- The makers of Ozempic and Munjaro claim that long-term use is necessary to maintain effectiveness.
- However, long-term studies on these drugs have not yet been conducted, and they could be wrong.
- A doctor is conducting a self-experiment to quit Ozempic. Things are going well so far.
This told essay is based on a conversation with a 42-year-old physician working in the Midwest who recently stopped taking the GLP-1 injectable drug semaglutide. This doctor wishes to remain anonymous. Business Insider confirmed his identity, medical license and weight loss. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
When I started taking Ozempic about two years ago, I thought I didn’t want to be on this drug for the rest of my life.
I’m a doctor so I know all about how people can Develops a tolerance to the drug you takeAnd I was worried that over time, my body would become less sensitive to this drug, making it less effective at controlling blood sugar and weight loss.Plus, I found this idea a little weird. mess up my hormones indefinitely.
I lost about 25 pounds on this drug. I could probably stand to lose a few more kilos, but I’m pretty happy with my progress. I underwent a DexaFit body scan. dangerous visceral fat I lost fat around my liver and intestines, but I also became stronger and gained lean (muscle) mass. It’s a win-win.
So over the past few months, I’ve been planning and implementing the following: Weaning off semaglutidea diabetes drug that most people are familiar with by its brand name Ozempic.
So far, my results have been very good, but I continue to closely monitor my weight and overall health to see if I need to readjust my plans.
It’s only been two months since I quit Ozempic, so I think it’s still a little early to conclude that this plan worked. I may still be in the honeymoon phase and may have trace amounts of semaglutide left in my body to help regulate my blood sugar levels and suppress my appetite just a little bit.
My old appetite has returned, but I don’t snack like I used to.
As before, I was worried that I would gain weight back if I stopped taking this hormone-mimetic drug. There are many others in clinical trials..I’ve struggled with my size. since childhood. Can it really be reset in two years?
Now I weigh myself regularly and try to stay busy throughout the day so I don’t obsess over food. I have a number in my head and when my weight starts to go over that number, I know it’s time to start the medication again.
To be honest, I absolutely avoided the scale for a few days after Thanksgiving. I couldn’t resist that turkey! It’s nice to be able to enjoy food again. My previous appetite has returned and I find myself feeling much hungrier than when I was on the medication. Back then, there wasn’t even room for a side dish like a small green salad with dinner. But for some reason, I noticed that I still eat less than before Ozempic. I can usually survive on a modest breakfast, a small to medium lunch, and dinner with my family. Dinner is usually the biggest meal of the day and a time to connect with your wife and kids.
I don’t think so need If you eat snacks and treats like before, and eat three proper meals, it will last you all day. Maybe your stomach is a little smaller?Maybe I just went Really I’ve been busy lately. Perhaps it’s a combination of factors, including a reset of some areas of the brain that control appetite and behavior. who knows.
An unexpected benefit of coming off semaglutide was that I felt much more energetic and cheerful than when I was on the drug. Maybe this is all in my head, but I feel like there were more low energy days when I was in Ozempic, and I would be completely exhausted by 8 or 9 p.m. My wife also said that I seemed to be becoming more negative, and she thought I was suffering from dysthymia, a type of mild depression. He said he had never seen him so depressed. At the time, I attributed this phenomenon to the regular ups and downs of daily life, such as dealing with family and work. But it could be that the small amount of extra calories I take in these days is boosting my mood, or perhaps something we don’t fully understand about how drugs work is negatively impacting my mood. I am now aware that it may be causing this. Or this could all have nothing to do with drugs at all, and I’m just feeling a little more energized in my step at the moment.
Stopping semaglutide meant starting another metabolic regulator and increasing the dose of metformin.
The first thing you should know about my post-Ozempic maintenance plan is that I am doing the following: Diabetic drug metformin Since starting this experience, I recently increased my daily dose from 1,000 mg to 1,500 mg to better maintain my weight loss. According to research It has been found that people taking a combination of Ozempic and metformin or Ozempic and insulin tend to lose more weight, and that metformin alone often promotes several pounds of weight loss (although GLP-1 ). I am hopeful that this drug will allow me to maintain the progress I have made over the past two years. It’s certainly a much more affordable option in the long run, costing just a few pennies per day.
What I started about two months before the end of my activities at Ozempic was: rapamycin. This is an immunomodulatory drug that is also popular with longevity biohackers and anti-aging scientists. Rapamycin, which has some effect on metabolism, may help maintain the new size. we will see.
Maybe if we’re lucky, this metformin + rapamycin strategy might be enough. However, in some cases you may have to go back to GLP-1 drugs. Oprah-like use-as-needed approach. I don’t mind that either.
If you have a story to share about discontinuing Ozempic or other GLP-1 drugs, please contact this reporter at hbrueck@businessinsider.com.
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