Wife is due in June and is already complaining about the weight-gain. As a ‘push present’, she’s requesting Ozempic. (I find dietary and exercise discipline cheaper, but each to their own.)
I know Ozempic is in short supply in Australia. Does anybody here have experience getting it supplied? Are there any reliable overseas providers?
No way, man. We're going to keep on rocking forever…Forever…forever…
Forever?
Try surgical options…these are a lot more severe, but do work.
(Sleep apnea though is deadly and being fat does not help.)
Before this though: try the shakes: (find one that you actually like the taste of, be it chocolate or coffee or the soups.)
Also consider going to the dry sauna. Passive way to get you heart going without excercising.
BIG always get medical advice from a properly qualified doctor, not a naturopath or quack before any major life changing decisions
You may wonder why: but before surgical options, bariatic surgeons NEED you to do this: Brands Optislim or Optifast VLCD.
What on earth does this mean?
The reality is in Australia, that unless you have the money for the prescription for weight loss drugs, you may need to do other things.
Doing the physical activity is often the hardest aspect for a lot of people.
So going to a dry sauna increases your heart rate and is equivalent to a moderate level of exercise in many aspects.(If it medically advised as "ok" by your Dr).
Your stomach makes Ghrelin, which is a hormone that increases appetite and is often called the "hunger hormone".
In a gastric sleeve operation, most of your stomach is removed leaving a 100ml sized stomach.
There are many reasons why being overweight is a big problem: in my case; I had severe sleep apnea.
Using shakes is what is used by Bariatic surgeons to try to slim you down before the surgery. (Optislim)
They use the Ketosis state (is a metabolic state where the body uses fat for energy instead of glucose,) to trim the fat down around the liver to make it easier for them to operate.
So, I am pointing out that it is worth reconsidering using the shakes and considering a dry sauna to help with weight loss. Medical advice from a Doctor is important before making changes to your life that have big possible impacts to your health.
CalmLemons, from what I can see, there's now a medicine that replaces self-control, a pill that replaces self-discipline. A chemical you can swallow that gives you strength of character. You can now take a pill so that you can decide not to have that fourth slice of pizza.
People…………
I'm replying to "I used to be with 'it', but then they changed what 'it' was. Now what I'm with isn't 'it' anymore and what's 'it' seems weird and scary"
wtf does that mean?
Ozempic is a bit scarce still. Mounjaro is probably the thing these days.
But would want a gp to explain the risks whilst breastfeeding etc.
So fat chance of getting any?
Can you use the Mounjaro 15mg pens if starting out on a 2.5mg baby dose? Is that possible/hygienic enough to reuse the same pen for 6 times? After 1 month on the 2.5mg baby dose, it then goes up to 5mg for 1 to 3 months.
Also how long are people staying on Mounjaro on average in total? Just trying to work up the financial outlay, thanks.
You change the syringe/needle tip on each use, pen stays pretty sterile, or sterile enough for subq injections - like a lantus insulin pen.
No long term study on ozempic for weight loss, i'd steer clear.
Nothing is better than a healthy caloric deficit diet and cardio when needing to lose fat. People need to learn how to manage the input and output otherwise the weight comes back
this reads like the people who tell others to use antioxidants instead of allopurinal for gout
Having had gout in the past the anthocyanins in purple foods like Cherries does seem to work. So do foot baths in Epsom salts.
So you think Ozempic is the only source of GLP-1? Ok then. Care to share the research paper ?
The research you've cited is far removed from the point you are trying to make. Pomegranates have never been linked to an increase in GLP-1 signalling + signalling pathways can be a lot more convoluted than they may appear. I get that you are just trying to help people and you are probably not a salesman from BIG pomegranate. But please try not to spout nonsense and cite research that actually links to your point.
Honestly can your wife accept there's no miracle cure and just diet/exercise?
I say this because my mum as a diabetic can struggle to get Ozempic because of this stupid dieting crap. Lazy people who only think of themselves and losing weight without doing anything and take it away from actually sick people who need it. Pretty gross.
O.P.'s wife don't care, wants that push present. FFS!
I'll get downvoted for this most likely due to the ozb demographic… But to be fair, like 70% of people with diabetes could also be described as "fat lazy people who didn't do enough on their own to take care of themselves so need subsidized drugs to keep them going"
Just saying 🤷♂️
Closer to 90% for type 2 !
Type 2 diabetes accounts for 86.8% of all diabetes
Source: https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/about-diabetes/what-is-…
People make choices about the foods they eat. Limited types of foods presented does NOT mean limited types of food available.
@LlamaOfDoom: This is why you cannot get health or income insurance once diagnosed and although it's pretty quick and easy to turn type 2 around, it's VERY hard to get insurance. It is largely a choice. Sure, there might be financial or mental health issues driving those choices, but choices nonetheless.
Type 1 is unfortunate, Type 2 is mostly lifestyle.
@Jac33au: We have community rated health insurance. Companies are NOT allowed to refuse coverage for pre-existing conditions. You may have to serve a waiting period before claiming but that's it.
@suzta: I was declined for income insurance because I have Type 2. I already had health insurance so was lucky there.
The irony of this comment is that you've just described OPs wife, except she doesn't need the medicine…yet.
I wonder if they also like to park in disabled carparks for fun too.
As for the rest of your statement, it's about as medically relevant as saying the earth is flat. For the most part, the medical community has generally moved on from that little nugget of stupidity.
In reality don't even need to exercise if you just eat less calories than you burn per day normally.
Exercise is good for mental health and maintaining fitness tho, but either way as long as you are in a calorie deficit you will lose weight.
Or statins. And typically you don’t.
"getting the full feeling sooner" ok, you do realise that not everyone stuffs themselves until they feel full? Obesity is a disease, but it's caused by choices of the person who suffers from it.
but it's caused by choices of the person who suffers from it.
Not always. Depression causes obesity too, and taking anti-depressants tends to exasperate the issue further. I agree with the general sentiment you are saying, but it isn't always black/white. Speaking from experience (unfortunately). I am not on Ozempic, not morbidly obese or diabetic and I try to do daily exercise as much as I can and eat cleanly.
@Lucille Bluth: Yeah fair point, there is definitely causes other than lack of self control. It would be interesting to see some sort of study that shows the skew of legitimate underlying medical conditions as the factor for obesity versus just people who eat a lot of high calorie food.
@Cor-blimey: Agree, that would be an interesting study. PS I didn't neg your above comment. I have just +1 to offset the neg.
You should learn how large companies engineer food in particularly processed food these days. They create food to trick the brain to keep eating more than they need - capitalism. If people just ate natural food with little amount of ingredients they tend to eat less. You can also look at why countries like America and Australia tend to be more obese. Look at the type of food they tend to eat and what's on the supermarket shelves.
You are missing the point. Both obesity and diabetes are the result of the same behaviours. The post asks why is diabetes acceptable for medical treatment but obesity isn't?
Diabetes (and I'm referring to type2) is not necessarily a result of the same behaviours. There is a genetic component to diabetes, and there are many out there that you wouldn't say are fat and lazy that are type2 diabetic.
I'm not fat and I'm a professional athlete and I'm type2 diabetic with a lot of family history on both sides. At best by BMI I'm classified "overweight" at 80kg, 180cm.
I'm not on Ozempic but I have been recommended to be on. As I said my weight is NOT an issue, and Ozempic is NOT designed for weight loss. Weight loss is only a useful side-effect.
@CMH: If there was no shortage and everyone could buy as many Ozempic pens as they like, would you still be trying to make these arbitrary distinctions?
You can make the same arguments about obesity being related to epigenetic factors.
Drugs are not designed, a profitable market is identified and they are maketed towards that purpose. semaglutide IS marketed for weight loss, just the same as it is marketed for diabetes.
The PBS does not cover Ozempic for weight loss, it isn't illegal to use Ozempic for weight loss, the manufacturer has simply decided to create a new product to charge obesity patients even more than the the full non-PBS price they were already paying.
@greatlamp: As soon as I find someone who can gain weight without eating I'd accept obesity is genetic.
Genetic factors can affect a lot of things but it is just impossible to put on weight if you don't overeat.
@CMH: It looks like you're a believer in calories in = calories out. You should know the human body is more complicated than a furnace.
@greatlamp: Yes it is more complicated. But weight gain is simple.
As I said, can't put on weight if you don't eat. Genetics might make it easier to put on weight when you overeat but you still need to overeat to gain weight.
@CMH: I can use the same ignorant logic. You can't get type 2 diabetes if you don't eat. Insulin resistance will return with fasting, why do diabetics deserve medical treatment? Close that gluttonous mouth of yours and stop wasting my tax dollars.
It's very easy to think simple.
Explain to me how birth control causes weight gain, or antipsychotics, or corticosteroids, or stress, or sleep deprivation, or depression? Do all these people simply eat more?
Maybe your simplistic understanding is not useful
@greatlamp: Ok, I should have said "overeat".
And that is all. Everything you mention may be excuses for overeating, but overeating is all it is.
Like previously mentioned obesity or overeating does not necessarily cause t2dm.
@CMH: Drugs that cause to you gain weight are excuses for overeating? I've shown you that your understanding is wrong but you managed to completely dodge that insight.
@greatlamp: Wrong. They make it easier to gain weight but by itself does not.
Same goes for Ozempic. They make it easier to lose weight but if you eat as you usually do through it you will gain weight.
@greatlamp: Again, hormones can increase your appetite but you still need to put too-much-food into your mouth to gain weight.
@CMH: You are still thinking of the human body in an overly simplistic model, despite pretending you understand the complexity. You don't think hormones influence any of the processes between eating something and fat being stored in your adipose tissue? All these biological processes operate like a machine, at exactly the same rate in all circumstances? The only way to gain weight is to eat more?
Again, you insist on being ignorant and seem to completely ignore new information
@greatlamp: Hormones can reduce one's basal metabolic rate but if the individual is able to reduce their caloric intake to match the body will not have any excess to store.
It's really that simple.
@greatlamp: So you agree that if the individual reduces their caloric intake to match the reduced basal metabolic rate they will not gain weight?
Or in plain English, eat less and not get fat.
@CMH: Or in plain English, it is necessary to eat less to counter the weight gain effects of birth control, or antipsychotics, or corticosteroids, or stress, or sleep deprivation, or depression.
These cause weight gain directly, independent of a change in diet.
Literally the opposite of what you have been claiming up until now.
It's OK to change your mind. I don't need your thanks. But you are acting like an ass pretending you have been saying this all along.
Maybe you will now recognise that obesity is a health condition just like to type 2 diabetes, with complex causes which include genetic factors.
@greatlamp: Do not put words in my mouth.
I have yet to say they cause weight gain independent of a change in diet.
In fact I am explicitly stating that independent of a change in diet, it will cause weight gain. The difference is subtle but let me spell it out for you.
The difference is that it is up to the individual to change their diet to prevent weight gain from their health problems, vs your view that these medications will cause weight gain regardless of the diet.
So no, we are definitely not in agreement.
We only agree to the point that medications and health conditions can change one's metabolic rate but where we differ is what happens after. You believe that medications and health conditions are responsible for the individual's subsequent weight gain whereas I'm saying that it is the individual's responsibility to adjust their diet accordingly to maintain a healthy weight.
It is impossible to gain weight without caloric excess.
@CMH: You are still in the same oversimplification.
It is impossible to gain weight without caloric excess.
This is the part where you are inconsistent. It isn't caloric excess causing weight gain.
Look up how Ozempic works, inhibits glucagon. That stops production of fat. Nothing to do with caloric excess.
Caloric excess doesn't cause weight gain, it signals weight gain. Signals can be interfered with, by drugs, other medical conditions, genetics.
@greatlamp: This is so much nonsense I debated a whole day to reply.
Just ask anyone on Ozempic why they lost weight. It's not because the drug stops them from putting on fat, it's because they lost their appetite and STOPPED EATING.
Anyway, given you're digging from your ass for replies I think I'm done with this conversation.
And read up on glucagon ffs.
@CMH: You would rather spout your bro science 'calories in calories out' than have a conversation. You're an ass who insists on having the last word.
The other actions of Ozempic are irrelevant to the point, hormones related to weight gain can be directly manipulated outside of caloric intake, that's all I need to show to prove your understanding is incorrect. Your cognitive dissonance won't let you admit to yourself that an oversimplification might actually be an oversimplification. You made this a waste of time by trying to 'one up' me instead of considering what I was sharing with you. I'm sure you will respond again, that's the only thing you care about
This is not the case in 2025. But certainly was early last year. Ozempic is no longer, to my knowledge, prescribed for weight loss. Wegovy Is.
Honestly, can you accept not everyone is healthy and can exercise and that about 1-2% of the nation have MECFS or Long Covid with a symptom called PEM. How do you suggest these people lose weight when exercise = PEM = Deterioration https://www.emerge.org.au/what-is-mecfs/
Can you accept that there are more than diabetics who could benefit from something like this. There’s more than diabetes that affects insulin and insulin resistance.
Instead of blaming the consumer, go yell at the supplier to create more. There’s obviously clinical need for this.
30% + of the developed world is obese. The population is huge. Supply will be limited until patents end, especially in Australia where the NHS negotiates a fair price.
The genius move was to convince the TGA that Ozempic shouldn't be allowed to be prescribed for obesity- so they can charge more for the same product with a different label. Now we have people blaming obese patients for wanting treatment.
I expect this strategy to be repeated in future with each drug only sold to Australia in minimal quantities so that a private market can develop alongside.
I have to admit I don’t understand limiting supply even with a patent.
I do agree that restricting compound pharmacists from making it is ridiculous.
@ColtNoir: They restricted it because there were unscrupulous pharmacists out there making substandard product in the name of profit. Substandard to the point of being dangerous.
@ColtNoir: Novo Nordisk - the manufacturer of Ozempic - aren't artificially limiting supply, however supply is limited. It takes years to build a new manufacturing plant and in many cases the barrier isn't time or money, but a lack of skilled staff to operate the production line.
The reason I said this situation will only be resolved when patents end is because the patent will expire in around a decade or so, and once it does the price the manufacturer can charge will crash, drug manufacturers in India do not respect foreign patents and will be working on manufacturing a generic years before the patent is expired. Literally the day after the patent ends there will be a large supply of generic semaglutide available for sale in Australia.
A new manufacturing plant will take so long to build that Novo will need to recoup the investment with the drug selling at a much lower price, I estimate around 1/3 or 1/4 of it's current price.
I am saying Novo are taking advantage of the situation, using the situation of limited supply to effectively increase the price (for obesity patients) after already having negotiated a fair price with the PBS.
The PBS analysis decides a fair price based on the cost of similar treatments, and valuing the additional benefit the new treatment will provide.
The wholesale price of Ozempic was negotiated between Novo and the PBS, the PBS holds the keys to the entire Australian market so it has strongest position in the relationship.
The manufacturer can choose not to accept the wholesale price that PBS analysis has determined, they can still sell the drug into Australia but only a small portion of patients will be able to afford it, hence it is more profitable for the manufacturer to accept the negotiated price, where the PBS pays for the majority of the cost when it is finally sold to a patient.
Obesity patients were never able to access Ozempic on the PBS, however the drug can also be used for Obesity, so their prescriptions would be sold to them at a 'full price', which is based on the PBS wholesale price + whatever markup that the pharmacy applies.
What Novo have done, is convince the TGA to ask doctors to stop prescribing Ozempic for obesity because there is a shortage, and only prescribe it for diabetes patients. Up to this point this is reasonable. (I intentionally say 'ask', the TGA does not have legal authority to demand doctors do not prescribe a particular brand of drug).
Novo then put a new product on the market, Wegovy. It is the same drug as Ozempic, semaglutide. That means it is coming from the same production line and taking away from supply going to diabetes patients. The wholesale price of Wegovy is significanly higher than Ozempic. That means patients end up paying a lot more for Wegovy than they would if they paid the full price of Ozempic, even though they are the same drug, made by the same company, so this situation is not alleviating the shortage (directly).
Regarding your second point, it really isn't possible for a pharmacist to compound a biological drug such as Ozempic with the equipment available in a typical pharmacy. They would need such sophisticated and expensive equipment that they would need to be at a similar scale to an actual pharmaceutical company. The products 'compounded' by pharmacists locally were illegally imported generic medication, of unknown source and quality, and - most likely - poor storage conditions along the supply chain which damaged it even if it was OK in the first place. They are criminals putting patients at harm.
This is a pretty naive take on what is now a class of medication also indicated for obesity (higher doses). Obesity is an illness and in fact a chicken-egg conundrum when dealing with type 2 diabetes and various other chronic diseases.
During stock limitations, patients living with diabetes should have continuous uninterrupted access to supply, however the indicated doses are different for T2D and Obesity. It is unlikely that we will face the same level of shortages of this class again if prescribed appropriately.
GLP1ra have significant health benefits that are not completely understood. Feel free to read the product information on the TGA website, it will include all of the clinical trials that resulted in a indication in Australia. Traditional diet and exercise has not replicated these benefits in the same time frame
The use of these medications go hand in hand with diet lifestyle adjustment. This is almost self imposed by the medications effect on satiety. The users must also be prepared to increase protein and initiate weight training to assist with muscle loss associated with weightloss.
Patients with T2D actually respond less to weight loss while on this class than patients without diabetes. Genetically we are all different.
This is general advice on the class, not advice for OP. I suspect OP would have got less backlash if they used the obesity brand, generic or class.
Most doctors in Australia don't prescribe Ozempic for weight loss now. Usually Mounjaro and Wegovy, and neither of these are prescribed for diabetes, even though Wegovy contains the same product.
Diet and exercise could well be a lazier option to the mother of a newborn, if she thought about it properly. It's a fair and reasonable excuse to offload a screaming kiddo to dad to go to the gym or take a walk to get some personal time or to relax.
Seriously bad idea, not even at the half way point yet and already thinking about the exit, I can't imagine what her obstetrician/gynecologist would say if she asked if she can do Ozempic after birth.
Exercise is ineffective at reducing weight. A vast majority of calories are expended just keeping you alive; exercise or not. Take a look at how many calories your favorite foods are and how much exercise is needed to burn it off. It's ridiculous. It's MUCH easier to eat less/healthier.
However exercise is incredibly beneficial outside of weight loss. Especially with how common office jobs are, moving your body is more important than ever.
Look into the side-effect and the longer term data now coming out :/
please send link ?
In other words you scrolled past half a headline about it on Facebook and are now pretending to know things.
@7ekn00: "spend the time with simple searches"
So 10, 20, 100 or 1000 other people each do a search or you provide once, how can we be efficient in bargain hunting if our resources are wasted that way
.
@7ekn00: I have friends who are really sick after taking ozempic. And one of them is type 2 diabetic. It basically functions by preventing the absorption of food into your system. You’re basically getting starved of nutrition from the inside out. The last thing any mother should be considering is ozempic if they plan to breast feed but I’m getting the vibe that this one wouldn’t care to do that anyway. Might make her boobs sag 😵💫
@kelza83: That isn't how it functions at all. It reduces your appetite and your desire for food and it makes you feel fuller for longer. You still need to ingest less calories to lose weight.
@kelza83: Yeah, some of the above scientific articles have "significant GI side effects" at up to 70% of those taking it ;) So not surprising …
@kelza83: You clearly know nothing about how it works, perhaps do some proper research next time.
It reduces hunger, and that's why you lose weight because you are in a calorie deficit. You can do this with or without weight loss injections, however, it's not so easy for many without the injection, as it switches off that food noise/craving as your tummy is mimicking a naturally occurring hormone sent to your brain to say, I'm full.
@SimAus007: Cleary you have no idea. Do a bit of research. People are losing the ability to absorb nutrients, their digestion is slowing down to a halt, it’s doing a LOT of internal damage. Of course it curbs hunger through hormone adaptations but it’s doing so so much more. I wouldn’t recommend it to my worst enemy. But I would recommend a low carb, real food diet and exercise.
@kelza83: It does not stop the "absorption of food" guess you mean nutrients from food? 😂
Please paste a reputable and respected source to state otherwise, please!
😂
Stop spreading BS when you don't know what you are talking about.
Research what semaglutitde does, a naturally produced hormone, a little clue to get you started.
Secondly, don't get your information from sites that aren't reputable, including on here or from me, do your own research from reputable sources.
You might want to look into the benefits of GLP1ra use before reading the side-effects…
News headlines are scary, peer reviewed journal articles are fact.
Peer reviewed journal articles linked via Google Scholar, but don't bother reading actual posts too much ;)
'I find dietary and exercise discipline cheaper, but each to their own'
This is a funny can of worms. Apparently it's projected to increase productivity and reduces the financial strain of long term extra cost of food.
That is compared to staying fat, not compared to diet and exercise.
For a large percentage of people, improving diet and exercise is just not going to happen without a complete psychological makeover which is also pretty expensive.
Yes diet and exercise still required
Ozempic helps with food cravings and overeating it doesn’t fix your diet
On low dose type 2 diabetic. Halved my high bsls and down 18kg in 6months.
Doing gym and tracking food
Ozempic stock is meant to be reserved for diabetes, under PBS.
It is rebranded as Wegovy for weight management, and there should be plenty around. Private scripts only of course.
Mounjaro is more expensive and should have lots of stock as well.
Like others have said, none of these meds are safe for breastfeeding / pregnancies.
Yep!
My friend got Wegovy for weight management. Almost $300 a month for a minimal dose and he had to be considered morbidly obese to qualify for it.
It actually jumps up to $380 a month once you gradually increase to either of the 2 long term dosages (1.7 or 2.4)
Actually jumps to 450.00 a month when you get to the final level.
Morbid obesity is medically defined as a BMI of 35 or 40 (depending on which website you look at), but Wegovy is indicated for someone with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above if they have at least one weight-related comorbidity, so it's not super hard to qualify.
$249.99 at CW for any dose up to 1mg, then as jaejae69 says below, it jumps to $379.99 for 1.7mg.
Depending on how much weight you've got to lose, 1mg might be the sweet spot for some people and 1.7mg may not be necessary. Your doctor will however recommend the required dose, not a stranger on an internet forum like me.
Wegovy $249.99 for 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 or 1.0MG, most people don't need more than 1MG.
Most health insurance companies also give you around $75/month back if you have extras cover to help with the cost, depending on your insurance level.
Funnily enough, wegovy private scripts cost upwards of 300. Ozempic private scripts (non PBS) are only 130. For the same product. It's honestly just classic holding back if stock by big pharma to create an artificial stock shortage, rebranding of it with the same active ingredient and releasing it to the masses at an inflated price.
I used to be with 'it', but then they changed what 'it' was. Now what I'm with isn't 'it' anymore and what's 'it' seems weird and scary