Here’s How I Feel Six Weeks Into My Ozempic Journey

I'm 6 weeks into my treatment with the hottest pharmaceutical in the world - The Type 2 Diabetes-helpin'/Weight loss-guaranteed/Every Star is on it - Ozempic. Does it make you lose weight? Does the needle hurt? How do I feel? Here's what I've experienced.

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Hi, I'm Large Dave, and judging from my radio name you can probably guess that I have Type 2 Diabetes. I've had it for around 20 years, I'm over 50 now, and I'm your typical middle-aged American. Raised on a steady diet of Coca Cola, and the best fast food that Connecticut has to offer. I'm paying for my stupidity with my health now, but I'm trying to be better.

I've been on Metformin for years, Glimpiride, Jardiance, oh yes, I've tried them all. Stupidly, I've washed down those medications with Coke and a bite of cake. My A1C has been in the dangerous level, so my Doctor warned me that Insulin is the next and final step, unless I wanted to try this new brand of Type 2 medication. She prescribed Ozempic. Or, I should say, Wegovy first - (Insurance Denied), Mounjaro next - (Insurance Denied), and finally, Ozempic.

I'm 6 weeks in now, and I've lost around 20 pounds. I've never done needles, so that kind of made me worry, because damn do I hate finger sticks. Don't worry, it's way less painful than a finger prick, Ozemic is delivered via a tiny needle you truly barely feel. You can inject it in your belly, upper arm, or mid-thigh, I go mid-thigh. You inject the dose once a week, I do it on Saturday.

The first week, I got extremely constipated, it felt like my bowels were filled with cement, and rocks were coming out of the chute. I started to kind of lose a little appetite too, the burger that I was craving went South mid-way, or I'd throw half the fries out. That feeling of fullness eventually evened out over the first three weeks. I'd wake up hungry, but it went away on the drive into work. I started replacing coffee with water, and that's when I started getting a wave of nausea when I had something heavy. It passed quickly though.

You really have to pay attention to your body on Ozempic, it's stuff that our doctors have been telling us for years - Avoid carbs, pizza, no meat, more veggies, etc. I would describe Ozempic as kind of like a 'Gastric sleeve' shot, it tightens up your stomach to where hunger is no more. That burning pain that I felt every two hours for my diabetes sugar-crave was gone. But I have to tell you, I cannot stop eating snacks once I start too. that full 'Oh my God, I shouldn't have had that extra Chimichanga' is gone. Half an entree is still too much. I'm finding that 6 weeks in, I can survive on a few Granola bars and water, and the energy that is coming back into my shrinking body is amazing.

I've been pouring through the online reports of Ozempic side effects, and I'm worried about the stories of hair loss, paralyzed stomachs, and painful infections of my groin, but so far so good. It's the first diabetes drug that has modified my behavior, and I think that's a miracle itself.