Oh, oh, Ozempic!

I posted many months ago about my experience adding Ozempic to my Type 1 treatment. I still cannot rave enough about the stuff. I’ve never had such stable blood sugars, and I’ve managed to drop 50 pounds. Seriously. I think there’s something to be said about eating less, not wanting to eat, slower digestion, and suppressing glucagon secretion. Truly amazing stuff, and I’ve never felt this good. Only downside is occasional upper GI disturbance, but that has subsided over time.

I’m lucky I have a doctor who is very much at the bleeding edge of Type 1 treatment. I’m convinced that GLP-1 agonists should be considered for every Type 1. I’m absolutely blown away.

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Possibly it helps with insulin resistance w/ T1DM? I don’t know. I am only about 155 lbs at 5’ 10” so don’t have much weight to lose. My last A1C was 6.0 and TIR is about 80%. So I’m not sure if it would help me much. Of course I’d love to be 100%. I don’t know if maybe it would help keep me there with a bit less effort? My current regimen even with Tandem C-IQ running requires a fair bit of active involvement. Anyone know?

I love Ozempic! (I have been on Victoza, Trulicity, Symlin in the past and Ozempic is my favorite.) I definitely have fewer food cravings, which has helped me lose a lot of weight - counting calories is easier when your body is digesting food more appropriately!

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MY experience with Victoza, back when I was still on MDI, was very good even though delayed stomach emptying was probably the only on main mechanism. The Victoza was taken away when my diagnosis was changed from T2D to T1/LADA. That’s OK since my insulin pump and CGM have been even better.

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I remember reading your first post and tried to get Ozempic, but could only get Victoza through my insurance. I didn’t feel well on it! Digestive issues that were really uncomfortable, and my TIR is great already… I did lose a little weight, but was hoping to have other benefits. It was disappointing, but now I wonder if I should push harder to try Ozempic!

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I had been on Ozempic since January. I also love it. I have been on Victoza in the past but the appetite suppression always wore off. After 4 doses of 1 mg I had lost 10 lbs but I became so constipated it was unbearable. Early on if I felt sluggish I would eat bran buds and be able to go. I was eating only a 1000 calories a day and forcing myself to do that. Couldn’t drink a lot of water because then I was too full to eat. Didn’t go for 10 days. After taking a strong laxative I finally had success. I work as CDE in a endos office and in one week we had four patients go to the ER with fecal impactions. Plus I felt lethargic and depressed on it. After I skipped my first dose my mood improved within a week.

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@Jaybear how does it work for type 1s to use a medication like that? And I mean what type of results do you expect? I’m asking because my treatment has been done mainly with Victoza since the start but I assumed these were for type 2s only because of the mechanism around glucagon / slower digestion. I’m really glad you found a doctor who is willing to keep up with the latest on the field so you can have a better quality of life :wink:

There’s a video by TCOYD that probably highlights the benefits these traditionally Type 2 meds can provide for Type 1s better than any of us can explain. The GLP-1 RAs (Ozempic, Victoza, Trulicity, etc…) are discussed starting at 9:50.

I don’t have access to Ozempic, but rather take a different GLP-1 RA, Trulicity, since it’s what my insurance prefers. Type 1 diabetes is a metabolic condition that goes way beyond just the lack of insulin… we also lack amylin and have broken signaling pathways. But they only provide us the partial insulin fix. I really feel like the Trulicity has straightened the rest of the mess out. I’ve seen a massive reduction in total daily dose of insulin (65-75 units a day, down to 45 on average), and a distinct leveling of the post-meal spikes. Since our insulins are so slow, the slower digestion really helps line up insulin activity with food absorption. The odd thing for me is this new sense of being sated with food. I never really had the “just a little bit will satisfy” sensors for sweet, rich, or otherwise indulgent foods before. I had to constantly exercise restraint, because I had absolutely zero natural “oh no, I couldn’t possibly eat anymore of that!” reaction. But now I’m finding that while I still enjoy indulgent flavors, they can quickly become overwhelming. That might not sound like a big deal, but it’s MASSIVE emotionally. It’s much easier to eat responsibly and in ways that are easier to dose insulin when you just don’t want to overindulge anymore.

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Thank you for the reply!

I do still have the cravings to eat. Over the course of the last year, i have decreased the amount of medication I take, specially Victoza. I have gone from 1.8, and a complete lack of interest in eating, to now 0.6 a day, and I’m back to feeling like I could eat a bit more sometimes. Thanks for the video recommendation :blush:

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MBW, Sounds like you’re in a great place overall and I wouldn’t mess with success.

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What dose? I got so constipated on the 1 mg I had to stop it.

Same here. I have tried Victoza. It was great but didnt lose much weight but definitely controlled my weight and appetite. For about a year then the appetite suppression wore off. Recently tried Ozempic and loved it. Lost 10 pounds in 2.5 months. On the 1 mg dose had to force myself to eat. Constipation was very severe to the point I was really worried. Nothing was making me go! I also started having balance equilibrium symptoms. Walking into walls and feeling off balance. Spent overnight in hospital to r/o a stroke. No brain issues no ear issues. I stopped Ozempic and it all went away. I am also a CDCES. Had a patient recently who said she didn’t feel well on Ozempic. She felt off balance and was walking into walls. Dizziness , which is a nondescript word is listed as a rare side effect. Finally, I get depressed on these drugs a I feel very blah, no interest in food means no enjoyment of food which is not Normal. I’m not sure if the mood change is directly related to the drug or a side effect related to lack of appetite. I have a love hate relationship with these drugs. Love the weight loss and great sugars but really generally don’t like how I feel.

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I take the 0.5 mg dose.