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I'm on Ozempic. One of my concerns was its price, which I took to be about $1300 a month (back in December 2022, when I researched it). My doctor pointed out that my health insurance through my company would pick up the cost, and that Medicare would also cover it when I turned 65.
Did a quick rescan on GoodRx just now and found that current low price in my area is down to $907 per month. Ozempic is for people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The same drug relabelled as Wegovy is prescribed for weight loss for non-diabetics, and that's going for $1300 a month on GoodRx.
After four months of Ozempic starting at 0.25 mg weekly in early February 2023 and then increasing to 0.5mg weekly (plus Metformin 100mg daily for the past two years), my A1C is down to 5.7. It had been bouncing between 6.0 and 6.3 since July 2021 before settling at 6.3 for the last half of 2022. Next week the Ozempic dose gets upped to 1.0 mg weekly.
Weight loss? Meh. It's about 5% weight loss for the initial four months. The dosage increases next week; my doctor expects slightly better benefits from the increase.
As for side effect - I've had three of the four regularly. Had to go on a regular schedule of stool softeners to mitigate the constipation and diarrhea - which occasionally was hellacious.
- we have no ideas of the long term effects of this medication and, in particular, for people who don't have a metabolic syndrome problem. Every diet drug out there seems to be pulled after about 7 years. I don't want to take something until I know it is likely safe. And odds are not in this drug's favor.
- I do not have metabolic syndrome and have a pretty low A1c. 5.2. I wonder if this will not work for weight loss for me. I don't find fasting does much for me. It is my theory that if you don't have metabolic syndrome, these drugs (and methods -fasting) don't work for weight loss.
- What happens when you stop taking it? I think we know. Just like everything else... you gain it back. I don't see the point of it?
Yes, that's why people have been coming here to get it. It's $260 monthly, but in the states apparently it costs hundreds more.
It's over $1000 a month in the US and usually not covered by insurance.
I know several people who are taking it and all have said it was life changing. One explained, through tears, that "This is how it is for normal people." She has struggled with her weight her entire life, and said she never realized that "normal" people don't think about food 24 hours a day.
- What happens when you stop taking it? I think we know. Just like everything else... you gain it back. I don't see the point of it?
That makes it no different than any other chronic condition. If someone has high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, etc., medication can fix that. But they don't stop taking it, because the reason they no longer have those concerns is BECAUSE they are taking the medication. As soon as they stop, those conditions return.
I have hypothyroidism. The cause for me is genetic. My mom has it, and so does my daughter. Medication keeps my thyroid levels in the normal range. If I stop taking it, the numbers go back out of range. So I'll need to take medication for the rest of my life.
For many people, weight is no different. It is much, much more complex than just willpower and eating less. If it were that simple, people wouldn't be obese to begin with. We are starting to discover that environmental and biological factors contribute to obesity. These drugs address the biological factors.
It's such a shame that conditions like obesity, and the treatment for it, have such a stigma attached to them.
I was a tiny thing most of my life (size 0/2 probably around 105 pounds). Then I had children and gained weight with each pregnancy. With my son I gained 60 pounds during pregnancy but I bounced back quickly to a size 4 (maybe around 112-119 pounds then) and my new doctors couldn't even tell I had ever had a baby because my stomach was so flat with no stretch marks.
When I was 20, I was also diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditis. It's an autoimmune disease that attacks your thyroid. The thyroid is a tiny gland but yet so powerful and it's very important with the role of regulating metabolism. After years of destruction of my thyroid I became hypo. That's when my weight started going up and became harder to manage even with thyroid replacement therapy. Then I got thyroid cancer and had to have it totally removed. And then there was menopause. The weight (even though not morbidly obese) got to a place where health started to decline. That's when my doctor brought up Wegovy to me. At that time I was reluctant to try a med and wanted to make sure I was serious about undertaking this new journey because I wanted to make sure that I would be dedicated to making this a major lifestyle change. So she gave me literature to read and think about. After that appointment I started to make the lifestyle changes right away to see if I could really do it on my own. While I did lose some weight over the 8 months it would go down then up and continue like that (just like it had in the past). So I finally realized I needed help.
It's only been a little under 3 months on it and I have lost 19 pounds. I am also one of the lucky ones that have not had really any side effects (if I had the side effects that so many talk about I wouldn't stay on it). I really believe that this med has not only aided me in my weight loss but it also has helped with the inflammation from the different autoimmune diseases that I have. The only problem now is that employers and insurance companies are not wanting to cover the cost of it now and are making it increasingly more difficult to get coverage. So while it was covered when I first started, they now do not want to cover it. I guess they would rather pay for the physical therapy and possible surgeries on my hips and knees and care for other comorbidities that come along with weight gain. One way or another insurance will be picking up the tab for everyone. It's just a matter if they would like to reduce those costs upfront by covering this or by denying it and then pay more later especially with us aging adults :-(
[quote=djmilf;65350385
. My doctor pointed out that my health insurance through my company would pick up the cost, and that Medicare would also cover it when I turned 65.
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Medicare won't cover it directly. You have to buy Medicare Part D, a drug plan, which may or may not cover it; you have to research it before choosing your plan.
And if you get a new Rx mid year, it may not be covered.
Medicare won't cover it directly. You have to buy Medicare Part D, a drug plan, which may or may not cover it; you have to research it before choosing your plan.
And if you get a new Rx mid year, it may not be covered.
Thanks, good to know. Medicare is about 3 years in the future for me.
I'm on my 3rd month. I am pre diabetic
Dr. Took me off metformin to start ozempic.
I've lost 15 lbs , but it hasn't been fun.
I may discontinue after my 3 month supply runs dry. Definitely consulting with my Dr. In June.
Nausea, headaches, fatigue and severe constipation for 3 months is not a good thing. Although I'm ecstatic about the Weight loss, I wish I could just enjoy food and eating again.
It definitely has taken away my urges to snack, eat sweets, drink soda, and over eat.
I went from 165 to 150.
I'd like to get down to 120.
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