Joanie Knight has a message for anyone considering drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy, which have become popular for the dramatic weight loss they can help people achieve.
“I wish I never touched it. I wish I’d never heard of it in my life,” said Knight, 37, of Angie, Louisiana. “This medicine made my life hell. So much hell. It has cost me money. It cost me a lot of stress; it cost me days and nights and trips with my family. It’s cost me a lot, and it’s not worth it. The price is too high.”
Brenda Allen, 42, of Dallas feels the same way. Her doctor prescribed Wegovy for weight loss. […]
The diabetes drug Ozempic, and its sister drug for weight loss, Wegovy, utilize the same medication, semaglutide. These and other drugs in this family, which includes medications like tirzepatide and liraglutide, work by mimicking a hormone that’s naturally made by the body, GLP-1. One of the roles of GLP-1 is to slow the passage of food through the stomach, which helps people feel fuller longer.
If the stomach slows down too much, however, that can cause problems.
Knight and Wright have been diagnosed with severe gastroparesis, or stomach paralysis, which their doctors think may have resulted from or been exacerbated by the medication they were taking, Ozempic.
Wright said she has also been diagnosed with cyclic vomiting syndrome, which causes her to throw up multiple times a day.
You all leave Big Pharma ALONE!!!!
Another safe and effective drug.
Ffs eat less move more.
My BiL takes it for diabeetus.
He’s lost about 40 lbs off a 6’3″ frame. He didn’t really need to lose more than about 10 and that just for vanity.
Shit is powerful. Unlike “vaccines”
As ever was, cut back carbs by about two-thirds, restrict your eating window to about 6 hours in 24 (lunch and dinner), exercise (walk about 2 kms) as far removed from your last meal as possible (ie- late morning) and lose weight. People will be afraid to ask what you’re doing because they’re afraid you have cancer; it works that well.
Worked for me Steve. I lost that stubborn 50 lbs just by doing as you suggested except my window was 4 hours. Never looked back and have better cholesterol and glucose than I did when I was 25.
I did, and still do, Intermittent Fast, aiming for 18/6, and some days trying for 20/4. Down from 265 when I started to 185 today.
I was an insulin dependent diabetic. Now, I take one shot of Ozempic per week. 1 shot/wk vs 4/day, and without any fear of hypoglycemic shock? No brainer for me. I do get bouts of uneasy stomach on occasion, but never to the point of vomiting. It’s a small side effect that really doesn’t affect me more than 2 minutes a week.
I’m going in for blood work on Friday; it will be interesting to see it.
Everyone’s looking for a shortcut.
But…but…but…they’re commercials are soo CUTE….
Hey I found my way back,
Kate you have so many post on here I’m having to use the bookmark.
Anyways,
Recently had a friend that had a weight loss stomach operation and she has died. I don’t know if it was combination of vaccine or her operation she was only 57 years old.
So many young people are just dropping over dead or having strokes but you can rest assured it’s not the *Vaccines.*
Guess when politicians start dropping over we will have an investigation.
Obese friend had the lap band installed on his stomach years ago. It worked for a while, but what really made him lose weight was when it slipped, causing part of his stomach to get cut off from circulation, died, went necrotic, and almost killed him.
He was in the hospital for months, given last rites twice, I don’t know how many surgeries and procedures, but by the time he left the hospital he lost a whole lot of weight. He survived and I found out months later.
The fattest people I know always say “I could never stop eating/drinking (sugar filled thing)”
Well then, you have to be fat and die from the related complications of self indulgence. Or take shortcuts like this.
Ironically, if you called a doctor for an appointment, then googled “snake diet”, then started that diet right away, you could probably cancel the doctor’s appointment. So what’s the shortcut?
Sorry … but this a golden invitation for me to share TMI. I am a diabetic, and my endocrinologist INSISTED that I take Ozempic. I objected because a previous endocrinologist had put me on an earlier version of it (I forget the name of it) and it literally caused me to shit the bed … at a really nice hotel/spa in Sonoma.
But I relented and took her Ozempic. She was rather insistent … she said the drug had improved. She started me on a low dose, and nothing really happened … maybe a very slight sense of not feeling hungry … but by the time she increased the dose … my stomach was a mess. I never felt right … I wouldn’t call it a sense of “feeling full” but more a sense of “something is fucking NOT RIGHT with my entire GI tract”. A constant pain in my gut.
And then it happened … after eating a very modest, balanced, meal at dinner time. Run to the toilet with runny stool, followed by another trip, and another, and another… all night long. It got so bad that I was drinking gallons of water so I wouldn’t dehydrate. Literally up all night long. My client meeting that day was canceled. I told her STOP!! I’m not taking this anymore … and she still objected. I finally convinced her I’d throw any more pen needles in the trash.
Perhaps this drug “works” for some people … without constant diarrhea … but judging by how it utterly deconstructed my always regular, functional, GI tract … I caution people that there may some SERIOUS downstream (so to speak) health problems attached to this drug.
I have never been “anti Big Pharma” as the industry has produced many many life saving medications. However … I now believe the entire medical profession has been corrupted by Big PUSHER Pharma. They’re all PUSHERS of marginal drugs that generate Cartel-like $$$$$. All I can say is God-damn the Pusher Man
Kenji, hopefully it wasn’t MacArthur Place. I stayed there a while back and probably will again someday.
A gift from the parents of the soccer team I coached …
https://www.fairmont.com/sonoma/
My doctor tried twice to put me on Ozempic for type II diabetes. I said no, I’m underweight, can’t afford to lose any. So he gave up and put me on insulin. From all the horror stories I hear, I’m sure glad I refused.
Kate … I just posted something that got trapped in moderation … that you might want to edit and publish … about this awful medication
good luck Kenji, this platform regularly EATS messages and spits them into the Underverse, forver.
When the topic is pharma, the content is high risk for tripping the spam filters.
Thank you Kate … and you even left in all my BAD words … IMHO … Ozempic is poison. I don’t believe that screwing with the human GI tract is without risk … high risk.
You know what the biggest deterrent for obesity used to be? It was consideration of how you would perceived by your peers. However, such held opinions became labeled “Fat Shaming.” Grammatical indifference aside, it is merely another symptom of a society that cowers from truth because, somehow, that truth has to be qualified by “feelings.” Such an act contradicts the very definition of “truth.”
Here’s the unvarnished truth: Obesity is self-inflicted in all but a handful of cases. Obesity is correctable. Obesity is unhealthy and based on societal norms, unattractive. Obesity is not something to be celebrated, or striven towards. Flaunting an obese body is not brave. It is a signal that you require improvements in your personal discipline and that you possess obvious personal weaknesses.
Taking prescription drugs to accomplish something that could be done by a daily exercise schedule and balanced diet reflects someone intellectually challenged and in possession of poor judgement.
Apparently in Japan they feel obligated to not be overweight so that they are not a burden on the health system and others.
Ugh! That’s horrific. I genuinely feel sorry for these people.
There is diabetes and there is obesity. Often, the latter causes the former. In that case losing weight makes sense – by eating less and more of the right food. But diabetes has other forms. Skinny people can have Type II. For these people there are good alternatives such as Metformin, Jardiance and Januvia. Metformin is incredibly cheap and safe. Been around for years. Interestingly, the exclusivity period for Jardiance runs out in 2025 when generic drugs will be available. Same with Januvia. I’m sure it’s a coincidence that doctors are now recommending the switch to Ozempic which has a long exclusivity period ahead of it.
https://www.fiercepharma.com/special-report/top-15-blockbuster-patent-expirations-coming-decade
Ozempic isn’t JUST prescribed for weight loss … but also for controlling blood sugar levels as a helper to insulin … not worth it
I would love to know the ratio. It’s the fastest growing diabetes drug. But how much is being bought for weight loss?
Yup. Type II here, and doing just fine on Metformin.
A note on pharma’s patents. When diagnosed with Type II diabetes, I was first put on a new version of Metformin which was an extended release formulation. I did very well with that and my copay was $10(?) or so. “Tweren’t much.
Then I had to switch to Medicare and pick a supplemental RX plan. My first renewal for a 1-month supply? OVER $5,000!!! That was my copay. Some of the cost was covered. Full cost was $120,000 per year!! All because it was still under patent. Just “new and improved’ extended release Metformin.
My Doc hustled up and put me on regular Metformin taken twice a day. That works fine, but the extended release really does work a smidge better. My copay for the long off-patent Metformin? $0.0 dollars.
They gotta make hay while the
sunpatent still shines. That, and other countries won’t pay full price, so they charge it to Americans’ insurance companies. That jacks up the U.S. price even more.–
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A shout out to Kenji: Thanks for the warning. I was wondering about those totally new type of diabetes control drugs and thought of asking my Doc about them. I think I’ll pass.
I actually had this – or something very similar- when I caught covid. My digestive tract completely stopped. It was actually getting close to hospital time it was that bad.
So, prescribing Ozempic off-label for weight loss is okay but prescribing Ivermectin off-label for Wu Flu, isn’t. Got it!
Another interesting note about off label drug usage.
The only FDA tested and approved use of puberty blockers in people under 18 is for Precocious Puberty, where they are used to delay but not stop puberty.
The FDA that stopped Ivermectin and HCQ looks the other way as these drugs are given to brainwashed adolescents in much higher doses to completely stop their going through puberty.
You’re not intimating politics affects “science”? Perish the thought.
Hmmmmm…I’m not one to dispense advice because I’m not a doctor so there’s that.
But I must say – Keto and more specifically carnivore diets are game changers. Not that I’m overweight or diabetic (6’1 – 195 lbs) but I’ve always felt better and more energetic and less bloated at a lithe 189lbs and less.
No starches…cereals…bread…pasta… no processed foods. (Ugh! How I loved my pasta!!!) But the weight will fall off like nothing else.
It’s a tough slog. But the results are undeniable.
In the words of Forest Gump – That’s all I have to say about that
Your diet works for me. I eat steak salads … as the optimal foodstuff. However, even my endocrinologist and dietician says humans need starches for quick, available, energy. The thing which works for me is moderation and not overeating … oh … and actually USING that carb. energy, by working strenuously. Physical work is my exercise … riding a stationary bike is a mind numbing suicidal activity for me …
Yup…you nailed it in my opinion. “moderation”… it’s the key to everything.
As some comedian said, ain’t it odd that in these drug commercials, they spend a few seconds making the claim for what it does and then spend the rest of the ad, daring you to risk the side effects?
Meh.. No pop no chips no candy.. Beers and booze are my problem.. But if I give that up WTF am I going to do with my spare time?.. Clean the house?.. You got to draw the line somewhere :)..
But then again why even bother.. I did the one meal a day fast and all I got was a smaller funny looking body.. No such thing as a time machine to make you 25 again.. Enjoy the time you have left..
John…too funny..!!
Clean the house indeed…near spit out my coffee this morning…lol.
I know more than a dozen women who have had some form of stomach bypass surgery, many of them under 30 and not immediately life-threateningly obese. All of them now have lifelong digestive issues, persistent reflux, difficulty getting enough vitamins in their diet. There was once a test for these surgeries because they will take twenty years off your life; they were restricted to people who were likely to due early anyway from obesity comorbidities.
They’ve become quick fixes no different from liposuction or a tummy tuck for women – and it’s always women – who don’t want to just do the work.