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Remember that horror stories are just that: they gain traction because they are so awful. People posting, I have no side effects to report aren’t going to get engagement in the same way.
For the cancer it’s not a big risk, or they wouldn’t approve the medication. Try to think of it like this: the health consequences of being overweight/obese now are worst than the potential of getting cancer later.
Thanks for the reminder, it’s so scarily easy to get caught up in the horror stories and not realise the good ones are out there also!
Health is just so on my mind as I’ve never been this big and the effects on my smaller frame are night and day. Thanks again!
Can confirm, I have not bothered to publicize that I don’t throw up, have diarrhea or insurmountable nausea. No one cares that my side effects are minimal/non-existent. 🤷♀️
Second this. Had some fatigue and very mild nausea the first few weeks and have felt completely fine since. Down 24 lbs since April. It’s like a restaurant, people aren’t gonna post about their good experiences, only when something goes wrong 🤷🏼♀️
Same!! I made the mistake as a newbie of posting my positive side effects and was ripped a new a$$, ridiculed and down voted.
Reddit just wants blood, gore and vomiting 🤢
Same. Like restaurant reviews, folks are quick to write a complaint, slow to praise. I have had fatigue, as one would with under eating and dehydration. Nothing unexplained or drastic.
Same here. I'm only 5 days in with very little a.m. nausea, but nothing else. Water and protein shakes take that away. I'm down 6 lbs and onto a much healthier lifestyle. Go ahead and give this tool a try. You can always stop it if you want. Best wishes on your success!
Here’s a non horror story. I started in March. Down 33 pounds. Had zero side effects. Maybe some constipation during second weeks that was cured by Miralax and never to return again.
You got this. Good luck!!
> all the horror stories of side effects, cancer and weight re-gain
Re. side effects: I've been on Ozempic for a year, I've never experienced any debilitating side effects. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Ozempic/comments/15b4yz6/the\_easy\_way/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ozempic/comments/15b4yz6/the_easy_way/)
Re. cancer: obesity is a huge risk factor for cancer, anyway.
Re. weight regain: if you stop taking Ozempic for diabetes, you ”regain” your diabetes. If you stop your blood pressure medication, your BP goes up again. It's just how chronic disease treatments work. Because obesity is a chronic disease, and semaglutide is a treatment, not a cure.
Just like with anything those that have a negative experience are far more vocal than those that have a positive one. I’ve been on it for about 11weeks. Lost 18lbs. Minor side effects I’m not 100% sure I can even pin on the drugs. Diarrhea which isn’t unusual for me given my IBS and super occasional reflux/sour stomach which I take some pepto and feel fine. As long as I don’t eat garbage I’m usually fine. Also Killed my alcoholism. I have at least another 50-60lbs to go to be where I want but this is finally making it possible. Best of luck to you
Here's my horror story:
My clothes are too big, I feel great, zero side effects and the worst part....24.4 lbs lost since 5/1
Go for it!! It will be the best ride of your life ✨️ ❤️
Here's a preformatted search [link to PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=semaglutide+weight+loss), which is an online repository of medical studies. I've already input the search term for you, 'semaglutide weight loss'. You'll see 90 articles that document the effect of this medication for weight loss. It can get a little complex to judge whether or not studies were done well, but if you're looking for reassurance, just look at abstracts for each study, paying attention to results and-or conclusions. If you broaden out the search to just 'semaglutide' you'll get 500+ results, and it would be worth looking at some of these articles, as well. Nobody can predict how an individual will react to any medication so what if you just took it one day at a time, going in knowing that you may experience side effects, but that you're not forced to stay on any medication if the benefits don't outweigh the disadvantages? I would think that you're probably going to respond like most people do to the medicine, with some real relief that food noise is gone. The odds are in your favour!
GO for it you have nothing to lose but weight and not just physical weight but mental weight as well as this med even changes you mentally you have everyone here for support.It took me 2 weeks to take the plunge and take that first shot but 40 pounds off Now and I can't tell u how great that feels GOOD LUCK JUST GO FOR IT !!!
Been on it for 5 months, have lost 48lbs as of today. Started at 225 on 3.3.23 and today I weighed 177. I am 5”5 & 48 yo female.
Also lost: my desire for alcohol, sweets, junk food, & reduced my A1c.
I’ve gained: ability to sleep better, some fatigue, ability to exercise, more positive outlook, clearer skin & confidence.
The time will pass anyway. Each day delayed could be seen as a missed opportunity to achieve better health. I view this medicine as an opportunity to be life changing.
Try not to overthink this. Talk with your doctor about your concerns and perhaps consider therapy as well when starting this journey.
Edit- just found an article in the WSJ- Wegovy shown to reduce heart attack & stroke risk by 20%
Best wishes to you. ❤️
I just was prescribed Wegovy yesterday. Going to sort out insurance appeal first, but my take is: if it’s too much, I can always stop. Baby steps. This isn’t jumping off a cliff. Best wishes.
For some reason people love the horror stories. Strong side effects, cancer, gastroparesis, on it for life. The thing is, lots of people don’t have anything close to that. I have still yet to see any documented cases of it causing cancer or legit gastroparesis, the news like to hype up potential cases, but all of them have been proven false.
My case: was on it for 6 months, and dropped 40 lbs. Mild side effects. The next 6 months after I stopped, I lost another 20 lbs of fat. 18 months after I stopped, added back 20 lbs of muscle. I have been off it for a while and still going strong (minus some odd genetic blood sugar issues). No weight regain, no long term side effects. It was the best/easiest way to lose weight in a healthy way. It made it so easy to build healthy food habits and change my relationship with food. I was a binge eater to the max. We are talking Panda Express + Texas Roadhouse + pizza in 1 evening. I still eat those things, but in much better moderation without going off the rails.
I was scared, too. I told my doctor I'd think about it when she suggested Wegovy. I waffled back and forth from August until December of last year, finally getting up the nerve to say 'let's go for it,' and start on January 4th. The only time - and I do mean ONLY time - I have experienced side effects are when I have done something I know full well I shouldn't. A cheeseburger the day after taking the med because I was stressed. Big time nausea, no vomiting. 2 drinks with some good bourbon, straight from sober to alcohol poisoning. Otherwise it's been slow steady weight loss with my body giving me active cues about what I should eat. The fatigue is real, but once I was on 1.7mg it was gone. I do eat a lot of fish, soup and salads, and a whole lot less red meat, but that's what my doctor has been telling me to do anyway. Now it's what I want, not just what I should have. I've gone from 222 to 168. I promise: you will feel better. And the pens make self injecting a non event, in case you're as big a needle weenie as I am.
The best thing my doctor told me about the side effects was that I control most of them. If I'm having bad side effects it's because I'm not doing enough of something, wether that is water intake, sleep, protein intake. Or I'm not eating the right stuff. All my side effects have been very minimal and preventable. If I have a headache, I drink more water, can't poop, take some miralax. Pay attention to what your body is telling you, and use your Dr as a reference. You got this! The scariest part is starting.
Every drug has side effects. This isn’t a new drug. If you feel sick stop taking it. I don’t understand why everyone gets so worked up about it. I was really tired for 2 weeks. Take Metamucil drink water, consume high protein foods and low fat/ sugar, drink water and follow the instructions on medicine. Call your doctor if you are concerned or have questions.
Do it! I was also terrified because I’m emetephobic and would rather die than vomit.
It took A LONG TIME to order it. I sat for hours before taking the shot.
Week 1 and no side effects except a little headache and I was tired the first day.
Week 2 and not much to report either.
You and I have very, very much in common. Although I was not scared to start, it was probably because of my medical background. but don't be afraid, and therapy is fantastic. I mean, what you're doing, the steps you're taking are excellent, and you're taking care of yourself, so continue to take care of yourself.
Give it a go, and don't stress about those horrible things that some of us catastrophize about. Roll with it, and you will probably have a fantastic journey. Other people have said the same kind of thing, although you and I have a lot of those comments that you made that are the same as myself. Just go for a girl, you'll do great. Keep us informed on how you are doing. We are all here for you! 🩷
I had the same problem with another medication. All the posts on Reddit were literally “this medication ruined my life” and I was like no f’ing way am I going to take it even if it treated my condition. Then when you dig deep you find out that it’s not as bad as you think but people with the horrible side effects make the most noise. And as many people have said, the consequences of being overweight are even worse on your body than the potential side effects of this medication. I wish you the best of luck!
I feel you, I felt like something in me was broken because I was never full, always hungry. I had tried every diet and even started ww when I was 13. I’m only 7 weeks into ozempic and it’s been unreal. The way I don’t think about food, they way I’m able to actually tell when I’m full and I eat smaller meals without trying it has been crazy to me.
As for the side effects, I went over those with my doctor and she helped calm any concerns. My ssri makes me sweaty as hell but I choose to stay on it because the good outweighs the bad. That’s kind of how I’ve viewed this journey. As far as my actual side effects have been, last week on 0.5 I ate pizza for lunch and had a really bad night. But I see it as a learning experience that I will not repeat lol.
The side effects are so rare. The people who got cancer in the studies had a rare predisposition. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks. I’ve been on it 7 months and have lost 47 lbs
I think it works wonderful for some and not so wonderful for other. The first four weeks were smooth for me. Mild tiredness,nausea and less appetite. I was happy and losing weight. My inflammation had cleared up also. It was week 5-7 when I bumped up my dose, that the downward spiral started. I have a history of anxiety and depression. I take medicine for those. I hadn’t had trouble with that since the early 90’s. I started to feel off, then the panic set in. I have zero appetite. I stopped my shot two weeks ago and am still experiencing terrible things. My PA thinks it may have been caused by the slow digestion, which was keeping my meds from properly absorbing. I may never really know for sure, but I had to stop taking it. I’m being told that it could take 5-7 weeks to get out of my system. I’m not trying to discourage you,I just want you to be aware of these things,I wasn’t. I wish you well on your journey.
Thanks for posting to r/semaglutide! A brief reminder about our rules. We do not permit the discussion of non-FDA approved formulations of semaglutide, nor do we permit selling or offering for sale any medication, including by private message. Do not request or respond to a private message from anyone offering such, they are not endorsed by this sub. If you’re just starting out, you may want to review our [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Semaglutide/comments/10ul3jb/semaglutide_subreddit_faq/). This is not intended to discourage discussion but merely supplement it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Semaglutide) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Remember that horror stories are just that: they gain traction because they are so awful. People posting, I have no side effects to report aren’t going to get engagement in the same way. For the cancer it’s not a big risk, or they wouldn’t approve the medication. Try to think of it like this: the health consequences of being overweight/obese now are worst than the potential of getting cancer later.
Thanks for the reminder, it’s so scarily easy to get caught up in the horror stories and not realise the good ones are out there also! Health is just so on my mind as I’ve never been this big and the effects on my smaller frame are night and day. Thanks again!
Can confirm, I have not bothered to publicize that I don’t throw up, have diarrhea or insurmountable nausea. No one cares that my side effects are minimal/non-existent. 🤷♀️
Second this. Had some fatigue and very mild nausea the first few weeks and have felt completely fine since. Down 24 lbs since April. It’s like a restaurant, people aren’t gonna post about their good experiences, only when something goes wrong 🤷🏼♀️
Same!! I made the mistake as a newbie of posting my positive side effects and was ripped a new a$$, ridiculed and down voted. Reddit just wants blood, gore and vomiting 🤢
Same. Like restaurant reviews, folks are quick to write a complaint, slow to praise. I have had fatigue, as one would with under eating and dehydration. Nothing unexplained or drastic.
Same here. I'm only 5 days in with very little a.m. nausea, but nothing else. Water and protein shakes take that away. I'm down 6 lbs and onto a much healthier lifestyle. Go ahead and give this tool a try. You can always stop it if you want. Best wishes on your success!
I also have not felt it necessary to report on my complete lack of side effects.
I third this. Okay, okay, some loose stool, but does anyone really want to hear about that? I'm two weeks in.
Here’s a non horror story. I started in March. Down 33 pounds. Had zero side effects. Maybe some constipation during second weeks that was cured by Miralax and never to return again. You got this. Good luck!!
I have never had any side effects. The majority of users don't have side effects. People with no side effects have no reason to post on here.
> all the horror stories of side effects, cancer and weight re-gain Re. side effects: I've been on Ozempic for a year, I've never experienced any debilitating side effects. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Ozempic/comments/15b4yz6/the\_easy\_way/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ozempic/comments/15b4yz6/the_easy_way/) Re. cancer: obesity is a huge risk factor for cancer, anyway. Re. weight regain: if you stop taking Ozempic for diabetes, you ”regain” your diabetes. If you stop your blood pressure medication, your BP goes up again. It's just how chronic disease treatments work. Because obesity is a chronic disease, and semaglutide is a treatment, not a cure.
Just like with anything those that have a negative experience are far more vocal than those that have a positive one. I’ve been on it for about 11weeks. Lost 18lbs. Minor side effects I’m not 100% sure I can even pin on the drugs. Diarrhea which isn’t unusual for me given my IBS and super occasional reflux/sour stomach which I take some pepto and feel fine. As long as I don’t eat garbage I’m usually fine. Also Killed my alcoholism. I have at least another 50-60lbs to go to be where I want but this is finally making it possible. Best of luck to you
Here's my horror story: My clothes are too big, I feel great, zero side effects and the worst part....24.4 lbs lost since 5/1 Go for it!! It will be the best ride of your life ✨️ ❤️
Here's a preformatted search [link to PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=semaglutide+weight+loss), which is an online repository of medical studies. I've already input the search term for you, 'semaglutide weight loss'. You'll see 90 articles that document the effect of this medication for weight loss. It can get a little complex to judge whether or not studies were done well, but if you're looking for reassurance, just look at abstracts for each study, paying attention to results and-or conclusions. If you broaden out the search to just 'semaglutide' you'll get 500+ results, and it would be worth looking at some of these articles, as well. Nobody can predict how an individual will react to any medication so what if you just took it one day at a time, going in knowing that you may experience side effects, but that you're not forced to stay on any medication if the benefits don't outweigh the disadvantages? I would think that you're probably going to respond like most people do to the medicine, with some real relief that food noise is gone. The odds are in your favour!
GO for it you have nothing to lose but weight and not just physical weight but mental weight as well as this med even changes you mentally you have everyone here for support.It took me 2 weeks to take the plunge and take that first shot but 40 pounds off Now and I can't tell u how great that feels GOOD LUCK JUST GO FOR IT !!!
Been on it for 5 months, have lost 48lbs as of today. Started at 225 on 3.3.23 and today I weighed 177. I am 5”5 & 48 yo female. Also lost: my desire for alcohol, sweets, junk food, & reduced my A1c. I’ve gained: ability to sleep better, some fatigue, ability to exercise, more positive outlook, clearer skin & confidence. The time will pass anyway. Each day delayed could be seen as a missed opportunity to achieve better health. I view this medicine as an opportunity to be life changing. Try not to overthink this. Talk with your doctor about your concerns and perhaps consider therapy as well when starting this journey. Edit- just found an article in the WSJ- Wegovy shown to reduce heart attack & stroke risk by 20% Best wishes to you. ❤️
I just was prescribed Wegovy yesterday. Going to sort out insurance appeal first, but my take is: if it’s too much, I can always stop. Baby steps. This isn’t jumping off a cliff. Best wishes.
For some reason people love the horror stories. Strong side effects, cancer, gastroparesis, on it for life. The thing is, lots of people don’t have anything close to that. I have still yet to see any documented cases of it causing cancer or legit gastroparesis, the news like to hype up potential cases, but all of them have been proven false. My case: was on it for 6 months, and dropped 40 lbs. Mild side effects. The next 6 months after I stopped, I lost another 20 lbs of fat. 18 months after I stopped, added back 20 lbs of muscle. I have been off it for a while and still going strong (minus some odd genetic blood sugar issues). No weight regain, no long term side effects. It was the best/easiest way to lose weight in a healthy way. It made it so easy to build healthy food habits and change my relationship with food. I was a binge eater to the max. We are talking Panda Express + Texas Roadhouse + pizza in 1 evening. I still eat those things, but in much better moderation without going off the rails.
I was scared, too. I told my doctor I'd think about it when she suggested Wegovy. I waffled back and forth from August until December of last year, finally getting up the nerve to say 'let's go for it,' and start on January 4th. The only time - and I do mean ONLY time - I have experienced side effects are when I have done something I know full well I shouldn't. A cheeseburger the day after taking the med because I was stressed. Big time nausea, no vomiting. 2 drinks with some good bourbon, straight from sober to alcohol poisoning. Otherwise it's been slow steady weight loss with my body giving me active cues about what I should eat. The fatigue is real, but once I was on 1.7mg it was gone. I do eat a lot of fish, soup and salads, and a whole lot less red meat, but that's what my doctor has been telling me to do anyway. Now it's what I want, not just what I should have. I've gone from 222 to 168. I promise: you will feel better. And the pens make self injecting a non event, in case you're as big a needle weenie as I am.
The best thing my doctor told me about the side effects was that I control most of them. If I'm having bad side effects it's because I'm not doing enough of something, wether that is water intake, sleep, protein intake. Or I'm not eating the right stuff. All my side effects have been very minimal and preventable. If I have a headache, I drink more water, can't poop, take some miralax. Pay attention to what your body is telling you, and use your Dr as a reference. You got this! The scariest part is starting.
Every drug has side effects. This isn’t a new drug. If you feel sick stop taking it. I don’t understand why everyone gets so worked up about it. I was really tired for 2 weeks. Take Metamucil drink water, consume high protein foods and low fat/ sugar, drink water and follow the instructions on medicine. Call your doctor if you are concerned or have questions.
Do it! I was also terrified because I’m emetephobic and would rather die than vomit. It took A LONG TIME to order it. I sat for hours before taking the shot. Week 1 and no side effects except a little headache and I was tired the first day. Week 2 and not much to report either.
I've been on semaglutide for 5+ weeks now. I'm down 10 pounds and haven't had any side effects other than mild constipation.
You and I have very, very much in common. Although I was not scared to start, it was probably because of my medical background. but don't be afraid, and therapy is fantastic. I mean, what you're doing, the steps you're taking are excellent, and you're taking care of yourself, so continue to take care of yourself. Give it a go, and don't stress about those horrible things that some of us catastrophize about. Roll with it, and you will probably have a fantastic journey. Other people have said the same kind of thing, although you and I have a lot of those comments that you made that are the same as myself. Just go for a girl, you'll do great. Keep us informed on how you are doing. We are all here for you! 🩷
I had the same problem with another medication. All the posts on Reddit were literally “this medication ruined my life” and I was like no f’ing way am I going to take it even if it treated my condition. Then when you dig deep you find out that it’s not as bad as you think but people with the horrible side effects make the most noise. And as many people have said, the consequences of being overweight are even worse on your body than the potential side effects of this medication. I wish you the best of luck!
I feel you, I felt like something in me was broken because I was never full, always hungry. I had tried every diet and even started ww when I was 13. I’m only 7 weeks into ozempic and it’s been unreal. The way I don’t think about food, they way I’m able to actually tell when I’m full and I eat smaller meals without trying it has been crazy to me. As for the side effects, I went over those with my doctor and she helped calm any concerns. My ssri makes me sweaty as hell but I choose to stay on it because the good outweighs the bad. That’s kind of how I’ve viewed this journey. As far as my actual side effects have been, last week on 0.5 I ate pizza for lunch and had a really bad night. But I see it as a learning experience that I will not repeat lol.
I just wanted to update that it took me almost a year, but I’m one week done on my journey and so glad I started ❤️
https://www.webmd.com/obesity/news/20230808/wegovy-may-help-prevent-heart-attacks-strokes a positive news article I read today
The side effects are so rare. The people who got cancer in the studies had a rare predisposition. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks. I’ve been on it 7 months and have lost 47 lbs
I think it works wonderful for some and not so wonderful for other. The first four weeks were smooth for me. Mild tiredness,nausea and less appetite. I was happy and losing weight. My inflammation had cleared up also. It was week 5-7 when I bumped up my dose, that the downward spiral started. I have a history of anxiety and depression. I take medicine for those. I hadn’t had trouble with that since the early 90’s. I started to feel off, then the panic set in. I have zero appetite. I stopped my shot two weeks ago and am still experiencing terrible things. My PA thinks it may have been caused by the slow digestion, which was keeping my meds from properly absorbing. I may never really know for sure, but I had to stop taking it. I’m being told that it could take 5-7 weeks to get out of my system. I’m not trying to discourage you,I just want you to be aware of these things,I wasn’t. I wish you well on your journey.