also weeks ago i watched documentary “What the Health” and stopped eating meat. I no longer have joint pain. Before when I ate meat had joint pain in knees, hands but it stopped. I noticed after injection of Ozempic I’m aching in my joints. Also, my sugar was higher than normal.. I can probably deal with joint pain but this headache is the worst. I started drinking more water, Hope that helps
I am having the same issues, the first day, I am exhausted,tired and medicine head, next I feel lifeless. then I can hardly eat anything, then, I am unable to potty. The dose is .5 and it’s the 5th week in which I am now on, no weight lost, bloated, uncomfortable, and not sure if this medication is for me.
I was on Victoza for 8 months with good weight loss and control of glucose. Switched to Ozempic 3 months ago and had similar results. However a recent change in circumstances and I cannot afford the 450$ a month for it. I need to go back to insulin which is covered by plan here. Sad to think of losing all the weight (55#) and back to the start. What a messed up system.
i’ve been extremely dizzy and light headed since starting ozempic. 0.5 dosage for 8 weeks now and it hasn;t stopped.almost to the point of blacking out when standing up Have been diabetic for 15yrs —-metformin/humalog/lantus. Ozempic does give better control of blood sugars but i hate feeling this sick
Did the dizziness ever subside. Been taking for 4 months now and the dizziness is awful!
I just got a sample of this medicine today and I’m nervous to try it. I’m 22 with hypothyroidism and insulin resistance but no diabetes. I was taking metformin but my endocrinologist said it wasn’t working as well as he’d hoped so he recommended ozempic. Is it crazy for me to think that if I eat better and exercise more I can lose enough weight without taking this medication?? I’m currently at 224
I’m not going to continue this medication. Im not functional with the diarrhea.
Give the drug time to get through the side effects and it also takes awhile to see your numbers plummet. I have been on the medication 6 weeks and have lost 16 lbs. Feel great and despite the nausea and constipation it is so worth it. The constipation takes care of itself after 3 days or so and makes up for loss time. lol So happy with this medication! Be patient and you will see a difference. Everybody has different outcomes and bodies, so just be patient. Love ozempic!!
I take 1000mg metaformin twice a day, and have done Ozempic consistently since the beginning of Feb. I take .50 shots. I have a lot of bloating and have tried gas tablets and probiotics to help. Stopped any types of Sodas and soda stream water. Still have bloating. A little nausea once in a blue moon. Usually in the morning when I take my other meds. Haven’t lost any weight (maybe a pound), still at 212. I’m not very hungry yet no weight loss. Just tried starting to monitor blood sugar using a FreeStyle Libre product (because I hate sticking myself) and my sugars are nowhere within the target 90 to 140 range. At times I wake up with my sugars at 185+ already at 4am. Without eating, they don’t drop to 125 until noon or later. Wondering if I need to ask the doctor to go to 1.0 dosage on ozempic. In any case, I’m handling ozempic well. Tired by 8 in evening, but that’s because my alarm goes off at 4am, so I think that’s ok. I want to get this blood sugar under control.
Ron, do you take your Metformin (I take the same dosage)at meal times? The Diabetic Educator I see recommended start eating your meal, take your Metformin and finish eating. Taking my medication this way has eliminated the bloated feeling and gas I was having.
I have been on Ozempic for 8 weeks now. My A1C was a 17.1 and my sugars were in the 600’s I am going for my new A1c tomorrow but my sugars have been consistently in the 80-110 range, so it really works… however. now that I am taking the .1 dose, the stomach pains have become severe. I am asking for a reduction back down to .5. I too get nauseated, but I really feel it is from the stomach pain and just not being able to eat because it hurts so much. I was pretty ok at the .5 and I’m hoping I will be again. The other thing I have noticed is my injection site hurt weeks after my injections now that I have gone to the bigger dose.
I been taking Ozempic for 4 weeks, I feel great,I lost 15pounds and it works for me. My blood sugar is great.
Hello. This is my second week of taking Ozempic (0.25 ml). My issue is I have trouble sleeping during the first two nights after taking the injection. The other side effects are mild and manageable. I haven’t read that sleep issues are a possible side effect of taking this drug. Have any of you had this problem and how did you manage it? Thanks.
I have not read anything at all in any of the information they give you or any place I have researched about sleep issues but I am on day 6 of my first shot of .25mg and I finally slept last night somewhat (day 5) I am wide awake and actually feel like hyper and lightheaded since taking this shot. So I am apprehensive about taking the next injection. Other than that I have no side effects at all, but my Blood Sugars are only slightly improved so far. I can’t continue to not sleep, and even to try and take a nap during the day I am wide awake. So I am convinced the inability to sleep is from the Ozempic as nothing else has changed in my life.
I also had very bad insomnia on Ozempic. I’m stopping it as sleep is so important for blood sugar to begin with.
Started taking this .25 dosis injection for my first week. On 04/17/19 I have lost a total of 4.5 pounds so far, I am on my second week of Ozempic. The first week I didn’t had stomach pain, headache or any side effects. But I notice that my appetite had a big change. I am not hungry all day. I am eating small meals now. I been drinking more water than normal, but after reading all the reviews I was really scared too. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be the right medicine for me. But it works!!! No side effects yet! I am a T2D
I would suggest that people who are suffering from Constipation increase the fibre in their diet and drink plenty of water, I have to take fibrates because of my high tryglycerides, and this seems to balance everything out, I have no stomach problems neither do I get constipated, another tip s to drink Giner tea twice a day, or ginger in any form, this works wonders for your digestion
My A1C was 7 and my doctor put me on 0.25 Ozempic. I did 4 weeks at 0.25. My results were wonderful with a 12 pound weight loss and fasting blood sugars in the normal ranges, however I had to stop taking this drug due to the side effects that I could no longer live with…sleepless nights for those 4 weeks and fecal impaction 6x in 4 weeks. That caused me so much stress and misery and I can’t wait until this drug leaves my body for good.
I was placed on ozempic 3 weeks ago at the gradual increasing dosages for weight loss. I am not diabetic and I am approximately 20 pounds overweight. My doctor wanted Saxenda or Trulicity but my insurance denied and substituted Ozempic. When I reached my 0.5 mg dose my symptoms worsened quickly. I am a RN and my husband is a physician so we both are very knowledgeable in assessing situations. All I can say is weight loss is imminent because the nausea and gastroparesis and cramps are almost unbearable. This drug landed me in the ER by week 3 requiring IV fluids, pain management with Levsin and a CT of the abdomen which showed intestines full and dilated with fecal matter. This is absolutely the worst I have felt in a long time. The abdominal pain was worse than labor. I would advise physicians to steer clear of this drug for weight management in otherwise healthy active individuals. My understanding is it has not been FDA approved for this use and I assure you this RN will be talking to some medical directors at her insurance company!
I have been taking victors which keeps my sugar level down to almost normal. I start ozempic and seemy level go sky high again. Im taking the max dose. The first day it seemed to work but the next two days it absent slowed down my levels..
I’ve been on ozempic 0.1 dosage for 4 weeks I pass the side affects but I now feel
like the weight loss has stopped and I crave sugar alot more now. Please advise if this is a known response after being on 0.1 dosage
I have just started with Ozempic. Six days ago I took my first shot. Script said 1 ml weekly. I used the pen once and used it against for a second time, and afterwards discovered that I mistakenly took two doses, thus 2 ml. I have had bad diarrhea, and loss of appetite since. How long will these side effecTS LAST?
I started Ozempic on 4/4/19 with just the .25 dose. Did that for 2 weeks and upped the dose to .5, per my doctor.
I’m on a pretty low carb diet and I used to fast, but this week I learned that I can not fast OR go long periods of time without eating, or I get nasty heartburn. That is frustrating. Other than that, no complaints so far. I’d like to get my A1C to a great number and eventually get off this shot though, as there are some troubling side effects I’d like to avoid.
I have been on ozempic for 6 months now. I had no issues until my doctor just increased my dosage to 1 m. Omg. The pain, nausea and diarrhea had me miss 3 days of work. I feel like I have a stomach flu it’s awful.
I switched from Trulicity to Ozempic 2 weeks ago and this has to be the worst drug ever. I went from an average glucose of around 150 to getting readings all day long of 200 to 270. This is ridiculous. I called my doctor and hopefully she will switch me back to Trulicity. Anyone else have this issue?
I switched from trulicity to Ozempic in mid April. Started at .25, now taking .5 and the goal is 1.0, but I am tired and have nausea a lot.if your Ozempic dose is .25, the starting dose, there is no therapeutic effect at all. It does nothing until you get to the .5 dosage.
Don’t know if I want to go to the 1.0 dose. Seeing doctor on Wednesday.
Good luck
Michelle I have been on .25 dosage for 7 weeks and my numbers are way down from the 300s. I have also lost around 18 pounds. I get occasional nausea, but I drink tons of water and crackers. I really afraid to go up to .5 because I don’t want the bad side affects.
I’ve been on Ozempic for 7 weeks. I’m at the point that I may have to ask my doctor to discontinue the medication. The nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite and constipation side effects have not stopped. I did lose about 10 pounds, but who would not with these side effects.
I have been on ozempic for 2 weeks and I am so constipated. What can I do to cure this?
I’m at the same place as you. Dosage is .5 and I am seeing my endocrinologist on Wednesday to dis usd discontinuing and return to trulicity.
I switched from trulicity to Ozempic in mid April. Started at .25, now taking .5 and the goal is 1.0, but I am tired and have nausea a lot.if your Ozempic dose is .25, the starting dose, there is no therapeutic effect at all. It does nothing until you get to the .5 dosage.
Don’t know if I want to go to the 1.0 dose. Seeing doctor
Good luck
I have lost weight but my joints are in pain and I have headaches the diarrhea is not that bad but I do experience it often I am also dizzy a lot of the time I’m insulin resistant due to pcos I lost like 22 lbs but I just feel sick a lot of the time I also out of the blue started having chest pain.
Hello everyone!
I have taken 4 doses so far, very little side effects BUT I have been feeling a little “down” lately. After reading the comments posted on here, I am wondering if it may be the fatigue some of you have mentioned. I just dont feel motivated to do anything, and am indifferent to many situations.
Has anyone experienced this, and does it subside with time?
I did! I even feel some depression is installing…
I switched from Trulicity to Ozempic as the Trulicity injections were very painful when the medication was administered (? adverse effect) . I started right away on the 0.5mg dose and have to say that I did not get the stomach issues of nausea and vomiting. I did note that I feel tired and some days taking a shower requires much motivation.I am entering my 5th week on the drug and feel BLOATED, feel I have gained weight- not lost, my blood sugars have been above 200 which is not normal and overall not happy. I will be due for my 5th injection in 3 days and am considering going back to the Trulicity despite the painful burning when injected. Has anyone had these same types of symptoms?
I am in awe of Ozempic. I don’t know how much weight I’ve lost because I don’t weigh myself. I am in my 4th week with this medicine and I can now see my belly button when I’m standing up and looking down. I could not see it 4 weeks ago. Now my clothes fit much better and I can see my belt buckle when standing up. This medicine suppresses my appetite and I have found that’s when I experience nausea. So, I just force myself to eat something and the nausea leaves. I use the Freestyle Libre so I can keep close tabs on my glucose level. Since using this medicine, I have gone from an average scan of 204 to 125. This morning I felt so good when I woke up that danced a little bit. A long time since I’ve done that. I can’t wait for my check-up in 2 months. My doctor will be super impressed.
On my 3rd dose, 2 @ .25 and this last one at .5. Fasting glucose has dropped from 190s to less than 120, and down 13 lbs. Loss of appetite, and full feeling after a few bites, but that’s fine for me. Nausea for a few days after taking. Have tried invokana and jardiance, both in combo with 1000mg metformin BID. Both of those drugs were giving me numbness in toes. None of that with Ozempic. Also, A1C had been gradually rising from just over 6.0 to 8+. Looking forward to more weight loss, lowered A1C and maybe getting off of metformin. I am going to switch from dosing in the morning to before bed to see if that helps with nausea. My Dr is wonderful and warned me to expect nausea and other symptoms, but advised to stop immediately if I had stomach pain, which I don’t. I was freaked about injections, but it’s actually better than a pill every day.
Can I take Ozempic just for weight loss ??
When my glucose reading and weight matched (both in 200s) I decided I needed to do something (was 69 at the time). December 2016 I had gastric bypass surgery and lost 60 lbs. After a year I found myself being hungry a lot. When I would wake up at night (still don’t sleep well) I would be so hungry and would eat – mostly chips and crackers and all other sorts of carbs which I craved. Needless to say I gained back at least 20 of what I had fought so hard and gone through so much to lose. When I had left the hospital after the WLS I no longer needed diabetic medication. I was retested several months after surgery and no longer needed CPAP machine. I found myself back on meds (1000 mg 2x a day) for T2D and postponing my recheck with my surgeon for over a year! I knew I had to do something so I made an appointment. My weight loss clinic suggested I see someone for medical weight management which I did. She put me on OZEMPIC. While I still take the diabetic medication, my once a week shot has been like a miracle. I have been on it since April. I am happy to report that I have lost the 20lbs plus 2. I no longer binge eat anything. In fact I have to be careful what I do eat because I become full quickly and if not careful can become nauseous. I still eat some of the forbidden foods but instead of a whole sleeve of crackers I have to limit myself to 4, 6 tops. The same with chips or pretzels. I can still have some but very few. My favorite deserts can only be a few bites but the rest can be saved for another treat. I am so much happier about how I look and hope to lose another 20. My clothes are fitting again and in fact some are now too big. I no longer regret having given away the clothes I did after my WLS!!
OZEMPIC (as well as WLS) are tools to assist in the ever ending battle against our inability to self regulate.
PS. I have to say that before I started OZEMPIC my A1C had crept back up to 8.2. Prior to this I had gotten it down to 6. I am confident my July bloodwork will be back to normal as my daily testing ranges from 90-110. Maybe I will even be able to cut my medication dosage.
I do not have diabetes but my doctor prescribed me Ozempic for weight loss. However, the pen is 1mg per dose. I am sitting here with the injection ready to go but from what I read online – no one is starting at 1 mg dose in their first month. I am seriously doubting whether or not I should be taking this.
Has anyone started at 1 mg dose?
Ur suppose to start on 0.25mg
I’ve lost 8 lbs in 4 days. Four days ago was my very first dose of .25. NOT GREAT, if that’s what you are thinking! I’ve had every horrible side effect! Losing weight is what I was Rxd for, not diabetes. I will not be dosing again. If someone approached you with “How would like to lose 10 lbs in 5 days!?….just have a HORRIFIC stomach and intestinal virus for the whole five days!” Nope!
I started on 0.25 then 0.5 now im on 1mg but since started the 1mg 4 weeks ago i am very tired and find it hard to walk up hills .i will have to go back down to the 0.5mg
I took this once so far. I was constipated so my doctor told me to take stool softener and a laxative. I also do not like the cancer warning. My sugar has dropped which is good and I felt like I had more energy. I just don’t know what to do!?
Any suggestions??
I’ve been on Ozempic for about 10 weeks now, I’m down about 20lbs. I have noticed things like my heart racing a bit (nothing too crazy), VERY dehydrated (dry mouth), I just drink a LOT of water, keep active and the results have been AMAZING so far!
I do get nausea quite a bit, the worst is that I get these “sulpher burps” which are just JOYFUL to experience *insert sarcasm here*
I have next to no appetite which in my opinion isn’t healthy, I figured it would subside after a month or two but it has not. I’m from Canada and use medicinal Cannabis and with the two combined I been able to get my appetite back to semi normal.
I am no longer on any insulin which is AWESOME!! Thank you for that!!
Oh! Those burps are the WORST! I’m stuck with nausea and constipation two days after the shot, but then things are back to normal. It sucks, because Day 2 is MONDAY! Ugh…
I started Ozempic this week on .25 dose. Before I started it my morning fasting glucose was anywhere between 120 and 135. Since starting it has been in the high 140’s. This morning it was 148 and yesterday it was 146. Is it normal for it to increase before lowering? I am at a loss. I have been trying to get it below 100 in the morning. I also have noticed that 2 hours after eating it is higher than it normally is. I have been drinking the diabetic slim fast shakes. 2 hours after eating it is in the high 120’s where before taking Ozempic it was in the low 100’s. 2 hours after dinner of fish or chicken and vegetables it is in the 150’s. this just doesn’t seem right. My fasting A1C before taking Ozempic is 6.8.
I am a type 1 diabetic. My endocrinologist recommended Ozempic. I was very leery at first but my insulin pump management just was not getting it. My blood sugar would be fine nothing to eat then it would just randomly climb to 200 to 300 sometimes even over 400. . Especially at night. I finally gave in an tried the Ozempic. I’m currently on the lowest dose and it crazy my blood sugars are so much better. Most mornings they are in range now .
Just praying insurance will cover for a Type 1 diabetic .
everything you read and all the labels state NOT FOR TYPE 1 DIABETES
Since starting Ozempic, it’s been my experience that if I over-eat (when I’m in a hurry or distracted), I have stomach problems. If I eat approximately half of what I normally did, no problems at all. I’ll still feel a little hungry, but it goes away in a few minutes, and I’ve lost 14 pounds since starting thee months ago.
The only issue I’m having is the nausea, to the point I throw up, and constipation. But, the weird thing is, this doesn’t happen each week.
What do the rest of you do for the nausea? I’m not eating at all on the day that I’m feeling off; lots of peppermint Altoids and cold water.
Thanks for your help and suggestions.
I take Zophran, the kind that melts in your mouth. It works really well, really fast. It’s only 1-2x/week. I take 1.0 mg. I’ve lost 14 lbs in 3 months. The burps are kind of annoying. Sometimes sulphur, sometimes beer (I don’t drink alcohol) and sometimes yeast. I drink ginger tea and that helps.
I just started Ozempic on Wednesday. I felt a wee bit nauseated on Thursday but a ginger pill got rid of it. Almost immediately my appetite has shut down. I was hungry all the time before being prescribed Ozempic. I’m eating low carb and my blood sugar has so far gone from 178 down to 148 in 3 days and I’ve lost 3 pounds. It feels like water weight but who knows. No issues except the very mild nausea. The injection is completely painless (and I’m terrified of needles). I’ll report in after a month.
Is there a better worse injection site for Ozempic. I’ve been injecting in my thighs, but wonder if stomach injections would be more effective or would they possibly cause more gas, etc? Any thoughts or experiences?
Thanks very much.
I have been on Ozempic for almost 12 weeks. I did not notice alot of side affects at first, then the stomach pain, severe nausea and a few headaches started. It has all eased off but I still have a loss of appetite, some slight stomach pains and feel fatigued. After watching what I am eating, I’m noticing my foods are causing some of it, so I’m adjusting the foods again to help. I am currently down 26 lbs and getting my confidence back. For some reason, I do feel sore all over in my muscles and tender to the touch as if I’m bruised. not really sure why, but my doctor will be checking for any low vitamins when I go back just to be sure. I would recommend this drug, and actually have. My sister-in-law is a severe diabetic and starting going to my doctor for this medicine, She has already lost 15 lbs and is feeling better than she has in years. She is just now on week 6.
Does ozempic help with lowering cholesterol
Having read many threads on this forum I havn`t read any from users who also suffer with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) so I thought it might be helpful to share my experience as I have had IBS since my late teens. I am 64 now. I started as most people do with a weekly injection of .25 mg to start my body to get used to Ozempic. I thought at first that I had no side effects. This was not quite correct though as I believed I was experiencing low level IBS which was not unusual for me. However I began to notice this was happening more often than usual. What actually seemed to be happening was that I was not having a direct side effect, but the Ozempic was actually triggering IBS events. This became much more obvious when I moved on to the next dosage level of 0.5 mg. The effects began between 24 and 48 hours and these were high level (severe) IBS events which lasted for 3 – 4 days when I got very severe stomach cramps constant diarrhea with fecal incontinence when sleeping requiring making a nappy out of a bath towel for at least 2 nights. On the 3rd week of the 3rd month the effect happened only hours after the injection. when I started the 4th month I had no IBS reaction, other than a few sulphur burps and this is how it has remained. It was a very unpleasant 3 months but I pushed on because of the promised benefits. Four months on and no unpleasant side effects. The results seem to be very good and I am really pleased that I stayed with it, I was getting near to the point of wondering if all effects were going to be worth it. So my advice if you also have IBS is stay with it as long as you can, for me it was hugely successful in the end, even though it was a very unpleasant road getting there.
Been on Ozempic for 8 weeks and have lost 16kg …changed my diet ..stopped eating junk … miss meals when I’m not hungry … yes you will get diarrhea..yes you will feel tired..but you adapt …suck it up .. push through…almost reduced my novo rapid to zero and lantus down by 50%…… almost back to what weighed 20 years ago !!..Miracle drug if you ask me!!
Hey there! Ok. So, I’ve been taking Ozempic for 7 weeks now. The first six weeks was at .25 and I was fine. I did have very mild nausea but nothing to be concerned with. Then week seven hit! OMG! I increased the dosage to .50 (as per doctor’s instruction) and the first few days I felt fine but then on the third day the diarrhea hit and then severe nausea and pain on my right side. I missed one day of work because I was too ill to get out bed (I hate missing work!). I felt so awful that I was planning my funeral while laying in bed!! The next day I began to vomit but nothing too serious. I was told to reduce the injection back to the .25 until such time as my body is able to tolerate the higher dosage. I’m am very tired. I was feeling pretty good this morning until about an hour ago when the side effects returned! I will try my very best to push through this but it is difficult!
This medication almost killed me. I’ve been on it for a while maybe 1.5 year and the last 6 months I started having horrible stomach pain and vomiting as months went on my vomiting was getting worse and worse I mean 15 times a day I would drink water and vomit it. This would go on non stop. I went to the emergency and did a battery of tests. The gastro thought I had diabetic gastro-parrisis . I’m 44 not over weight with type 2 controlled diabetes. So I went on waiting for more tests to confirm. Mean while I got an appointment with my endo and explained to him the situation. His exact words were I’ll bet my salary it’s the Ozempic. We stopped it and the issue is gone. I’m glad it works for some but it doesn’t for me
Hi. I started Ozempic 2 weeks ago. I am on my second dose of .25. Lots of gas. Not much nausea, some indigestion. I am very short of breath at night that i can’t sleep laying down even with the CPAP machine i have used for 7 years. Tried sleeping setting up not much better. Calling Dr tomorrow.
I tried taking Trulicity and had horrible side effects after the 4th injection. I was taking the lowest dose. I am curious if I would be able to take Ozempic, or if I would have the same problem with the side effects. I noticed the lowest dose was .50, which I believe would be lower than the Trulicity. Any information would be helpful.
Glad it works for some people, but I’m calling it after 5 injections (weekly, 0.5 mg). I feel like the stuff is killing me from the inside out. Awful stomach cramps for days, violent diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration and exhaustion. If I inject on a Friday, I can’t eat until almost Wednesday the following week. Was told to tough out the GI symptoms, that they would lessen….what a crock! They got worse and so bad that I’ve had to take multiple days off work and leave work early because I cant predict when my next “purge” will occur. There is literally nothing worth this level of torture. I would rather be dead from complications than live every day in GI pain.
I agree! I just posted about my experience and having to be taken to the emergency room because of exactly what you’ve described. My family doctor and endocrinologists nurse couldn’t believe what I’ve gone through, but I still haven’t been able to get an appointment with the Endocrinologist yet. Like my family doctor said to me “They (the endocrinologists in the practice) need to know what happened to you because they keep prescribing it like it’s candy!”
I’m so sorry you had to go through this too! I hope your side effects are going away!
I have been on Ozempic for 2 weeks. I have slight Occasional nausea . I’m not at all hungry. My B/S is much better. My only issue is very Lucid dreams when I can sleep and insomnia.
In week five – so far so good… several yrs of prediabetes that moved into diabetes range this year due to bad eating habits. It was a big wake up call for me. Now I track what I eat, staying under 1500 cal and walk daily. My doc started me on Ozempic and I also asked for the Dexcom D6 so I can hold myself accountable and see the results of Ozempic (and eating). I had some constipation the first 3 weeks and then nausea and diarrhea a bit. Just one incident of nausea to the point of vomiting. My appetite is definitely decreased and I get full faster – both of these are a blessing! I’ve lost 8-10 pounds in 5 weeks and I’m just getting to a therapeutic dose. My blood glucose levels are in the normal range the majority of the day (with the exception of morning when they are 115-120). I had some issue with low blood glucose levels at night for 3-4 days when I reached .5 dosing but not all good. I like wearing the Dexcom monitor because I know exactly where I’m at w levels. My goal is to lose 50-60 pounds and get much healthier. I am grateful for this medication.
One week in at .25, I have no side effects with the exception that my glucose levels are still high. I’m maintaining them with my metformin.
No loss of weight, nor appetite, no swelling, vomiting etc.
I placed a call to my Doctor because my levels are still at 277. I am dieting watching and weighing my food etc. I still have my goal to lose 50 plus pounds.
From reading all these comments, I’ll have to give it a long amount of time to dee the results.
Thank you all for sharing you situations!
I want to thank everyone for their comments. I just started today. I workout every other day, hope this helps lower my 1ac levels and helps me lose a pound or two.
Has Anybody had this drug affect their menstrual cycle? If so, what effects did it have? I’ve recently started this drug and think it may be affecting me in that way.
I am on .50 and managing to tolerate it. Blood sugars are fantastic and dropped almost 20 lbs. Went to see my endo today and he wanted to increase it to 1.0. I said no that I didn’t think I could tolerate it. If I am under good control why increase the dosage?
I started ozempic 5 weeks ago I have had some nausea. Some days are worse then others. My problem is I have started getting cystic acne. I’m 48 and haven’t had acne since my thirties. Has anyone else had this problem?
Yes! While I was taking it I was having issues with the pores on my HEAD getting blocked and really deep, painful acne on my faceIt was horrible! The only thing that helped was Tea Tree shampoo and Clinique foaming face wash. Hope this helps!
Yes, I’m 56 and started getting facial acne a free weeks after starting Ozempic. It’s been a few months still on Ozempic and I still have acne.
My husband is taking Ozempic last 3 weeks his blood pressure shot up with meds to 170/100 anyone esle has had same issues. Blood pressure not going down
It’s difficult to find well-informed people in this particular topic, but you
sound like you know what you’re talking about!
Thanks
I’m looking for more information on Ozempic and mood/SSRIs/serotonin. I’ve been on Ozempic since 9/22. My blood sugar and blood pressure are much improved, but my MOOD!!! I take Lexapro for anxiety and depression, and I’ve felt much more anxious and moody (not related to hypoglycemia) over the last 3-4 weeks. I’ve seen some others comment on mood issues on Ozempic. I wish there were more studies on this and simple explanations on what it could do for those of us with mood disorders.
Thanks!
I’ve done 5 weeks, just moved up to .5mg this week. So far, I LOVE Ozempic.
Though I tried them all, I’ve been unable to tolerate other similar injectables or other medications like Kombiglyze. They all give me heart palpitations and other horrible side effects. So, for about 14 years I’ve been using short and long acting insulin. Metformin has not been great for me either, though I sometimes manage to take one 500mg Metformin a day.
With Ozempic, I’ve had no negative side effects. Instead, I feel soooo much better (this started pretty much immediately) physically and mentally, BGs are better, and I’m seeing weight loss.
Question: I’d really like to go up to 1mg. How long do I need to do .5mg before increasing the dose? Would like to hear from people *without* negative side effects at .5mg about their experience going to 1mg.
I used .25mg for 4 weeks, .50mg for and other 4 weeks, and then 1mg for the remainder. I am still fighting all of the stomach issues, inability to eat until the 6th day in my weekly medication cycle, and am down almost 30 pounds. I have been on it for a total of about 3 months. It is getting better than it was initially and especially after each mg. increase. I do struggle lot, but I have been using some nausea medication to help. Crazy part is food absolutely taste different. Things I have always loved actually taste bad now, of course the were all things not really good for me, i.e. sweets, oily foods, breads. Still on the fence but really trying and loving the weight loss too. 20lbs and I am in optimal weight range for my height.
I am sure that my situation is a worst case scenario, but I wanted to share in case someone is having the same symptoms and they think they are alone in their condition. I have been declared pre-diabetic and was put on Ozempic to try to get things under control before it is too late. Unfortunately, after taking a .25 dose I began having slight reactions like dehydration, constipation, mood changes, weak nails and hair breaking. But after the 1st dose at .5 I had to be taken to the Emergency Room for severe dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting, migraine, pain in my pancreas, gallbladder, loss of feeling in my fingers and toes but the worst part was the change in my vision. I missed 4 days of work, and for a teacher that is not generally allowed so this cost me not only money but time having to create lesson plans for a substitute to follow while I was sick and keeping up with grading.
It has been two months since I took my last dose and I still have little to no feeling in some of my fingers and toes. I tried to make a meatloaf the other night and I was in so much pain that I thought I had frost bite in my fingertips. My nails have grown out but you can still see the line where the Ozempic affected the nail bed and I cut off 8 inches of my hair because my hair had become so brittle that it broke off unevenly. I am slowly regaining my life back but I still need to visit my eye doctor to determine how much vision that I have lost since my last visit in August.
First time taking Ozempic was yesterday, 5 hours after taking it I became so nauseated and the vomtiing started right after )-: to you guys who had vomiitng did it go away?
I’ve been on Ozempic for 5 months. Lost 25 lbs the first 4 months and A1C went from 6.7 to 5.3. I hit a bit of a plateau with weight loss between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some of the sweets got to me. But I haven’t gained any back. Am hoping to get back and drop another 20. Would be the first time in my 64 years that I am a normal weight on the BMI scale.1“ Nausea is minimal now. However, I seem to be more irritable most of the time. I’m wondering if the drug is causing this. I’m past menopause so that’s not it.
`
I have been on Ozempic for 5 weeks now. I went through severe to moderate side effects the first week, including severe stomache pain, nausea, diareha and vomitting(once). The second week just mild, and now, a little after each injection. I have lowered my insulin from 30 units to 24 and back to 26. I notice that the pain in my right foot is higher. Don’t know why, but who knows. I was hoping for more better results as this is expensive. I have a feeling that the way it works, it is better to be on it than off it. I am hoping it improves over time. I am active at work and walk my dog every day. I was diagnosed in late 2001 and started insulin July 2019.
I’ve been on Ozempic for almost 11 months. A1c is now 5.8 and I’ve lost 34lbs which has my BMI in the middle of the normal range. I had the standard nausea for the first few weeks but that stopped. Ozempic was less than Trulicity when I started but after published weight loss articles they raised the price to the same as Trulicity.
Have been on Ozempic for three weeks now. Side effects bad. Not a happy camper. Constant nausea, worsening heartburn and acid reflux, and I want to cry all the time for three or four days after the shot. Seeing my doc and want off of this.
I was on Trulcity ( similar drug) for 2 years. Had to come off that due to other health issues that have since been resolved. I would advise anyone to stick with it for at least three months! I have been on Ozempic for 2 weeks now. Yes I’m sick to my stomach and extremely tired ( not tired with trulcity) but I’m going to stick it out! The stomach issues due go away after a couple months and the cardio benefit is why my dr put me on this rather than back with Trulicity. I do hope the tiredness goes away …. anyone who has been on this experience the tiredness ….. and did it fade away?
Similar symptoms but I have only been using Oz for a couple months. I don’t know the longevity of symptoms. But I can relate to your symptoms. Thank you.
Today was my first day taking Ozempic and my head is killing me. It feels as if someone sat a ball in the left side of my head. I feel a slight tightness in my throat and chest, today will be the only and last time ever taking this Medication!!!
I have been on Ozempic 5 months now. Started at ,25 and increased to .5 a couple months later. Along with very focused low carb diet, increased exercise reduced my A1c from 9.7 to 5.9. Clearly Ozempic reduced my appetite in a big way. Am down close to 25 pounds. Losing weight and shrinking stomach only makes eating less easier so the success builds on itself.
Stuff is a small fortune but the effect seems priceless…
I have been experiencing nausea, and yes, weight loss too. I wasn’t attributing the nausea to Oz at first. After reading so many posts, I feel somewhat better that there is a reason for these symptoms because I was second guessing mine as stress related or something else. I had not paid attention to this info until 2 months into treatment. With me it is low level nausea that prevents me from eating too much – especially fried or greasy food. Bowels are pretty normal. There have been days where I just wanted to lay down and rest for a couple hours. That is not me. But now I see a reason. My A1C was just over 8. It needs to drop below 7 for sure. I am hoping that this drug will get me there. I have learned lots through these posts. Thanx.
I have been on this medicine ( the 1 mg q week) for about 9 weeks combined with Farxiga 10 mg once a day and my nausea does not go away! I have lost a total of 12 lbs since starting and my A1C is 6.4 a slightly better than the prior the med. The dose had to be changed to 0.5 mg 2X weekly due to the severity of the side effects. My question is will they go away? I am so tired of not even be able to eat a fruit because of the nausea and the sense of smell and taste are heightened to the point that my own deodorant smell stay in my throat for half a day, or the alcohol that I use to clean the site stays very vivid in my throat area for about 6 hours after the shot. I do try to eat smaller meals but sometimes I can’t even do that. Is this medication right for me?
I have been taking Ozempic for 3 months in combination with insulin 2 times a day. The first 2 weeks were rough with nausea when I attempted to eat. As a result, I did lose 3-5 pounds. My A1C was consistently below 6.0 so I knew it was working. These low A1C numbers and my girlfriend encouraging me to stay with it, definitely helped me to continue and not quit. After the first 2 weeks, my nausea subsided and I found my numbers were below 5.2 so I consulted my physician and we decided to reduce my insulin intake. Ozempic is pricey, but fortunately my work covers it. Today I have stopped taking insulin and have maintained a normal diet and my numbers are below 6.5. Side Effects, I do at times have some itchy moments. Overall I LOVE Ozempic! And recommend it to many.
I have used this medication for the last 2 weeks (with the 2nd injection being given today 3-8-20) So far after both I am suffering intermittent bouts of severe N/V and intense stomach pains. I have been Rx’d Zofran ODT, (which is not alleviating symptoms). I read in the literature that these should dissipate within a couple of weeks of using this medication. Has anyone else had these same effects after starting this medication? Please let me know.
Has anyone experience muscle wasting on this medication?
I am 44 years old type 2 diabetic for the last 3 years. About 8 months ago my A1C started to rise and I was having high fasting and postprandial blood sugar readings. My A1C even got up to 7.9! I am on metformin, and I finally pushed to see an endocrinologist. He has been a lifesaver! He advised me to begin ozempic 0.25mg which I did for 6 weeks then I went up to 0.5. it has been 12 weeks now and I have lost 24 pounds and now I have an a1c just under 6.0. I have had no adverse effects of ozempic, although taking it and having a reduced appetite has motivated me to maintain a healthier diet and stop eating by 8pm. All these things have contributed to these results and I now have BS between 98-135 consistently. I feel so much better too!
Hi people. Its 4/4/20
This is day 15 for me and I skipped my 3rd dose yesterday. On day 12, I started nonstop headache, abdominal bloating, dizziness, nausea and diarrhea. Thank god we have a bidet I was going every 5 minutes for the first 20 hours and by day 15 today I go every 4-5hours. I have lost 10lbs. My blood sugars are great 100mg/dl. Probably because I haven’t been eating. I could not work my day nursing job or my night nursing job since Wednesday. I couldn’t eat and hold anything in. On day 14 I still had the same symptoms and started having chest pains. I wanted to go get IV Fluids but did not want to risk me and my 3yr old son catching COVID-19. I forced myself to drink coconut water and Gatorade and consommé. I took Tylenol for the headaches. Today I finally got a hold of my pcp and he said to stop Ozempic and when I can Tolerate it to just take my orals meds. He gave me Zofran and Immodium for my side effects. I don’t wish these side effects on even my enemies. I only took two doses of the lowest dose of Ozempic. My doctor advised me to stop Ozempic since the side effects were more than the benefits.
If you are starting to take this insulin. I would have ginger candy or ginger such as from Japanese sushi restaurants on hand. I would have ginger ale they have diet Canada dry now. Or any type of non sugary carbonated drink on hand. This will help with the nausea and constant burps that you may experience. I did but apple cider pills and took it once. So I don’t know if that helps but others posted it helped them. Make sure to stay hydrated & keep in contact with your Dr. I drank Gatorade and coconut water to get some electrolytes.
Other helpful things are eat regularly small meals or snacks that tended to help keep me from being nauseous. Good luck.
Side effects that I experienced from week one were severe headaches, fatigue, no appetite, nausea, & dizziness. By week two on day 12-15 side effects were the same as week one but started diarrhea for 24 hrs every 5-10min. Diarrhea continued 48hrs but frequency was farther apart. I had severe headaches and started getting chest pains probably because of anxiety and dehydration. At 72 hours I still had Diarrhea but hours apart. Nausea was also a constant thing from days 12-15. I had few days in between that I was ok and tolerated side effects so I could function and work. But I couldn’t predict when I would be feeling ok. Thanks goodness I had PTO from work.
PRO’s I lost 10lbs in 4 days and my blood sugar readings were 100mg/dl.
I hope this was helpful.
Has anyone experienced bowel incontinence while taking Ozempic?
yes it is terrible, the only solution is not to eat anything
I started taking this on Saturday. Since, my bsl are in the upper 300’s…Not one reading has been under 300. No side effects, I like that part but can deal with the crazy high blood levels …What gives?
Yep, the sulpher(?) burps and constant nausea. Serious fatigue too, but it’s only been the first week. Bydureon didn’t do this, but it caused scary subcutaneous lumps which required a biopsy, so I had to switch.
I also had to stop Victoza years ago because of extreme fatigue.
Has anybody had these side effects and had them go away after a week or two? The website says they will go away “after a few weeks.” Don’t know if I can last that long. It’s pretty nasty.
I can see why people lose weight. Who wants to eat when you feel like throwing up and burp sulpher?
I have been on in 7weeks and ha e lost 31 lbs. my A1C has went down from 7.4 to 6.3 ….. my only side effect is nothing taste good at all. I can hardly eat anything at all. I drink boost twice a day a little food here and there… my sugar is great , cholesterol is down but I sure miss eating.
I was given a prescription about a month ago and avoided filing it due to the reported side effects. Was on Jardience which had intolerable UT effects.
Its been about two weeks on the .25mg dose and I have to say I feel really terrible. The bloating, sulphur gas, nausea. Honestly I think the only reason this medication helps with weight loss and sugar levels is that it makes you feel to sick to eat or function. Going to give it a few more weeks to see if the effects slacken off.
I’ve have been really sick and have had 4 bags of fluids in a week. Cannot keep anything down, forget trying to walk or talk without looking like you’re drunk. I feel like I have been beat up. This is my second time trying to take this and it is way worse the second time around. My sugar levels are going up and down, and my labs are getting worse. This has taken my families stress limits to the max. My husband is afraid I am going to die. I am scared as well! Not worth taking!
I am on week 2. No real side effects. No appetite. MY blood sugar is being stubborn. I would be frightened to get pancreatitis…am I more likely to get side effects as the dose increases?
Taking Ozempic for 3 months now. It is working wonders on my A1C and I have lost weight (10+) pounds. The side effects are mostly minor nausea and some tiredness at night. However if you eat too much while using Ozempic you will get sick. You have to control your eating on this drug which in reality if you are diabetic, you should be doing anyway.
I a man and have Diabetic since 15 years but with 2 pills Janumet 1000/50 my blood sugar is under control 120/130 in the morning and my hba1c is 6.5. But I’ve always to much weight 90 kg by 170 cm height. Now I will start with Ozempic 0,25 mg (hope to lose some weight) but I’m not sure should I stop Janumet 1000/50 immediately or after a few weeks. Does anyone have experience with it?
On February 21st, my A1C was at 6.4 and I’ve been struggling to lose weight for the past two years. My doctor prescribed Ozempic starting at the usually .25 and then .50
On June 2nd, my A1C was down to 5.9 and I lost 18 pounds. The only side effects seem to be if I sleep on my right side, I have mild heartburn. Otherwise, Ozempic has been great.
Other than the occasional nausea I have had no other side effects. I am shocked at reading what some people have experienced. Just like any other drug out there everyone can experience different side effects.
Eating healthy, smaller meals usually helps with the nausea. Drink lots of water and exercise daily if you could.
Hello! im a 28 year old female who has diagnosed with T2D in feb of 2020. I have been on ozempic for 6 months now, and it has changed my life. my fasting blood sugars were 379 with an A1C of 11.9 I was scared and felt helpless. I refused to start insulin right away for personal reasons. I take metformin and ozempic. with slight diet change (we all know we can do better) and putting in effort to reduce my stress along with these meds, my fasting glucose is typically around 103-115. I have never felt better, I have also lost 20 pounds since starting the ozempic. I will advocate for this drug any day, since it has really changed a lot for me. I wanted to put it out there, to not lose hope. its SO important to find a doctor that supports YOU being in charge of YOUR body. do your research. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
I started ozempic in June 2019 and by Dec. had lost 24 lbs and when the pandemic hit I was unable to get it. I have just started again 3 weeks ago and thankful I have not had any of the side effects of nausea, headaches and pains. What I have noticed is loss of hair and a rash on my right arm. Has anyone else noticed any of these side effects?
I have been on Ozempic for almost 3 months. I have decided to get off of it because of the side effects. I have horrific diarrhea, extreme fatigue, sweating, the nasty burps, and stomach cramps. It is making it difficult to work. I can’t keep focused and I feel confused all the time. My blood sugars are way down and I have lost about 10 lbs but I just can’t take it anymore.
I started in may. Had lightheadedness and heart fluttering. Symptoms stopped and then came back. I stopped the medicine back in mid July and still have had some light headedness. Anybody else experience this?
I’ve been on Ozempic for 8 weeks. I started the first week at .25mg and then went to .5mg. I have not had any side effects other than a slight metallic taste for a day after the injection. I have lost 7 lbs. in 8 weeks. My morning readings have gone from 220 to 150. As I lose weight my readings get better. I’m also on 2000 mg of Metformin. I’m a 64 yead old man and I’ve been diabetic for 12 years. This is the best med I’ve been on. I had serious side effects on all the others I tried — Januvia, Farxiga, and Glipicide.
I’ve been on ozempic since around May 25. I love it. I am on it specifically for weight loss. I had a gastric bypass in 2009 and had gained every pound I lost back. This depressed me beyond belief.
So I started Trulicity. I certainly lost weight. I called my dr and told him I was at a plateau where I gained and lost. He said he’d up to ozempic to start a better result with weight loss. I started at the 1,0 dose. Absolutely no side effects. Since January 1 I have lost 15.2 pounds with no exercise or change in my eating habits. I just started weight watchers to improve my eating habits. Note I have to use my planet fitness membership… you know, actually GOING since I pay for it and don’t go.
I need to work on weight machines because I have lost a little muscle mass. I need to drink more water too. I will admit I carry a water bottle now because I do get VERY thirsty and severely dry mouthed.
I did get what everyone who saw it looked like some sort of insect bites on my right shin. I work in child protective services and I worried I had brought home fleas or bedbugs. I checked the animals and none had fleas and I checked the bed and no bedbugs. I picked at these raised spots and they left horrible purple scars. I’ve been on s steroidal cream and they are MUCH better. In the mean time I had some trulicity pens left over so I switched back thinking a break might get me going down weight wise again.
I plan to start ozempic today before I leave for work this morning and then maybe switch to bedtime tomorrow. I’m not sure and I may keep my shot in the morning every week.
Ozempic, other than those spots which I figure are worth it, has been like a wonder drug. After gastric bypass, I developed reactive hypoglycemia so bad I had seizures. Now, no more lows. And initially with the bypass I lost from 210 to 115 lbs. I should be around 225-135. I’m now at 162. That gives me 30 more to lose and I fully expect with ozempic I’ll certainly get there. So all in all, it’s stopped the hypo and caused the wanted weight loss.
Win win for me!!!!
Thanks for sharing this. I had a similar rash & I too was horrified thinking my pets had fleas or we somehow got bedbugs. They looked just like bites. At the time my doctor had also put me on Lomaira for weight loss and I thought maybe it was cross reaction between those two drugs.
Within four weeks blood glucose went from 205 to 135
2 wks at.25, lost 7 lbs. Upping to .5. I was looking for side effects….I am so short of breath & tired. I wish I had looked sooner…Dr. sent me for all kinds of tests. Nothing but putting me on steroids-shotgun effect? I’m beginning to think it’s the Ozempic. I don’t have any stomach issues…yet? I don’t know what they could do if this increase makes my breathing worse. I guess just ride it out & not take it anymore. My blood counts have been great- I hope this passes.
I’ve been Ozempic for for 10 months. I was on insulin, but having a terrible time taking my shots at the right time in the right amounts. I also would randomly go into hypoglycemia, often waking at 3am with cold sweats and shakes and glucose of 60. It was very scary. A doc recommended Ozempic, which since it required just one quick shot a week was a lifesaver. My blood sugar immediately stabilized, and then declined. I went from A1C of 8.5 to 6.9. At first, I had bad heartburn and queezy stomach. I had “burps” that were more spasms than burps that released air. I went on daily omeprazole which fixed the heartburn. Later I discovered that candied ginger eliminated most of the queasy stomach. My appetite, n the 10 months have lost 20 pounds, and still gradually losing. I’ve mostly lost my taste for food– including many healthy things I used to love, I now can’t stand the thought of. The worst thing is that within a couple hours of taking my weekly shot, I get symptoms of a bad cold, body aches, a little sweating, sinus headache, and fuzzy brain– all of which make me a bit depressed. All this lasts about 18 hours. When I wake the next day, I’m back to normal. So I pretty much lose a day a week to the Ozempic. I wonder if it’s doing any permanent damage to my body.
Dr. has no solutions, but says I should try others like Trulicity. The other bad thing is that it costs, with insurance, $200 a month, where Insulin was $47 a month. Anyone else feel this symptoms?
Week 5. Went to 1mg today. Did two weeks of .25 and two weeks of .5. I have lost 13 lbs in a month, no side effects except light nausea the first two weeks. Doc says I should be able to come of off Janumet in the future. Only downside is cost. With my Part D it still costs me $209 a month. However, if it works as advertised I am ok with that
Have you looked into the coupon that will reduce it to $25 a month out of pocket with insurance
I start my first dose this coming Monday on my day off. I work at a Nursing Home and one of my residents takes this. She does good most of the time. I keep reading all about the Sulphur burps which I have had for years. Has anyone tried pickle brine (juice) or sauerkraut brine? I know it helps sometimes.
I’ve been on Ozempic for 7 weeks. It is an adjustment to make oneself more aware of diet and blood sugars. To begin with, my AIc is 6.5 at the start, slowly creeping up as my weight is as well. I am about 15 lbs overweight. For the last six or seven years my AIc has been in the normal range, with metformin as my only med for T2d, 500mg twice daily. My Doctors thought Ozempic would be beneficial for all things, including the cardiac benefits.
The appetite control, the absence of cravings, the weight loss is truly amazing. I like these side effects.
Up until I started this med, I was not compliant in any way with diet. My blood sticks were always in the normal range and AIc’s also normal. Since I started Ozempic my blood sugars have dropped considerably at times very low. I’m sensitive to the drops and take them now several times a day. They are normal in the morning after fasting, they spike a bit after eating, and drop. I stopped the metformin as the drops were in the ’40s. but still, the sugars are low each day but return to normal with juice.
My appetite is very low and I eat small amounts. My weight is now dropped by 6 pounds in six weeks. I wonder if my consumption of much fewer calories is the contributing fact to low blood sugar or is it the dose of 0.5mg of Ozempic that is too high.
The dietary features of this drug are remarkable to me and I think a good thing. Should I refine my diet to adjust to this med or reconsider taking it at all? Paying attention to what I eat is a long-term good thing but, life was simple when I didn’t have to do that.
I want this drug to work and I do not want an arbitrary yes or no answer to it before I weigh all ramifications.
I take so many meds and have chronic illnesses, one being Crohn’s disease, so I never feel “ normal “. I got through the Metformin causing nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain so I’m really hoping this will be the same.
Very interesting drug. On one hand, it reduces A1c but has some serious side effects. Gastaperesis or slow food motility is the main issue. Your other medications do not get absorbed as they should with ozempic or trulicity. My cardiologist was surprised as I was tachycardiac and pulse was above 109 bpm.I paused Ozempic for two weeks and my pulse came down. The only explanation I can come up with is that it would not let my hypertension medication absorb as they should. I hope someone from drug research at the manufaturer is reading this and give some clues on absorption of blood thinners or immediate release medications with Ozempic. Trulicity does the same thing but at a much advance level. Please reach out to me, if you need details. Thank you. God bless.
Aamir Shaikh , I went to the hospital about 8 hours after my first injection with a heart rate of 160. You are the only other person I’ve heard say the same thing. The doctors want me to try it one more time to see if it is actually a side effect of the medication. My pulse has levelled out now so I don’t know if it was from the medication or not. I’m really hoping this works for me because of the good things about it like weight loss and cardiovascular health.
You may not see this- I took 2nd dose of 0.25 on Thursday evening and I started with constant heart palps Sunday. Afternoon. Today Monday I went to ED. Having constant pvcs. All labs are normal and rhythm and rate are okay just constant terrible heart palps.
I won’t take Ozempic again. Isk what else it would be. But I was okay after first dose but it was half of 0.25mg.
I just increased my dose 5 days ago. Now having pvcs every third beat. It’s horrible! I have a history of pvcs but have been doing well for months. Last two days are nightmare. I feel like I am going to die. Only thing new is this med.
I recognize this comment was almost 2 years ago. But I am having the same issue of consistent heart palpitations. I. on week 5 and at .5mg. I don’t want to stop the ozempic though because I can tell it’s working. 🙁
I’ve been on Ozempic for about 18 months now and have lost 80 lbs (started at 285). I’m thrilled with what it has done for me for the most part, but at this point I’m not sure I can continue to take the gastro side effects anymore, particularly the constipation. I drink plenty of water and exercise but it’s not enough. Even the 500 mg of metformin I’m still taking daily doesn’t help. My “friendship” with food is all but gone but I’m not mad about being in a size 14/16. If I could figure out how to get constipation relief w/o constantly having to take laxatives, I’d be thrilled. I’m sure I’m not getting enough nutrients daily b/c I just don’t eat much but then again not much is appetizing anymore (god I miss certain foods like sushi). It’s definitely a double edged sword. I pushed through the nausea at the start for several months, but I’d almost rather be nauseated than constipated bc it can get incredibly painful. I’m hoping to get my dr to let me try Linzess to see if maybe I have IBS-C; at this point I don’t see how it can hurt (unless there is some sort of drug interaction). My A1C is below 6 and I’m terrified of stopping & gaining all of this weight back. It’s such a dilemma…
I have been on Ozempic for over a year, after Victoza seemed to stop working for me as far as A1C. I love the once weekly shot, but I suffer from really bad nausea and so I take Zofran at least twice a day for it. I wake up sick to my stomach, bad dry heaves, and I do have almost daily afternoon diarrhea, which I never had before. Bad and crampy. However, my A1C, which was 10.6 when I started on my diabetic journey was 4.9 after my last blood test, so I’m dealing with the gross side effects. I do have terrible burps, but not egg burps. Or maybe they are, but I don’t hate eggs, so I don’t notice it. Overall, it’s been a miracle drug for me. I am scheduled for a gastric sleeve in December, which the doctors are optimistic about reversing my diabetes. While I love food, I hate shots and being dependent on meds that make me sick even more. For the person who was worried about nutrient absorption, protein shakes are great way to get nutrition. The Ozempic won’t interfere with that. tl:dr Ozempic works for me and given my A1C is now 4.9, I just take Zofran to deal with the nausea and suffer through the diarrhea with Pepto.
I lost 55 lb in 8 months. I will continue. A few stomach aches and nausea disappeared
i am a 65 yo man, insulin reliant since 2011. I take Novorapid with meals and Levimir for baseline control. My A1C is typically 6.7-7.1%. I am a bit overweight but not much, could lose maybe 10-20lbs.
Are there any professional on here who think there could be any benefits for me taking Ozempic? Thanks in advance.
For sure Ozempic will help you lose weight, but it will also reduce your insulin requirements, so make sure you work with your healthcare provider if you do start it.
Post-covid and the prospect of warmer weather means I will have opportunities to get more exercise and return to the gym. This is my preferred way to lose weight, without more drugs.
Ozempic has already resulted in some side effects, including constipation, weight redistribution (belly fat)and an unexplained lump on the back of my neck (ultra-sound has been scheduled)
Insulin, on the other hand, has been my friend all these years. I am able to live a near-normal life and take part in almost any physically demanding activity. Reducing insulin is not one of my objectives, A1c’s are excellent; all of which leaves me wondering, what are the benefits of being on Ozempic?
There are a ton of benefits.
1. It protects you from a heart attack and stroke, well documented in large studies.
2. It helps you lose weight, whereas insulin leads to weight gain.
3. It does not cause hypoglycemia like insulin can
4. There’s no need to prick your finger, which you do have to with insulin.
I also have not seen the side affects you are attributing to Ozempic in any of the many patients I have put on Ozempic, so I challenge you on them!
I have found since being on Ozempic, that I cannot eat (gas, nausea, vomiting) certain foods. Trying to determine if it is gall bladder issues (due to fat) or the medication (due to carbs, or the increase in insulin, or???). Has anyone else had this issue. Breakfast is starting to be very difficult.
do you still drink caffeine and sugary foods? I am beginning to think they don’t go well with Ozempic.
I have been on this for 5 weeks. For the first 3 weeks, it was not bad. Then the fourth and fifth were terrible. I have nausea and have vomited. I am stopping this drug and will talk to my doctor about other options.
I have been on Ozempic going on 3mo not only have i have a nice healthy weight loss this medication has also helped control the migraines i was weekly sometimes daily.
has anyone had increase in anxiety while on Ozempic? I take .50 now for second month. does caffeine effect how you feel? I think I need to cut back on all caffeine and sugary foods like I was used to before Ozempic. I think it adds to the nausea. Wish I had someone to talk through the things happening these past few weeks while on the medicine. I have lost weight and it changed my eating patterns. Im not hungry but feel like Im starving! Can’t get enough water to drink either… I want to keep going, but unsure of these side effects.
I don’t have the burping, but my stomach cramps and subsequent diarrhea on Ozempic is so bad that at night when it comes I can’t make it to the bathroom on time! Talk about a mess! I feel like an old person. Quality of life at an all time low. Can’t find anything on the packaging to help me with what foods to avoid. So far I am thinking I can’t eat any meat at all. I mean obviously I can’t eat sugar, that’s going to be a disaster, but we all know this, right? I eat so little now because I am constantly afraid of having an accident. I know the drug has benefits but if you can’t eat, what are you supposed to do? This is why people lose weight on it, I guess….I mean sometimes I think I am going to die, the stomach pain is so bad.
I lost 56 pounds in 8 months. I had some issues with diarrhea and constipation, but I had IBS all my life. This is good stuff. Hopefully? The price will go down one day.
My dad just took his first shot and lost 7 ibs in one morning from the vomiting, he’s having insomnia and extreme diarrhea and dehydration. He can’t even hold down water without puking which is very worrisome please tell me whether or not he should stay on this medication. I’m so worried he’ll end up in the hospital but my mother says he just fine even though he’s been puking Terribly for hours and he has natural insomnia as well as insomnia from this medication.
Your dad’s response is much more severe than most people. If he is truly vomiting and losing weight as you mention, I would temporarily stop taking it until he discusses this issue with his caregiver. If he decides to restart it, he can restart it at the lowest dose possible and not titrate up until his body adapts to the medicine. The official starting dose is .25 mg, but the Ozempic pen allows you to dial in a smaller dose so you can really start low and go slow. Please discuss with his doctor.
I am on 1mg shot and have lost about 40# between Sept 2020 and Feb 2021. Still have nausea but mostly if I eat more than 2 cups of food. I’m on the fence how I feel but it sure kicked my weight-loss in to gear. One big problem is monitoring when I eat. I can go up to 3 days without having more than 2 pieces of toast and water all day. Weightloss is amazing and definitely surpassed the 15lb mark.
I have been on trulicity before with no ill effects. I was doing so well we were thinking of increasing the dose and moving away from insulin all together (basaglar and novolog) On my return to Canada from US to my disappointment I found out that there was no coverage for trulicity. I am now on my third dose (0.25) of ozampic, every time I took it I had several of reported side effects, nausea, stomach pain, constipation, congested feeling in my digestive system with constant dull pain. I do have a history of pancreatitis and am worried these may be a prelude to acute pancreatitis. Can someone explain me why two drugs from the same family and nearly identical mechanisms of action can have such disparate side effects, has this been reported before?
Ozempic is a more potent GLP-1 than Trulicity, and nausea is more common. Even though they are in the same class, the side effects can be different, and we see that all the time. My suggestion would be to stay on the .25 dose and do not go to the .5 til the nausea has completely gone away. If your symptoms get extreme, then for sure seek medical attention, as it’s hard to tell if you have pancreatitis over the internet.
I’ve been on Ozempic a few years it’s been fantastic but lately I’ve felt it was not working and true enough I had my blood sugars checked it was very high. I’m so bummed and don’t know what to do. It’s pointless continuing with it if it’s not working. But even if it works a bit it’s worth it. I’ve not been this weight for years.
I am trying Ozempic for both weight loss and glucose control. I’ve been on the shots for a month now, and I have lost 8 pounds, but my fasting glucose levels are still in the 120s-140s most mornings. I am eating a low calorie diet and trying to limit my carbs to fewer than 60g/day. For the first 2 weeks, I was nauseated all the time. Now that the nausea has subsided, I am still having cravings and still want to eat all the time. As you can imagine, I am a little frustrated that this is my new norm…still craving, still hungry, and still having higher glucose levels that healthy while eating and drinking nothing I want to eat or drink! My NP told me that I needed to give it a while to really start reacting to the medication, since for the first month you only take .25mg. Next shot, I will increase to .5mg for another month. We shall see!
For everyone experiencing sulfur burps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, Ozempic causes gastoparesis makes your stomach release slowly and sometimes not at all causing food to ferment (rot) and your body thinks it has food poisoning. Thus the nausea, vomiting and diarrhea for the next 12 hours after the sulfur burps start…give or take. I thought I had damage my vagus nerve, but no it was the Ozempic. Once I discontinued use at my endocrinologist suggestion, I no longer had any issues. I had lost 60 lbs and my A1C was awesome, but it was not worth having to fear everything I ate was going to cause me to be violently ill. These occurrences did not happen until I was on .25 of Ozempic for about 6 month to 7 months. I hope this helps some of your get answers. I cannot tell you how many sites I poured over trying to find answers. Thankfully, I switched doctors and the answer came to me. 🙂
My pcp recently suggested that I start using ozempic so I did a little research and found this site. I was wary about taking it to begin with, and not sure why she wanted me to take it since my A1C is 5.7
Now, after reading these comments, I know I won’t be agreeing to take it. Thank God these sites exist.
Ozympic has been excellent for me so far. My A1C went from 8.0 to 6.0 and I’ve lost 35 pounds in a month and a half. Ozympic cannot take all the credit for the weight loss since I had embarked on a low carb diet just before I was prescribed this drug. It seems to last about 6 days for me and makes even the thought of food unappealing. More so now that I have worked my way up to the 1mg dose.
At this point I have not had any adverse side effects other than feeling a bit blah after I do eat and has stopped the loose stools that came with Metformin, which is a plus for me.
I don’t know what this will do long term, but I am very pleased with results so far. For those of you who are having negative side effects, talk to your doctor as there are now alternatives.
I’ve been on ozempic about 6 months or more now and my urine looks and smells disgusting!! Anyone else taking this have the same problem? I hate smelling my pee! It’s so yellow to dark red/brown in color as well as cloudy!
Newly diabetic here. I was put on 500 metformin humolog sliding scale and lantus 8 units at first. I changed diet cut.out all flour products and sugary drinks upped exercise as well and had no need of humolog for a Month after 3 wks. Yay. Bg were good. Dr put.me on 2 metformin 500 mg each, upped my lantus to 12.fasting bg was 60 in am then she took me off lantus and bg is haywire with out lantus. So I went back on lantus 10 units. The prob I have is I was 135 lbs now 158 lbs. My diet is minimal hx of low bg and was a soda junkie and carb addict. My diet is now a healthier diet and she is now putting me on ozempic because of the weight gain. I am still to be on metformin 500 bid and lantus 10 units at bedtime. I was put on glipizide and gotten boils and hives just from one dose. I am nervous about ozempic. And allergies. How.my weight did you lose after 1 month being on ozempic. I gained 23 lbs in 3 wks and gaining a lb each WK.minimally
I just started on Ozempic 3 and a half months ago and I feel fine. Only mild feelings of nausea and I found if I eat a small bite of something it goes away right away. I have not had any other side effects and I have lost 20lbs so far so I am going to stick with it!
Drink lots of water and eat apple or berries min 2 serving a day. Apple and Berries helps a lot. Try greek plain yoghurt. Don’t eat any fried / spicy or fatty food. I Know its difficult. I started 1.5 weeks ago. lost 13 lbs and my A1C is now around 6.0 There is still Nausea and stomach pain.
I’ve lost 40 pounds and my A1C has dropped from 12 to 5.3. My DR had raised my dosage from .5 to 1.0 and its working. Metformin makes me sick, insulin didn’t seem to help much. The only concern ! have, is that since I’ve lost weight and A1C, I’m now getting a sugar crash after I go to bed. DR did reduce my long term insulin from 50 to 36 a day, but it seems I’m still getting too low. Anybody else have that issue?
I have been on 1mg injections for about 6 months. Gained 10lbs the first week and it is still hanging on. I sweat like there is no tomorrow, I have to take meds for gerd, I am constipated, i look 8 months pregnant, my feet are always swollen and I am always sleepy tired, but my doc wouldn’t take me off of it. Now my doc retired, so I am stuck on this until I can find a new one that accepts my insurance.
I started at .25 for 2 weeks with no side effects. Lost some weight. Went to .50 for 2 weeks and that’s when the trouble began. Horrible nausea, not hungry at all – in fact the site of food made me sick, got to the point where all I could stomach was cottage cheese, yogurt, berries, lettuce and apples in small quantities. Could barely get down 1/2 a cup of coffee in the AM. Completely destroyed any chance of fun/rest/relaxation on the weekends (well, basically all week too), constipation was/is horrible (despite the fact that I was taking Metamucil daily to help increase fiber and drinking water like crazy), constant horrible taste in my mouth – sort of like sour milk. After 5 weeks on this stuff, I had to throw in the towel – my digestive system simply couldn’t take it anymore, and I was miserable all the time (and beginning to make others in my life miserable as a result). Have been off it going on 2 weeks and still suffering side effects. Am able to eat a bit more – but constipation, sore taste, nausea, etc. remain. Still feeling miserable but hoping that this stuff will finally get out of my system in the next few weeks.
How long once you stop the medicine do the symptoms go away. I have been on the pill form, Rybelsus and the nausea became unbearable with diarrhea. My doctor told me to stop. It has been five days since my last dose. My stomach isn’t as bad but still get nausea but still have the diarrhea. Just wondering if anyone has stopped the med and how long until the side effects were gone. Once I am back to baseline, my doctor wants me to try Trulicity. She said her patients have less side effects with the once a week injection. I’m kind of scared to even try it. I don’t want to suffer with this again. I was okay on the first dose for 30 days but after about the third week of increased dose the side effects took hold. I’m am not spending my days nauseated and with diarrhea. The only upside was losing weight and my sugars were under control in the short time. I was eating a lot less because of feeling full.
I have had outstanding results with Ozempic as far as my A1c and my weight is concerned. However I have started having bad nausea, bloating, gas, constipation, abd pain and occasional vomiting ever since my dose was increased to 1mg. Does anyone know if the symptoms are dose dependent? Will they subside if I go back to 0.5mg?
I started on Ozempic .25 mg, Monday 8/2/21. I was constipated all week until Friday 8/6 when I got a really severe case of diarrhea which lasted until Saturday night.
Sunday I was OK and on Monday 8/8 I took my second .25 mg shot of Ozempic. Again I was constipated until Friday 8/13 and I got diarrhwa on 8/12 (not severe this time). Saturday 8/13 I got constipated again and on Monday 8/16 I am supposed to take my 3rd Ozempic shot (.25 mg) but I think I’m going to pass this time. The stuff does not work for me. Oh, wel…
I started ozempic .25mg December of 2020. Had a few days of nausea, vomiting, burping per week for 3 weeks, then fine. Upped dose to .5mg. Same 3 weeks then fine. I lost 10 pounds in that time. Then there was a problem with insurance and I was off it for a few months. Gained back 5 pounds. Started again with no issues whatsoever, including no reduction of appetite, until I got up to 1mg in July. I had the typical effects, nausea starting about 5 days after the shot, lasting 1-2 days, and after 3 or 4 weeks they were subsiding as usual. Then, I started having chills, headache, body aches, daily nausea and vomiting, and severe fatigue for the last 10 days. I’ve been tested twice for covid (negative), and was told I am severely dehydrated. I haven’t been vomiting enough to cause that. Even when I’m drinking a lot and my urine is normal, I still feel weak and tired. I have now lost 18 pounds from my baseline. Could my symptoms be due to the ozempic? I also take 1000mg metformin twice daily. Maybe that is too much now? I’ve reduced my base insulin from 80u to 30u because of hypoglycemia, and barely take my rapid insulin at all because I’m not eating enough. I really don’t want to stop the ozempic because I haven’t had numbers on my bg meter, or scale, like this in years.
My opinion is that your symptoms were not related to Ozempic, but you can always go back to .5mg and titrate up to 1mg much slower by clicking the pen. You don’t have to go straight from .5 to 1 – you can go up one or two clicks per week.
To feel like crap, have gas and diarrhea and all the other risk for lower numbers? Maybe I just need to change my dietary life more. I have lost 8 pounds in a week and a half but I would put that up to water weight. And to endure sulphur gas and heart burn for a few days each week or take additional medications? And then hope it goes away eventually? Are we as a society stupid? And do you doctors really understand what the Pharmas are doing to us? I’m not so sure.
I was have nausea, diarrhea, sulphur burps, bloated . Used GASX over the counter, and it’s like I have been healed. So far on my second week. I was about to quit it.
To Kathy, who asked about what to do when you run out of the six needles. You can use regular insulin needles. I had the same question. Good luck. I had a lot of the same side effects that others have mentioned here, but as I transitioned to smaller and less frequent meals I’ve adjusted/adapted. I’ve lost 12 pounds in six weeks and have tons of energy. I wish you and all of here on this forum good luck.
Thanks, Paul. I found that that I could buy the pen needles very inexpensively at Costco. I’ve been on the drug for 5 weeks now, and I’m still really struggling. The side effects are still bad, but perhaps not quite as bad as they were. I did not increase my dose after 4 weeks, as scheduled, because I was still so nauseated. I’m going to keep the lower starting dose until the side effects subside. Then my plan is to increase slowly rather than doubling the dose. I am still hopeful that this will work out, but beginning to have some doubts. Fingers crossed!
Ozempic sure isn’t for everyone. My doctor gave me the sample to try for my weight management and within the first week of taking this medicine I had bad side effects. I had to stop immediately. I have experienced neasuea, tiredness, dizziness, sweats, very low sugar drop, chills, numbness in my arms and hands along with my feet. I have experienced acid reflux that makes my chest tight to a point I can’t sleep cause it stops my oxygen. The worst is the lack of oxygen to the brain. I am scared of the side effects that I am experiencing. Before taking this medicine, I felt great with no sluggish feelings. I was energized and now I feel like I’m almost dead. I am afraid to go to hospital cause they are killing people left from right. Not trying to be in the number. Today I am having tingling numbness on my tongue and head problems preferably in the back as if my oxygen is not circulating right.
I started this last week, and I have already lost 6.5 lbs. I feel no side effects at all. I am hopeful this continues. I have almost no appetite and have gone from eating 3 meals a day to OMAD. Its great !
Hi
I just took my second dose at 2.5mg and i have no side effects at all. It has not helped my sugar levels yet.
Is it normal to see leakage after injecting Ozempic. It has happened two weeks in a row. This is my first pen. I called Novo Nordisk and the rep told me it was normal to see the fluid on my skin after injection. We went over the instructions and it sounds I’m injecting it correctly. Is it backflow? Is the pen defective? I’m concerned I’m not getting the full dose and wasting med. I can’t feel that tini needle.
Hi, I have the same problem. They told me a little fluid left after the shot was no big deal but I was worried like you that I wasn’t getting the full dose. I take off both needle caps and made sure the needle was all the way in then held for 6 slow seconds after the shot. I believe I did everything right so maybe a little fluid loss after the shot is normal. I will ask my Dr next week.
Just recently started using ozempic. Will need to talk with Dr about using something as the cost is almost$700 a month. Not able to pay that. So disappointed that it is so expensive. Went down to $500 with discount card but that is still to expensive
So I have been on ozempic for 2 weeks now. Just took my third injection yesterday. This drug is working wonders for me!! Granted I am also doing a low carb plant based diet and starting to exercise a little each day. But I have lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks which is great start! I just don’t feel hungry on this drug. I can eat as fuel and not just because I get some crazy sugar craving. I eat healthier and get full faster so I eat smaller portions as well. A little nausea, and constipation are my side effects but they are bearable. I am only on .25mg to start, I will do this for 6 weeks then go up to. 5mg. So we will see what the increased dose brings. My advice is to stay on it if the side effects are bearable, if you are really really sick call your Dr or go to the ER, I don’t think severe side effects like that are the norm and the drug probably is not for you if you can’t bear the side effects. Some people just cannot tolerate the drug and I hate to see comments of people staying super sick for weeks just to stay on a med. This drug has worked well for me so far but had not worked for others. I just wanted to put my experience on here so people will know this drug isn’t all bad! There are success stories too.
I have had the strangest experience with this drug. I started taking it last October. I began with .25/week for the first month, then .50 for the second month, and finally 1.0. Other than not feeling like eating, I didn’t have any horrible side-effects until this February. I began to have moderate to severe nausea, and decided to come off the drug.
About a month ago, I decided to go back on it, taking .25 the first week, and .50 the second. When it was time for my third dose, I felt so sick most of the day, that I couldn’t bring myself to inject myself again. For the past week, I have horrible GI issues. No vomiting or diarrhea, but unbearable nausea, gas and bloating. I feel like my abdomen is going to explode. I’m only getting about 1-2 hours of sleep per night, because my stomach is constantly rumbling. My wife can hear my stomach lying next to me.
I heard this drug stays in your system for up to five weeks. It’s going to be a long haul!
I have been taking Ozempic for over one year and it has been a miracle drug for me. My HGBA1c is around 5. I have lost over 50 pounds. It has given me control over cravings like I have never had in my life. I feel as though my body has become “used to” the ozempic. I am having a harder time controlling cravings and I havent lost any more weight even though I am far from my ideal weight. Any suggestions on how I can make the ozempic start working well again?
I would suggest that you just continue and go to a higher dose. You may also just be reaching a natural plateau, and just staying at your 50 lb weight loss is a very good thing, and then you’ll be able to go to the next step. If you get to the max dose of Ozempic, which is 2.0 mg/week and you haven’t noticed any improvement after a few months, you could consider switching to Mounjaro.
I started last week, and I’ve already lost 10 pounds. I have no negative effects. I hope that this continues. I changed to OMAD from eating three meals a day since I rarely had an appetite. very best
I increased my dosage on Saturday evening and did okay Sunday, but had lots of burping and diarrea on Monday/Tuesday in the middle of the night and into Tuesday morning. Does this sound like a side effect? Was not sure since it started Monday and I was fine on Sunday. I also ate something that was greasy/fatty on Monday, so am wondering if that did not combine well with my higher dosage.
It is possible that those side effects were related to your higher dosage, because it does take 2-3 days to peak. However, remember that you don’t have to go to the recommended higher dosage as they say. For example, going from .25-5 could be easier on your system if you went half the amount of clicks between .25 and 5. I believe there are 20 clicks between those two values, so you would do .25 plus 10 clicks, and some people need to titrate the drug slower.