Well, Ozempic is on back order and the pharmacist says there are thirty people ahead of me to get it. I’ve made an appointment with my doctor to talk about other options, but I’m so tired of playing Russian-roulette with drugs. I had no bad reaction to Ozempic. It works well, lowering my blood sugar. I’m not super hungry thanks to it.
I also talked with my pharmacist about the injectable version of Abilify. He thinks many people use it for convenience. Which is true. It’s one shot, once a month. He didn’t really address my question about whether it was actually better. He said try it for two to three months and give a chance, but do it during a time where it’s more convenient. Christmas time isn’t the best…
I don’t know about Ozempic up here, but I haven’t had any problems with the pharmacy getting Mounjaro in. It pisses me off that folks without diabetes are abusing the system just to lose weight.
I wish they’d put some regulations on how it should be prescribed. I don’t have a problem with people who are dangerously overweight using Ozempic. I think someone who’s 300 lbs should get it. But not someone who’s just twenty pounds overweight (like a relative of mine getting it just because it was getting hard for her to lose with diet and exercise alone because she’s in her 50s).
Also, I used the term Russian roulette because I’ve had an anaphylactic shock that send me from a my home, to a clinic, and then to the ER (hair care product) because they were worried my heart would stop. I had an adverse reaction to immunotherapy, and the doctor kept saying it wasn’t his treatment because I didn’t react in the first fifteen minutes. He even injected me to prove it…and hours later, when I ate something, I developed hives around my face. Paxil gave me a full body rash too. So, I’m not a fan of trying new things.
I couldn’t get Wegovy. Ozempic wasn’t an option because I don’t have diabetes, but Wegovy was. I waited for it for months, calling the pharmacy regularly to see if it was in, but it never was. So I take one called Contrave now. It’s a pill and it’s a mixture of bupropion and something else. I was already taking bupropion, so I just had to get off of that. I felt a little nauseous for the first little bit, but that went away. I’m not feeling as hungry all the time, non-stop. I hope it’ll help me. I was in a weight loss program and gained 30 lbs!!! That was with me trying really hard. So, yeah, I’m trying Contrave but also attended a session on a bariatric surgery group just in case.
They have an interim option. It’s a balloon that can be placed in your stomach and inflated with water. Same effect as bariatric surgery, but without having to make any surgical alterations to the patient and lower risk. It can be nearly instantly undone if needed. It’s called the Allurion Program in Canada.
Thanks. I can certainly look into it. Tbh, one of the appeals of the bariatric was that it can reduce heartburn/GERD in addition to the primary benefits of weight loss (if patient follows instructions correctly).
Yes, at least two that I know of. I’m currently on pantoprazole.
ETA: THe pantoprazole has worked best out of what I’ve tried to date. Even still, I can do something as simple as lean forward, and it’s hello acid. Blech and ouch.
