# Ask the person taking Ozempic **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 14, 2023, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193 "2023-03-14T23:10:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/261 "2025-01-09T03:55:23Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Best wishes! > > I don’t think Ozempic is working for me. It only worked a little, but my weight, my A1c (I suspect), and my diabetic neuropathy are all back to their pre-Oz levels. I’ve read that it doesn’t work for 20% of people. > > I’ll have an A1c this week, and I’m likely to ask to try a different medication. My wife is one of those people for whom Ozempic/Wegovy doesn’t really work. Mounjaro/Zepbound has been quite effective though. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/262 "2025-01-09T17:19:50Z")
Are you secretive about your Ozempic usage? My wife and I have kept it from everyone, and attribute our weight loss to exercise and better eating (both true, but not the whole story). Nothing to be embarrassed about, but also nobody’s business ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/263 "2025-01-09T18:23:29Z")
No, but I don’t mention it unless it’s relevant to the conversation. I do sometimes have to say, “No, really, I can’t go to a burger joint for dinner because I take a medication that makes the smell of grease nauseating.” ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/264 "2025-01-10T17:57:09Z")
I just had my 6-month routine labs done and my A1C is at 7.0, up from 5.9 (which was a finger stick test, so not as accurate) ~3 months ago. My triglycerides are up and I have a touch of protein in my urine. My doc seems unconcerned about all of this and says she’ll just continue to monitor things for now, no med changes are warranted. My insurance covers my Ozempic but I’m not sure it’s doing much anymore. I haven’t weighed myself recently but I don’t feel any lighter: my clothes certainly don’t fit any differently. My wedding band seems looser on my finger but that may be my imagination or just aging. I’ve been wearing this thing for 22 years now. My appetite doesn’t seem to be affected by the Ozempic anymore, if it ever was. I never saw much of a reduction that I noticed. One thing that _has_ changed is I’m not suffering my morning nausea that was becoming increasingly common. That, I think, was unrelated to the Ozempic. I switched my morning caffeine routine and no longer drink the blend of tea that I had been so I suspect that was the problem all along. I tried over the Christmas break to kick caffeine completely and… yeah. That didn’t work. At all. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/265 "2025-01-14T01:14:56Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > I was just diagnosed with diabetes today with a miserable A1C value, and I have been precribed Ozempic and Metformin. > > This thread has been interesting. Good luck! I’m a little surprised they didn’t make you try just Metformin at first. Maybe your A1C was high enough they didn’t think that would be enough. Here’s hoping it works well, and without too many side effects! > [@susan](#): > > I don’t think Ozempic is working for me. It only worked a little, but my weight, my A1c (I suspect), and my **diabetic neuropathy** are all back to their pre-Oz levels. I’ve read that it doesn’t work for 20% of people. > > I’ll have an A1c this week, and I’m likely to ask to try a different medication. Do you feel that it had an impact on youy neuropathy? I saw no effect at all; in fact I’d argue that mine has gradually worsened a little bit, following a 10+ year pattern (it was developing before my A1C even got to the diabetic range). I’m thinking of asking my doctor to prescribe a continuous glucose monitor, so I can see if my blood sugar spikes a lot. Because A1C is just an average, your blood sugar varying from 80-120 could give the same average as if it varies from 60-140, or something like that. And my blood sugar tends to be high in the mornings even when fasting. If it’s going through larger swings, even with my excellent A1C, that might explain the neuropathy. My nausea is definitely better in the past month or so. I’ve been at 0.5 (down from 1.0) since August and it didn’t really improve for the first couple of months. While I was off work for Christmas, I was more able to overeat a bit, and had a little “see food diet” going on, which is not idea. My weight was up a few pounds right after we travelled, which I need to keep an eye on. I like not feeling ill, but I do need to work on eating better/not overeating. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/266 "2025-01-14T11:48:33Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Weirdly, my stomach has been MASSIVELY better in recent weeks - to the point where I’m wondering if the Ozempic is losing its effect. I have been able to overeat (not massively, but…) on several occasions. I had at one point thought I might need to lower my dose again from 0.5, but if this trend continues I will definitely rethink that and may even go up to 0.75 (by click-counting the 1.0 pen). This happened to me past couple of weeks as well. I was wondering if it might be weather related, at least now in part. Anyway, it was my first week on 0.5 and it went away when I dosed 0.5 again. Now I’m back to the expected “yum that looks good… _burrrup_ but my tummy kind of full right now” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/267 "2025-01-18T02:02:45Z")
Well, Ozempic at the highest dose has not lowered my A1c, and I’ve regained the weight I initially lost. I started Mounjaro today. I don’t think my PCP read the transition dosing chart correctly, but I can’t find one that isn’t pop science, so I’ll see how the possibly higher dose goes. I had less nausea on the higher dose of Ozempic, though I threw up more frequently and the food aversion was worse (you might think this would lead to weight loss, but no). I haven’t had other bad gastro symptoms from Ozempic. The Mounjaro dose stings less. It isn’t dialable, and has a fixed needle so it creates more medical waste, especially since each dose is an individual pen. They last a shorter time if unrefrigerated. I foresee potential issues with managing the number of pens for longer travel (such as, say, 20 hours in transit and 4 weeks away from home). I don’t think the pen shape will fit in my travel cold wallet. But if it works, I’ll figure this out. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/268 "2025-01-18T03:15:35Z")
Zepbound/Mounjaro have [relatively lax requirements](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drugs-does-zepbound-need-to-be-refrigerated#storage-requirements) about cold storage… > If necessary, you can store an unopened pen or vial out of the refrigerator at room temperature, which is 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C). But it’s important that Zepbound isn’t exposed to temperatures above 86°F (30°C). Zepbound can be left at room temperature for up to 21 days. Be sure to protect the medication from light. > > If you haven’t used the medication within 21 days of storing it at room temperature, you’ll need to discard it. (For details, see “Zepbound disposal.”) Do not return Zepbound to the refrigerator after storing it at room temperature. A less quotable doc from Eli Lilly [says the same](https://pi.lilly.com/us/zepbound-us-mg.pdf). ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/269 "2025-01-18T03:28:55Z")
Thanks. 21 days isn’t sufficient for the kind of walking trips I do in other countries, but first I’ll see if the med works and then I’ll figure out how to manage that. ETA: Ozempic is 56 days and 4 weeks per pen; Mounjaro is 21 days and 1 week per pen. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/270 "2025-01-18T03:31:00Z")
Many hotels have small refrigerators in the guest rooms, and if one does not, you might ask at the front desk if one can be provided to store your medicine. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/271 "2025-01-18T03:35:08Z")
Yes, thank you. This solution is great for some hotels or ships, but not for hiker’s hostels or most of the unstaffed European hotels/pensions/rooming houses I’ve stayed in while doing cross-country walking. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/272 "2025-01-18T03:37:08Z")
I’m sure you’re not the first guest of those places to have medications that need refrigeration, but if there’s no option, Mounjaro may not be right for you. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/273 "2025-01-18T04:12:12Z")
My wife just did a chunk of the Camino Frances with Zepbound and an RA drug that couldn’t even be room temp for more than 8 hours. She has a thermos sort of thing with a USB powered lid that kept everything at 38 degrees. We tested the rechargeable battery she took and figured she had 10-12 hours of cooling, easy. Just had to remember to plug it in the moment she got to each of the albergues she stayed at. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/274 "2025-01-18T04:27:26Z")
That’s great! What brand? I looked at a few tonight, though some seem like they won’t hold enough Mounjaro pens, which have a chunky flared cap. Congratulations to your wife, too 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/275 "2025-01-18T05:19:19Z")
She bought the [Voyager](https://4allfamily.com/products/portable-medical-fridge-usb-insulin-medicines). You’re correct that the pens are a problem a that you can’t fit enough of them for a long trip, so she got her Zepbound in a vial and her RA medication in syringes instead of the pens (which were so big they made the Lilly pens look dainty). If you think you’re going to get one of those, PM me and I can go into detail about the battery setup she used. There’s some weirdness about the fancier new USB-C batteries that make them difficult or impossible to use, mostly around how they “time out” when they detect they are trickle charging. The vendor for that cooler gave us some good advice that wasn’t quite enough but aimed us in the right direction. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2025, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/276 "2025-03-16T23:49:39Z")
Thanks! Missed this reply. Very helpful. In other news, here’s an Ozempic thread: [Ozempic, the bowel paralyzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ozempic-the-bowel-paralyzer/1015661) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/277 "2025-03-22T14:56:05Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > I tried over the Christmas break to kick caffeine completely and… yeah. That didn’t work. At all. I quit caffeine every year so i can fast on Yom Kippur. That is, i very very carefully taper down over a week or two. Sometimes, i stay off it for a while after, other times i jump right back into the bandwagon. (I enjoy my morning ritual.) If you want advice on kicking it without debilitating headaches and other problems, DM me. But at least for me, tapering the dose gently is critical. > [@Procrustus](#): > > Are you secretive about your Ozempic usage? My wife and I have kept it from everyone, and attribute our weight loss to exercise and better eating (both true, but not the whole story). Nothing to be embarrassed about, but also nobody’s business I’ve been surprised by how many of my friends are using it. It doesn’t come up very often in ordinary conversation, so when it does, they’ve mostly been on it for months. It’s not as if i routinely comment on the weight or medical conditions of my friends. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/278 "2025-03-22T15:53:23Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Are you secretive about your Ozempic usage? My wife and I have kept it from everyone, and attribute our weight loss to exercise and better eating (both true, but not the whole story). Nothing to be embarrassed about, but also nobody’s business I agree it’s nobody’s business, but I do think there is a downside to this tactic - for the person you tell that. Because then they try diet and exercise and cannot achieve the same sort of loss and feel like a failure. It’s giving them half the recipe to success, but not telling them it’s only half. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/279 "2025-04-04T20:02:19Z")
I had a bit of a surprise, potentially due to the Ozempic: I had my annual colonoscopy earier this week. I’d been a bit worried about lingering Oz-related constipation, so I jump-started things with an extra dose of Dulcolax in addition to the one prescribed. Turned out to not be a problem, LOL. And… ZERO POLYPS. Good thing I was sitting down when the doctor told me that. I don’t know if it’s the weight loss, or some more direct effect of the Ozempic, or my body just saying “I have been trying to kill you for FIFTEEN YEARS and I GIVE UP”. But I’ll take it. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193/280 "2025-04-04T23:01:16Z")
Great! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-taking-ozempic/981193.md?page=15)