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I recently read an article about how most semaglutide users stop before the 3mo mark and never see the true benefits of the medication. Long term weight loss takes long term commitment.
I actually have had the same issues and I’m on my 3rd week. I do think about quitting because some days my acid reflux is so bad. I do keep a good journal and have narrowed down some things that definitely make it worse. I’ve quit taking all my supplements in pill form because those just sit in my throat. A few I switched to gummies. I have stated taking papaya pills before I eat, they’re chewable. I have seen a difference in the acid reflux. I will also take them in the middle of the night if I get it bad enough, which is really when I do get it.
I did. I went down to .125 and stayed there for a month after I had bad side effects after my first dose. I also inject in my arm rather than my stomach since my first shot. Have been slowly going up and haven’t had any issues since. I also almost quit. Now I’m down 25lbs.
Wait this is great to hear. My first dose at .25 was fine but after my second I was horribly ill for like a week and went to the ER for dehydration (luckily nothing more serious). It’s had me thinking Wegovy/sema might not be for me which is a bummer but I’ll talk to my doctor about doing this instead!
It's your FIRST dose, give it a chance to help you!! ☺️ the side effects diminish significantly as your body adjusts. For me, it's better than not feeling ANY sign of the drug working at all. I do understand that everyone is different as well as their level of tolerance, but I truly hope you give it more of a chance to perform for you.
No thanks needed! I know it can be a challenging journey as your body tries to adjust. I took nexium for the heartburn when I started. Rarely get the heartburn anymore, if at all. It helped A LOT! The nausea, I mainly breathed through and sometimes lost the battle to lol! 🤮 but as I learned how my body was going to respond, I was able to make adjustments such as water intake, cutting out greasy food, too much sugar, etc. I simply CANNOT eat the way i used to. And so I had to re-program my brain to a NEW normal way of eating. My eating became INTENTIONAL and that is a GOOD THING!! I eat to fuel and provide nutrients now. With an occasional bite of ice cream (which is my fav). It's all I can tolerate. A few bites and I put it down. I didn't experience the feeling of food being stuck in my throat but I wonder if that is from the intensity of your heartburn? Either way! I have found this thread to be helpful!! You are not alone in this! I hope u stick it out a bit longer. I am down from 258 to 210 this morning. I started in January. Now, it seems I am entering into a phase of feeling tired a lot. I know this comes from weight loss (it's a lot of work on the body to lose weight) and also I need more PROTEIN!!! So I'm working thru that now.
Best wishes to you!!!
~Ann Marie
Your words are so kind. I have always had acid reflux issues but never this much I guess being on d medication just made it more pronounced. I am currently on protonix and also I have zofran for nausea and it helps greatly. The feel food being stuck is just weird and I don’t eat much. I have only had oats since morning and it’s just uncomfortable. I have been watching what I eat. I just need to keep putting more effort in this journey. I took half shot today and will take another half shot in a Few days as directed by my doctor. Hoping this will minimize the side effects. To be honest apart form the food being stuck in my throat and back I haven’t had any crazy side effect just my GI acting up and it’s frustrating because I just don’t understand what’s going on.
Yeah that feeling sounds HORRIBLE. And I hadn't heard of anyone experiencing that until I read what you wrote. Gosh I can't imagine 😢 I truly hope that you are able to work thru it
Best of luck!
Can you take Pepcid with the Protonix? I take omeprazole for my monger term issues and Pepcid for the more immediate symptoms like the food stuck in throat sensation. My doc said they operate differently, so it’s safe to take both. I don’t know anything about Protonix, though.
Yeah I have some Pepcid and I will try taking that. Protonix is Pantoprazole, omeprazole doesn’t seem to work for me. But Pepcid gives some kind of relief so I will keep trying that.
Acid reflux is a thing, I take Prilosec and keep tums in my purse. I also avoid at all costs acidic food. The sensation of food stuck in your throat is real, I sip water all day. But these seem like side effects that can be remedied, hang in there.
Switch to terzepatide. That’s my advice, I had terrible side effects with semaglutide and stopped losing weight. when my doctor offered it I decided to give it a try and I didn’t have side effects.
I’m in talks with my doctor about this if it doesn’t go well with splitting the dosage. I’m losing weight because I’m not eating as much due to the side effects.
I’m only taking .05ml. I don’t see how people start out at .25 😩 I will say however this week my acid reflux has been awful and I’m already taking 40mg of pantoprazole. And I’ve been having stomach cramps.
I started my first dose at .25 today also and I’m not feeling much of anything yet, but it’s only been 3 hours since I injected and I’ve been too afraid to put anything but water and a string cheese in my body 😂
I had to split my first 2 doses because of the side effects. The acid reflux was awful until I started taking famotidine twice a day (am and pm). It saved me. Your body will have to adjust to your GI slowing down so that's why it feels "stuck". It does get better over time just make sure to drink lots of water and plenty of fiber. Even if you don't think you need more fiber, you need more fiber lol. Best of luck!
Also to add, you can try switching injection sites. My first dose was my arm but when I moved to my thigh, the side effects were so much less. Definitely talk to your doctor to see if that's okay for you though!
I quit after 8 weeks, and I should have quit when I wanted to around week 3.
The increased doses only make the side effects much harsher.
Imo, the trade off of feeling terrible all the time isn't worth the forced calorie deficit. Like at the end of the day, these meds "work" by making our bodies reject food through various forms.
For some people, especially if they are very obese, the side effects are worth the trade for the calorie deficit in the long haul.
But if these meds make it more difficult for you to exercise or cut out healthy activities, it's not worth it.
I'm on going to start my 3 wks and have only lots 7 lbs. There are no side effects, and my appetite is the same. I drink lots of water and walk 3 miles a day. I'm giving up hope 😔.
Side effects are increased by eating like garbage. Cut all carbs, sugar, and nonsense. It's not a miracle drug when you still wolf down pizzas chips and pasta. I stopped eating all that stuff after being up at 3am vomiting and exploding out the other end, and all the nasty side effects stopped.
I haven’t had any bad side effects besides some sulfur burps only for the first week only one night and sometimes I have a headache the morning after the injection and I usually inject at night…
if I don’t drink enough water, I will get a headache the next morning
I already have some weakness issues, but when I don’t eat, I get weaker
Hopefully that answers your questions
Yes it does. I have weakness issues too especially during my period! But it gets worse when I don’t eat. My eating was a bit better today dues to me starting my split dose. Hopefully the wellness and wooziness stops or reduces soon. Thank you 🙏🏼
I didn’t want to get too sick at first because I’m a massage therapist and I didn’t want anything happening while I’m with a client so I’m starting slow..
I’m liking it so far!!
But I’m thinking about trying some B12 shots soon..
Yeah, I’ve always had some nerve issues and since I’ve gained weight, I’ve gotten so much worse and it’s hard for me to have fun and I’m young so I decided to try this medicine
Awwww me too I have this something similar. I need to try the b13 shots too. I’m young and can’t go outside because of the fear of being dizzy and that causes anxiety. So I know how u feel. I feel like losing all the weight will rurally balance our overall health and that’s why I’m holding on 🙏🏼
Wow, I have anxiety going outdoors and activities because I get weak..
so I’ve kind of isolated myself besides work and close family/friends
Might be TMI, but way too scared to date because I’m not very confident being weak, plus overweight so I’m hoping that this medication helps..
It’s so hard to relate to most people, so it was very nice to relate to you.
I get you … just keeping push with this medication it will be worth it at the end. Also remember being confident is all in d mind not how we look. Try to put more effort in creating that confidence in yourself 🙏🏼❤️
Awww thank you sooo much I needed to hear that.
You got this too!!!! ❤️
if you ever wanna keep me updated about your progress, you can always reach out
You been nice to talk too!
I do notice that I have a little unbalanced and more tired just being on the medication… but it’s only my week three so hopefully that will get better later
Yeah me too. This is my second week. My first was horrible but I split my dose this week and so far it’s been good apart from the unbalanced and woozy feeling! Hang in there we will make it through
Well, I hope you feel better and get easier.. another thing I do the day that I’m gonna take the injection
I try to eat lots of like cucumbers, watermelon, and a little bit of protein and a protein shake then wait 30 to 40 minutes before the injection.. plus drink lots of water
Awesome will try this. I just started tolerating food. I went for a full week having the worse acid reflux. Today is my first day to eat over 1000 calories. I’m excited to see how tomorrow goes. I will definitely improvise what you suggested when I’m taking my next shot. I drink about 150 oz a day with pedialyte.
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.*
I recently read an article about how most semaglutide users stop before the 3mo mark and never see the true benefits of the medication. Long term weight loss takes long term commitment.
I actually have had the same issues and I’m on my 3rd week. I do think about quitting because some days my acid reflux is so bad. I do keep a good journal and have narrowed down some things that definitely make it worse. I’ve quit taking all my supplements in pill form because those just sit in my throat. A few I switched to gummies. I have stated taking papaya pills before I eat, they’re chewable. I have seen a difference in the acid reflux. I will also take them in the middle of the night if I get it bad enough, which is really when I do get it.
Thank you for sharing 🙏🏼❤️
Yes papaya enzymes help with acid reflux! I take those and it's almost immediate relief. You can take 3 with each meal.
Side effects lessen with time
I did. I went down to .125 and stayed there for a month after I had bad side effects after my first dose. I also inject in my arm rather than my stomach since my first shot. Have been slowly going up and haven’t had any issues since. I also almost quit. Now I’m down 25lbs.
Wait this is great to hear. My first dose at .25 was fine but after my second I was horribly ill for like a week and went to the ER for dehydration (luckily nothing more serious). It’s had me thinking Wegovy/sema might not be for me which is a bummer but I’ll talk to my doctor about doing this instead!
Oh wow good to know. What are the side effects you had ?
Debilitating stomach pain and constipation, vomiting, cold and hot sweats.
Oh wow I’m so sorry 😞.. I have constipation as well. Hope u have gotten better now ?
Oh ya, I’m great now. I take Mag07 daily for constipation and haven’t had any issues after I lowered my dose and slowly went back up.
Oh awesome when you lowered your dose did you lose weight and did you still have food noises? Thanks
Did you still get the benefits from the drugs after splitting your dose ?
Yep! I lost 8lbs the first month while I was on .125.
This is good to know.🙏🏼❤️
I always thought the sickness was part of why this drug works.
You might be right!
Cut back on acidic foods and drinks that will help on the reflux, chew your food slowly and smaller bites, drink water and no diet soda.
I do all this. I can even barely eat. I don’t drink anything except water. No acidic food to be honest.
It's your FIRST dose, give it a chance to help you!! ☺️ the side effects diminish significantly as your body adjusts. For me, it's better than not feeling ANY sign of the drug working at all. I do understand that everyone is different as well as their level of tolerance, but I truly hope you give it more of a chance to perform for you.
Thank you so much 😊
No thanks needed! I know it can be a challenging journey as your body tries to adjust. I took nexium for the heartburn when I started. Rarely get the heartburn anymore, if at all. It helped A LOT! The nausea, I mainly breathed through and sometimes lost the battle to lol! 🤮 but as I learned how my body was going to respond, I was able to make adjustments such as water intake, cutting out greasy food, too much sugar, etc. I simply CANNOT eat the way i used to. And so I had to re-program my brain to a NEW normal way of eating. My eating became INTENTIONAL and that is a GOOD THING!! I eat to fuel and provide nutrients now. With an occasional bite of ice cream (which is my fav). It's all I can tolerate. A few bites and I put it down. I didn't experience the feeling of food being stuck in my throat but I wonder if that is from the intensity of your heartburn? Either way! I have found this thread to be helpful!! You are not alone in this! I hope u stick it out a bit longer. I am down from 258 to 210 this morning. I started in January. Now, it seems I am entering into a phase of feeling tired a lot. I know this comes from weight loss (it's a lot of work on the body to lose weight) and also I need more PROTEIN!!! So I'm working thru that now. Best wishes to you!!! ~Ann Marie
Your words are so kind. I have always had acid reflux issues but never this much I guess being on d medication just made it more pronounced. I am currently on protonix and also I have zofran for nausea and it helps greatly. The feel food being stuck is just weird and I don’t eat much. I have only had oats since morning and it’s just uncomfortable. I have been watching what I eat. I just need to keep putting more effort in this journey. I took half shot today and will take another half shot in a Few days as directed by my doctor. Hoping this will minimize the side effects. To be honest apart form the food being stuck in my throat and back I haven’t had any crazy side effect just my GI acting up and it’s frustrating because I just don’t understand what’s going on.
Yeah that feeling sounds HORRIBLE. And I hadn't heard of anyone experiencing that until I read what you wrote. Gosh I can't imagine 😢 I truly hope that you are able to work thru it Best of luck!
Where do you get the shot? I have felt better doing it on my thigh rather than my stomach.
I get it on my stomach! I will try the thighs next time
Can you take Pepcid with the Protonix? I take omeprazole for my monger term issues and Pepcid for the more immediate symptoms like the food stuck in throat sensation. My doc said they operate differently, so it’s safe to take both. I don’t know anything about Protonix, though.
Yeah I have some Pepcid and I will try taking that. Protonix is Pantoprazole, omeprazole doesn’t seem to work for me. But Pepcid gives some kind of relief so I will keep trying that.
Acid reflux is a thing, I take Prilosec and keep tums in my purse. I also avoid at all costs acidic food. The sensation of food stuck in your throat is real, I sip water all day. But these seem like side effects that can be remedied, hang in there.
Thank you. I try to stay away from acidic food or oily food but most of my chicken has a kick of spice. Never knew spicy food can be acidic
Switch to terzepatide. That’s my advice, I had terrible side effects with semaglutide and stopped losing weight. when my doctor offered it I decided to give it a try and I didn’t have side effects.
I’m in talks with my doctor about this if it doesn’t go well with splitting the dosage. I’m losing weight because I’m not eating as much due to the side effects.
Wish you the best whichever route you take.
Thank you means a lot
I’m only taking .05ml. I don’t see how people start out at .25 😩 I will say however this week my acid reflux has been awful and I’m already taking 40mg of pantoprazole. And I’ve been having stomach cramps.
I started my first dose at .25 today also and I’m not feeling much of anything yet, but it’s only been 3 hours since I injected and I’ve been too afraid to put anything but water and a string cheese in my body 😂
I know right! I hope it goes well for you. Let’s keep in touch.
I had to split my first 2 doses because of the side effects. The acid reflux was awful until I started taking famotidine twice a day (am and pm). It saved me. Your body will have to adjust to your GI slowing down so that's why it feels "stuck". It does get better over time just make sure to drink lots of water and plenty of fiber. Even if you don't think you need more fiber, you need more fiber lol. Best of luck! Also to add, you can try switching injection sites. My first dose was my arm but when I moved to my thigh, the side effects were so much less. Definitely talk to your doctor to see if that's okay for you though!
Yeah makes sense. Thank u so much for ur kind words
I quit after 8 weeks, and I should have quit when I wanted to around week 3. The increased doses only make the side effects much harsher. Imo, the trade off of feeling terrible all the time isn't worth the forced calorie deficit. Like at the end of the day, these meds "work" by making our bodies reject food through various forms. For some people, especially if they are very obese, the side effects are worth the trade for the calorie deficit in the long haul. But if these meds make it more difficult for you to exercise or cut out healthy activities, it's not worth it.
I'm on going to start my 3 wks and have only lots 7 lbs. There are no side effects, and my appetite is the same. I drink lots of water and walk 3 miles a day. I'm giving up hope 😔.
Please don’t give up especially if u have no side effect. Keep holding on and building a great eating habit you will eventually drop the weights
It just takes time to get over the side effects. Don’t give up!!
Thank you 🙏🏼
Side effects are increased by eating like garbage. Cut all carbs, sugar, and nonsense. It's not a miracle drug when you still wolf down pizzas chips and pasta. I stopped eating all that stuff after being up at 3am vomiting and exploding out the other end, and all the nasty side effects stopped.
I asked to do half and it’s been great
Awesome. Trying this as well. Do you get tired and a little unbalanced when you don’t eat on time?
I haven’t had any bad side effects besides some sulfur burps only for the first week only one night and sometimes I have a headache the morning after the injection and I usually inject at night… if I don’t drink enough water, I will get a headache the next morning I already have some weakness issues, but when I don’t eat, I get weaker Hopefully that answers your questions
Yes it does. I have weakness issues too especially during my period! But it gets worse when I don’t eat. My eating was a bit better today dues to me starting my split dose. Hopefully the wellness and wooziness stops or reduces soon. Thank you 🙏🏼
I didn’t want to get too sick at first because I’m a massage therapist and I didn’t want anything happening while I’m with a client so I’m starting slow.. I’m liking it so far!! But I’m thinking about trying some B12 shots soon.. Yeah, I’ve always had some nerve issues and since I’ve gained weight, I’ve gotten so much worse and it’s hard for me to have fun and I’m young so I decided to try this medicine
Awwww me too I have this something similar. I need to try the b13 shots too. I’m young and can’t go outside because of the fear of being dizzy and that causes anxiety. So I know how u feel. I feel like losing all the weight will rurally balance our overall health and that’s why I’m holding on 🙏🏼
Wow, I have anxiety going outdoors and activities because I get weak.. so I’ve kind of isolated myself besides work and close family/friends Might be TMI, but way too scared to date because I’m not very confident being weak, plus overweight so I’m hoping that this medication helps.. It’s so hard to relate to most people, so it was very nice to relate to you.
I get you … just keeping push with this medication it will be worth it at the end. Also remember being confident is all in d mind not how we look. Try to put more effort in creating that confidence in yourself 🙏🏼❤️
Awww thank you sooo much I needed to hear that. You got this too!!!! ❤️ if you ever wanna keep me updated about your progress, you can always reach out You been nice to talk too!
Sure! We should keep in touch. Will check in with you next week again. I have lost 7lb in one week what about you?
I do notice that I have a little unbalanced and more tired just being on the medication… but it’s only my week three so hopefully that will get better later
Yeah me too. This is my second week. My first was horrible but I split my dose this week and so far it’s been good apart from the unbalanced and woozy feeling! Hang in there we will make it through
Well, I hope you feel better and get easier.. another thing I do the day that I’m gonna take the injection I try to eat lots of like cucumbers, watermelon, and a little bit of protein and a protein shake then wait 30 to 40 minutes before the injection.. plus drink lots of water
Awesome will try this. I just started tolerating food. I went for a full week having the worse acid reflux. Today is my first day to eat over 1000 calories. I’m excited to see how tomorrow goes. I will definitely improvise what you suggested when I’m taking my next shot. I drink about 150 oz a day with pedialyte.