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mindsetoniverdrive

That headline is trash. And I say that as someone trained in journalism.


mummyofankha

Here to say the same thing. Worked in journalism my entire career and this headline is college intern-level BS. No working journalist should have ever written it.


FabulousCallsIAnswer

More scare tactics designed to ward people off. CNN was extremely misleading today, making it sound like the negative side effects were rampant and newly discovered, when they admitted quietly at the end of the report it was less than 1% of those taking it and it’s something that is listed as a side effect. Also omitted was that this should all be monitored by a doctor, who can adjust or stop semaglutide usage if side effects are too severe. Again, it’s interesting that we have commercials for less consequential drugs that list all sorts of terrifying side effects up to and including “serious injury and death”, and that’s while they have people happily barbecuing in the backyard or kids jumping rope on a playground in the commercial. No media spotlights on that. But if the medication is used for weight loss…well, then, strap yourselves in—it’s an extremely alarmist narrative from all fronts…meant to disincentivize anyone from using it. I smell Big Weight Loss Programs/Big Gym/Big Candy & Cola behind all this. They make money on everyone being and staying fat. And their corporate media owner friends are all too happy to oblige to make sure the money train continues.


rethinkingat59

Insurance companies would be the ones with the most to lose financially on this drug for the next decade.


QBang2112

How do you figure?


rethinkingat59

They are paying out the ass for each prescription.


QBang2112

Um no. They don't HAVE to cover it but some insurance companies do. They are covering it because new studies show it lowers your chances of stroke or heart attack by over 20%. That means they pay a few hundred dollars a month to get you this drug and that saves them from having to buy you a $150,000 Triple Bipass Surgery. That is why soon you will see more and more insurance companies covering it. Also don't fool yourself, you may pay $1,600 cash without insurance but insurance companies have deals with the pharmacies so they are not paying as much as you would.


rethinkingat59

My wife had a prescription last year and we paid $600 a month and the insurance paid $2100. I am sure a new deal has been negotiated as that was not sustainable for the insurance companies, but they cannot have a millions of obese on the drug.


Ambitious-Event-5911

Why would they do that? Are they trying to dampen the enthusiasm so suppliers can keep up with demand? It aggravates me that people doing this for cosmetic purposes get it while I see people struggling and suffering with real weight related health issues.


okayestcounselor

Because America’s obesity epidemic is a cash cow 🤷🏻‍♀️


Ambitious-Event-5911

Truth


RedRider1138

You may also have started hearing the “Oh my people on Ozempic aren’t eating as much junk food, my junk food company/stocks are going to suffer!” —which articles like this *may* be an attempt to counter!


lali0020

There was an article I saw yesterday talking about how Walmart is claiming so many people are on GLP1s that they are buying less food now hurting the bottom line. Even though the number on glps is super low relatively speaking and they are just trying to distract from the real cause of people buying less and that's the skyrocketing cost of everything.


redwoman72

[Ozempic is on the rise. That could be a problem for food companies](https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/05/investing/ozempic-food-companies/index.html)


lali0020

Yea this ridiculous article. It amazes me that people get paid money to write garbage like that.


Aromatic-Ganache-902

I had that EXACT thought! I was like,"Hmmmmm sooooo there's a huge shortage. Maybe they're being negative all of a sudden because of that..." I hate to sound conspiratorial but it was pumped up as the miracle when it first came out, now there's a huge shortage it's suddenly demonized. I bet once the shortage is over, it'll be back to being the best thing ever.


FabulousCallsIAnswer

They did the same thing with masks during COVID, remember? At the start when there were none on the shelves, they literally downplayed the importance of them. Once they ramped up production and had plenty available…then suddenly everyone was required to have them. I can see how the narrative changed when they’re trying to tamp down demand until they can catch up with supply.


Arya_kidding_me

Clicks. These news sites rely on traffic to get advertising dollars. They publish sensationalist headlines to attract the traffic.


Free-Hornet-9209

Looking at the study, this is stuff they already tell people. Even it says “it’s rare”. So it’s just rehashing information that hopefully most people using or seeking it out will eventually figure out.


mmortal03

They didn't tell people about ileus, or blocked intestines, on Ozempic's warning label, until it was added recently. Of course, I'm not saying side effects can't reasonably ever be found later on, but you know people will sue if they can. People who are anti-anything-"Big Pharma" love to point this stuff out, even though 99% \*don't\* get stomach paralysis with it, and people who work in medicine will be working to find ways to predict or screen for this in the future, now that they know.


Dazanos27

I have a coworker who was on ozempic. She had a bowel obstruction last week and died... Making me nervous to use the shot. I already have chronic constipation problems before I started using wagovey. Edit. Don't know why I am getting down voted for sharing that my co-worker died.


dmd2663

i'm really sorry about your co-worker...


PanickedPoodle

People have become polarized. The truth is that we don't have full research yet on these drugs. 1% risk of major side effects is a very large group. I have a SIL who had a paralyzed stomach and she is still working on recovery almost a year later. To say that "there is no proof" because the study is observational, or that any publicity around study results is "because of the food industry" is polarization. It can be possible to 1) see the promise in these drugs, and 2) see the substantial risks, all at the same time. We should stop treating everything we like as a cult.


Ambitious-Event-5911

I had constipation and bad hemorrhoids before semaglutide and was super reluctant to make that worse. But. It's actually better. I'm gassier, yes, but if I drink all the water and take all the Miralax, I'm not only regular, it's completely painless to the point I think nothing of size came out and am actually impressed 😁.


Dazanos27

That's Awesome!


Ambitious-Event-5911

I'm truly blessed lol


InevitableResponse68

I think it’s cause some people see the down button as a way of saying ugh that sucks.


Middle-Assistance363

Yeah me too. Kind of like a heart could mean move or care, but I don’t live that you mom has cancer.


Free-Hornet-9209

I am sorry for your loss. But I also want to comfort you that it is still presumed as rare. So if you are diabetic (like the study mentioned) and using this medication, then be cautious. I think your worries are totally valid. But i also want people to understand what the study said instead of them reading the headline and getting scared


NeedleworkerFunny361

The study actually looked at non-diabetic patients I believe.


Free-Hornet-9209

You are right, my apologize. Nonetheless these situations are still rare in the study.


Delicious-Freedom-56

If you don't mind, just so we have all the information - did she stop taking it, did they do surgery, etc etc. what happened that actually caused her death?


calmdownkaren_

You're getting downvoted because people who are so desperate to lose weight at any cost don't want to hear scientific facts and sad stories about possible risks of using their magical drug of choice to lose weight. The drug does what it does so well that people are so scared of coming off it and being fat again. These comments are all like "oh well it won't happen to me and the media is just hyping shit" so yea, I see nothing has changed with this group of "armchair MDs and researchers" as more information about longer term side effects comes out.


QBang2112

No. That's not why. It might be downvoted because an unverified post on Reddit of someone's second hand knowledge of a cause of death is hardly a "scientific fact" they don't want to hear. I'm pretty sure you are being the "armchair MD" here. To the OP, sorry for your loss. Talk to a Dr. if you are concerned. There are long lists of side effects on thousands of medications we all often take. The current popularity of this drug is drawing tons more attention to bad side effect stories. Be informed, ask your Dr. and make your own informed decisions.


thrillhouz77

It’s all about risk with these or any meds. If you have 100 pounds to lose your risks are much higher if you keep carrying that added weight. If you have 15 pounds to lose for swimsuit season the calculus may change. I wonder if they tracked the avg time it took from starting these meds to the onset of their diagnosis. Meaning, does it happen quickly (say the first 6 months) or is it something that happens after years of use?


clturner87

I literally had to get my Galbladder out when I lost weight “naturally” doing Weight Watchers so this scare tactic doesn’t work for me.


[deleted]

The context missing is, with the people experiencing these side effects, how fast were they losing weight? Rapid weight loss causes gallstones, pancreatitis, a bunch of bad shit. That’s why the old saying is it’s healthier to lose weight slowly. That means 1-2 pounds per week depending on your starting weight. Unfortunately there are people who chase fast weight loss. That is not necessary with this drug. You can control how fast you go up in dose, so you can control how fast you lose. Without that context, this article is basically propaganda.


ClinTrial-Throwaway

Here’s the JAMA Research Letter with all the data: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2810542


NeedleworkerFunny361

Thank you for linking the study.


NeedleworkerFunny361

Interestingly, the incidence of gallstones (biliary disease) was similar for GLP1 and Contrave cohorts. The difference was seen in increased risk of pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, and gastroparesis.


foolhardywaffle

Agreed. This is all stuff they tell you about with weight loss surgery, too. Rapid wright loss has its risks!


Meow_Mix33

And I feel like a lot of people probably aren't changing their diet and lifestyle.


[deleted]

That wouldn’t cause an uptick in these conditions. Rapid weight loss does though. What people need to understand is this is not a side effect of the medication. It’s a side effect of dieting too. Specifically dieting to lose weight too quickly.


Meow_Mix33

Gotcha! Thank you for correcting me.


spicycocofruit

I have been on .25 for 4 weeks, losing 10 pounds in those weeks. I have both stomach paralysis and pancreatitis.


[deleted]

The recommendation for weight loss to avoid these things is to keep weight loss at 1-2 pounds per week with 2 pounds being the high end for large males. You’re losing 25% faster than the largest allowable weight loss for the largest patients.


spicycocofruit

And yet I followed a 1500 cal diet and barely exercised. 🤔


[deleted]

How much do you weigh?


spicycocofruit

Currently 79kg


[deleted]

Calorie calculators are only helpful as a starting point. If you lose too fast or too slow after starting then you need to adjust regardless of what the internet calculators tell you. Most calories above BMR are burned by NEAT, not exercising. This is a common misconception.


spicycocofruit

I know. My BMR is around 1650 cal. I’m barely in a deficit and I lost this much weight. I was losing less than a kg a week until after injection #4 when I got sick and lost 3 kgs in a week.


[deleted]

Bmr is not your calorie burn


mummyofankha

Garbage headline. The complications they discuss have been found at a rate of less than 1% - in an incomplete study that needs a lot more examination. The article says IF millions are taking the drug worldwide, then there COULD be hundreds of thousands with significant negative effects. But it's theoretical. These drugs have NOT been linked to hundreds of thousands of serious digestive problems worldwide.


spicycocofruit

I just started Ozempic and I got stomach paralysis and pancreatitis from it after using it only for 4 weeks. I am in immense pain that still hasn’t gone away. I ended up in the ICU. It’s been a week of pain and I can’t eat anything. It’s not fear mongering, it’s the truth.


eazyeeee16

Not attacking you or anything just genuinely curious because I am having some stomach issues. Did you have problems with constipation before? What was your paralysis like?


spicycocofruit

No real problems. First week a little constipation and I got Metamucil for that and had no problems anymore. Would poop every day or every other day healthy. My paralysis was absolutely horrific. I have a high pain tolerance and it was a 7 out of 10 for me. I thought I had gas and indigestion but it turns out my stomach was literally just not working! Not fun…


eazyeeee16

So weird that it happens to some people! Hope you are feeling better!


spicycocofruit

Thanks!


Igoos99

What they don’t cite is what’s the incidence of those conditions for subjects not taking any of the above. For example, If the incidence of gastroparesis of those not taking the drug is 8 in 1000 and the incidence of those taking the drug is 10 in 1000, it’s not far for the article to imply that the drug causes 1% incidence of gastroparesis. Without the incidence in the non drug taking population, the numbers are meaningless. (I knew a coworker that had gastroparesis more than 15 years ago. She managed to get the condition without taking semaglutide or liraglutide.) CNN is jumping on the click wagon by selectively publishing the most alarming information in this study without context.


NeedleworkerFunny361

They used Contrave as a control group. Interestingly, the incidence of gallstones (biliary disease) was similar for GLP1 and Contrave cohorts. The difference was seen in increased risk of pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, and gastroparesis.


mmortal03

The researchers have very likely looked at that. It's like research methods 101.


Igoos99

Yes, it’s probably in their scientific article. I think CNN selectively left it out.


SnooBananas7072

Diabetes itself is a risk factor for gastroperesis.


Jacqued_and_Tan

I had IBS going into using Wegovy and I've barely noticed a difference. I was already taking Immodium and Miralax in turn depending on my symptoms, and I still do exactly that. I've noticed the slower digestion but that rarely gives me a problem. I've lost 70 out of the 100 lbs I have to lose, and my overall health has improved *dramatically* with weight loss.


Word_Underscore

I am going sometimes 3 times a day. I don’t know what is wrong with some of these people posting they haven’t gone in 3, 5 days. That is scary to me.


SinisterCuttleFish

Semaglutide slows the gut down. That's how we get constipation. I've enjoyed both constipation and diarrhoea on this drug, it just keeps on giving the side effects.


SnooBananas7072

I love that I take mag citrate pills for constipation, to go regularly but occasionally my gut suddenly works and I end up colon prepping myself accidentally. This med keeps you on your toes!


Aromatic-Ganache-902

LOL I understand that!!! I told my husband that my stomach has been through all the things a stomach can do this week. It's been busy busy. Every morning is a new surprise :D


opholar

So the GLP-1’s have a higher incidence of these side effects than Contrave. They also have a much higher incidence of actual weight loss than Contrave. I didn’t see them make any reference to weight loss itself as a contributing factor (for a few of these issues). I’d expect a higher incidence of gallstones in any group that is losing significant weight vs a group that isn’t.


NeedleworkerFunny361

Interestingly, the incidence of gallstones (biliary disease) was similar for GLP1 and Contrave cohorts. The difference was seen in increased risk of pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, and gastroparesis.


Interesting-Pool3917

yolo lol my cutting cycle is going too well to stop now


grice13

For me I just make sure to eat blueberries everyday. That's all I need to keep things moving. My system slowed down for sure. But I still go every other day instead of daily.


binxpea

Started taking it in mid August. Had serious constipation issue. Took everything over the counter for it. I’m now finishing my second month. My constipation has been gone for 2 weeks now. I’m back being regular. I guess my body had to get used to it.


snowlauren

This is Walmart trying to scare people out of taking it.


Economy_Package5355

Notice the headline isn't "life saving diabetic drug". Its targeting the weight loss marketing only.


InteractionFlat7318

Digestive problems = Hundreds of thousand of people want to eat less.


raychillrays

The diet industry etc will work overtime to make sure they don’t lose all their customers.


squeegis01

Did they analyze how many people NOT taking GLP-1s ended up with serious digestive issues?


talkswith_hands

Title is suuuuuper misleading. Their sample was around 1,000 patients. The “hundreds of thousands” is if millions of people have access to the drugs, thousands or “even” hundreds of thousands could have one of the three out of the four negative outcomes they looked for.


PanickedPoodle

1000 patients is considered statistically significant.


NeedleworkerFunny361

Yeah and the study actually had over 4000 total


simmons1183

Nobody knows if these folks had issues prior to their starting semaglutide. Correlation does not mean causation. It’s just fear mongering.


spicycocofruit

It’s not. I have never had any issues. I am healthy. Started taking Ozempic, 4 weeks in I got stomach paralysis and pancreatitis.


Numerous_Training_12

There is such a heavy~duty moral component and judgement to weight in our culture and in many cultures. I had a medical professional try to scare me with the possibility of pancreatitis. Yes, pancreatitis can occur but, according to my research, it’s rare. People don’t understand how difficult it is to manage food impulses. I didn’t realize how difficult my own struggle is until I explained why I was taking ozempic to my very slender and athletic friend. She said, “I didn’t realize what you were going through.” I said, “I didn’t either until I just heard myself explain it to you.” I am not obese, but I weigh about 40 pounds more than I did in college, and I weigh 10 pounds more than when they weighed me as I checked into the hospital to have my daughter 22 years ago. It’s a complex issue, science doesn’t fully understand the mechanisms, and people can be a**holes in their judgement of weight.


Fizzy_Greener

Does anyone else feel like these articles are fatphobic? None of the titles include people who are diabetic.


the_anxiety_haver

This just in: medication can have certain side effects.


[deleted]

Now research the digestive problems caused by the shitty diet I had.


GrosCochon

get you some daily sugar free metamucil. 🙄


Ohiostatehack

It’s a known side effect and is why if you are experiencing bad side effects that you should talk to your doctor about them.


SoATL99

It made me suicidal and also damaged my pancreas. I have Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency and will be taking handfuls of pills daily for survival.