4 ms·

I'm a big semaglutide proponent after being on it for a year. I know research says it helps with inflammation, arthritis (separately from weight reduction), and

I'm a big semaglutide proponent after being on it for a year. I know research says it helps with inflammation, arthritis (separately from weight reduction), and all sorts of magical things. I lost 40 pounds in a year(230 to 190) at age 50. Great! I also went from being active and fat(weightlifting with some cardio) to basically having no energy. In the last year I've had arthritis appear in several joints. I'm awake several times a night to pee(yeah, prostate is acting up but I still void completely. The semaglutide is like a diuretic for me at night.). I get waves of hypoglycemia like feelings where I feel weak and spaced out. I'm afraid to get off of it because now my joints can't handle the extra weight. My doc recommended going to every other week now that my BMI is normal but as far as I can tell that advice isn't backed up by any research. Anyway, it's a powerful drug that works well but is not without side effects.

hattmall 1mo ago
You are a proponent, but your outcomes seem worse?
- Juvination 1mo ago
  Losing 40 pounds where sometimes it feels like this weight is impossible to lose. That's what makes it worth it.
- exhilaration 1mo ago
  For a lot of people, the alternative to GLP-1's is dying of a heart attack in their 50s, or taking decades off their lives by developing type 2 diabetes, or any number of complications from weight-related diseases.
- 01100011 1mo ago
  My point is that it's not all roses. Overall I'm glad I took it and will continue to do so. It's not without downsides, despite the endless stream of favorable studies on it.
amrrs 1mo ago
Is it kind of the stuff where the benefits outweigh the side effects? I'm just scared of the unknowns with the drug with such overwhelming positive research. Maybe, I'm a paranoid person but I'm unable to believe that such a powerful drug isn't without any side effect, clinically proven.
- wavemode 1mo ago
  The principal side effect is that you eat less. Eating less can have positive effects (losing weight), but can also make you feel like shit (in a wide variety of ways), as your body is running on less energy intake than it has been accustomed to. Depending on your activity level and the makeup of your diet, eating less can also lead to muscle loss and nutrient deficiencies.
- ThrowawayTestr 1mo ago
  The drug has been in use for 20 years. The only side effect I've had is nausea and it passes after a few minutes.
zulux 1mo ago
I'm on the pill version, which allows me to adjust the dosage on a more day-to-day level. It also doesn't need a fridge, so it allows me to travel more easily. There's a level that works best for me long-term, and it's quite a bit less than typical.
- apparent 1mo ago
  I thought the half-life was long enough that skipping a pill or taking a lower dose wouldn't make much of a difference? Also, do you cut pills? I had looked into this and only found info saying that it ruins the delivery mechanism. I was skeptical of this because it would benefit the pill makers to convince people that these special pills cannot be cut, even though they do not require extended delivery (quite the opposite).
  - cenamus 1mo ago
    I guess probably only take the pill n out of 7 days a week? With the long half life you'd probably get the same effect as cutting the pills
  - zulux 1mo ago
    Yes… Half-life is long. That's why skipping pills allows me to change my residual dosage in my body. Injections are once a week and don't allow for that fine-grained adjustment.
borski 1mo ago
What dose? Have you considered lowering it?
- 01100011 1mo ago
  2.4mg for over 6 months. I'm considering dropping back a level(1.7mg?).
  - borski 1mo ago
    You’re on too high a dose. The highest dose made me a vegetable, with no energy, and so on. That is not the way. Lower the dose (with your doctor, of course). For me, the “middle” dose was the sweet spot of positive effects with minimal side effects. You are likely a “hyper-responder” to GLP-1s. Also, tirzepatide had far fewer side effects for me, fwiw. YMMV, of course.
    - 01100011 1mo ago
      Yeah I probably should back off a level. I was hoping that moving to a 10-day dose schedule might give me some benefits(and save some money). I recently started doing that, although the decision to do so was mostly driven by having a stomach virus and wanting to more fully recover from the gastric effects before my next dose of semaglutide. After my first 10-day gap between doses I ended up with a strong encounter with the hypoglycemic feeling after going on a walk with my daughter. Sticking to the 1 week schedule but dropping the dosage is probably the right thing to do.
kccqzy 1mo ago
I’m also active and fat. And to me being active is more important than losing weight; I’d rather continue to do those long 2000kcal bike rides on weekends than having a healthier BMI. I’ve heard stories of my own friends bonking during a ride and I decided that I wanted to err on the side of overeating. So semaglutide doesn’t interest me. You aren’t the only one I’ve heard who started to have no energy after being on semaglutide. That said the dementia benefit mentioned in the article still intrigues me.
- loeg 1mo ago
  I'm on tirzepatide, a competitive athlete, and have no idea what GP is talking about.
  - 01100011 1mo ago
    Being a competitive athlete is probably why you have no idea what I'm talking about (and maybe you're not in your 50s). You have a reason to keep your momentum and you are likely more regularly active than I was. Sure I lifted weights, but it was only 2-3 days a week for maybe 6 hours total.
    - loeg 1mo ago
      Maybe start lifting weights again? 50 isn't a death sentence; I know a lot of competitive 50s-year-olds.
      - 01100011 1mo ago
        I'm trying but I've got a toddler and now it seems like every joint hurts. No time to get to a gym and no room for a decent home gym. I did start to do back day again at the Y when we go on the weekend for the pool. We'll see...
        skirmish 1mo ago
        A pair of adjustable dumbbells in the corner of the living room is still very doable. Lots of bodyweight exercises too you could look into.
deleted 1mo ago
[deleted]
turbocon 1mo ago
I'm younger than you and only loss a about 25 lbs. I've now gone to a maintenance dose and seen my energy recover substantially, I do still think (anecdotally) that when I got off for a week I got even more energy but it's hard to judge.
- mchusma 1mo ago
  I also had low energy but that was really mostly when I was losing weight, which made sense. As I slowed weight loss and reduced dose, energy improved.
matthewdgreen 1mo ago
Try Tirzepatide or one of the other drugs. They each have their own side effect profile.
huslage 1mo ago
I had similar issues on Semaglutide, but I've found Tirzepatide much more tolerable. I've lost 165lbs, A1C has gone down to 5, I have more energy at 52 than I did at 32, and I am exercising like a maniac now. Maybe you could try it?
onefish 1mo ago
I have a very similar situation: on it for about a year, 220lbs to 180 at age ~40. Also very active: weight lifting / biking / swimming and - the sport that made me realize I needed to loose weight - rock climbing. I've always been very outdoorsy-adventurous, and climbing/mountaineering is the natural sort of "end game" for this lifestyle. My weight never really got in the way of anything else in my life (maybe my self esteem) but, this might offend some people, but climbing is a sport where you really cannot be even a little bit fat. It makes you painfully aware of your body weight. Most "good" climbers are built like bean-poles. I don't really need to be a "good" climber, just an "okay" and safe climber - I'm mostly interested in alpine trad below ~5.7. I still feel like I need to lose another 10lbs. I was a fat kid growing up. I've had a BMI of 30±1 since age 12. I also have a family history of heart disease. Literally every male on my father's side for three generations has had a heart attack in their late 50s. We all have roughly the same body type. I already had hypertension in my mid 30s. Semaglutide has made me feel like there's hope. Unfortunately, I can relate to the lower energy levels. While I'm no longer lugging an extra 40lbs around (a full pack!), I still bonk way faster. My gym sessions are way shorter. Luckily, I haven't lost much muscle mass, so I look great and it's been the "cut" I've never been able to achieve, but I'm sure if I ever wanted to "bulk" I'd have to go off it. I've found if I have a big trip or climb coming up, I have to take a way smaller dose the week, or even weeks, prior. I found this out the hard way when I puked on a climb in North Cascades. I just couldn't eat, and felt like shit the whole time. The trick has been self managing my dose. I'm on compounded generic, so I can dose myself with my own needles. If I have a big trip coming up, I'll take like 25% of my maintenance dose for a week or two prior. This has been almost a superpower, because I'll get this massive burst of energy from the calorie intake. Im still not really sure if this is healthy, not the "taking 25%" part, but the fact that I feel like superman when I'm off it or on a low dose for a bit. Not sure what this says for someone who is basically taking semaglutide because their weight was holding them back from the activities semaglutide makes them too bonked to do anyways.
- dripdry45 1mo ago
  Thanks for the details, really liked your posting this. As a former Climber, moved to an area that doesn’t have a decent rock Gym and bought a house, this is inspiring. I have a chance to climb again and it will require losing some weight loss. I’m just a hair into the overweight category at the doctor. One question: how tall are you?
Lagoon3384_SWE 1mo ago
Good that someone speaks up on the side effects. As a slim person naturally, I see these drugs as cheating and I hope they are all not good. We need some markers for separation, clothes are another good one. I am "dressed up" for wearing chinos and an OCBD lol.
windsweptabove 1mo ago
If it makes you feel better I'm 50, and have developed those exact same symptoms over the half decade, without ever having to touching a GLP-1 agonist. I do have some of it down to unwisely taking Ibuprofen semi-regularly, i.e. Kidneys, bladder.

hattmall 1mo ago

You are a proponent, but your outcomes seem worse?

Juvination 1mo ago
Losing 40 pounds where sometimes it feels like this weight is impossible to lose. That's what makes it worth it.
exhilaration 1mo ago
For a lot of people, the alternative to GLP-1's is dying of a heart attack in their 50s, or taking decades off their lives by developing type 2 diabetes, or any number of complications from weight-related diseases.
01100011 1mo ago
My point is that it's not all roses. Overall I'm glad I took it and will continue to do so. It's not without downsides, despite the endless stream of favorable studies on it.

amrrs 1mo ago

Is it kind of the stuff where the benefits outweigh the side effects? I'm just scared of the unknowns with the drug with such overwhelming positive research. Maybe, I'm a paranoid person but I'm unable to believe that such a powerful drug isn't without any side effect, clinically proven.

wavemode 1mo ago
The principal side effect is that you eat less. Eating less can have positive effects (losing weight), but can also make you feel like shit (in a wide variety of ways), as your body is running on less energy intake than it has been accustomed to. Depending on your activity level and the makeup of your diet, eating less can also lead to muscle loss and nutrient deficiencies.
ThrowawayTestr 1mo ago
The drug has been in use for 20 years. The only side effect I've had is nausea and it passes after a few minutes.

zulux 1mo ago

I'm on the pill version, which allows me to adjust the dosage on a more day-to-day level. It also doesn't need a fridge, so it allows me to travel more easily. There's a level that works best for me long-term, and it's quite a bit less than typical.

apparent 1mo ago
I thought the half-life was long enough that skipping a pill or taking a lower dose wouldn't make much of a difference? Also, do you cut pills? I had looked into this and only found info saying that it ruins the delivery mechanism. I was skeptical of this because it would benefit the pill makers to convince people that these special pills cannot be cut, even though they do not require extended delivery (quite the opposite).
- cenamus 1mo ago
  I guess probably only take the pill n out of 7 days a week? With the long half life you'd probably get the same effect as cutting the pills
- zulux 1mo ago
  Yes… Half-life is long. That's why skipping pills allows me to change my residual dosage in my body. Injections are once a week and don't allow for that fine-grained adjustment.

borski 1mo ago

What dose? Have you considered lowering it?

01100011 1mo ago
2.4mg for over 6 months. I'm considering dropping back a level(1.7mg?).
- borski 1mo ago
  You’re on too high a dose. The highest dose made me a vegetable, with no energy, and so on. That is not the way. Lower the dose (with your doctor, of course). For me, the “middle” dose was the sweet spot of positive effects with minimal side effects. You are likely a “hyper-responder” to GLP-1s. Also, tirzepatide had far fewer side effects for me, fwiw. YMMV, of course.
  - 01100011 1mo ago
    Yeah I probably should back off a level. I was hoping that moving to a 10-day dose schedule might give me some benefits(and save some money). I recently started doing that, although the decision to do so was mostly driven by having a stomach virus and wanting to more fully recover from the gastric effects before my next dose of semaglutide. After my first 10-day gap between doses I ended up with a strong encounter with the hypoglycemic feeling after going on a walk with my daughter. Sticking to the 1 week schedule but dropping the dosage is probably the right thing to do.

kccqzy 1mo ago

I’m also active and fat. And to me being active is more important than losing weight; I’d rather continue to do those long 2000kcal bike rides on weekends than having a healthier BMI. I’ve heard stories of my own friends bonking during a ride and I decided that I wanted to err on the side of overeating. So semaglutide doesn’t interest me. You aren’t the only one I’ve heard who started to have no energy after being on semaglutide. That said the dementia benefit mentioned in the article still intrigues me.

loeg 1mo ago
I'm on tirzepatide, a competitive athlete, and have no idea what GP is talking about.
- 01100011 1mo ago
  Being a competitive athlete is probably why you have no idea what I'm talking about (and maybe you're not in your 50s). You have a reason to keep your momentum and you are likely more regularly active than I was. Sure I lifted weights, but it was only 2-3 days a week for maybe 6 hours total.
  - loeg 1mo ago
    Maybe start lifting weights again? 50 isn't a death sentence; I know a lot of competitive 50s-year-olds.
    - 01100011 1mo ago
      I'm trying but I've got a toddler and now it seems like every joint hurts. No time to get to a gym and no room for a decent home gym. I did start to do back day again at the Y when we go on the weekend for the pool. We'll see...
      - skirmish 1mo ago
        A pair of adjustable dumbbells in the corner of the living room is still very doable. Lots of bodyweight exercises too you could look into.

deleted 1mo ago

[deleted]

turbocon 1mo ago

I'm younger than you and only loss a about 25 lbs. I've now gone to a maintenance dose and seen my energy recover substantially, I do still think (anecdotally) that when I got off for a week I got even more energy but it's hard to judge.

mchusma 1mo ago
I also had low energy but that was really mostly when I was losing weight, which made sense. As I slowed weight loss and reduced dose, energy improved.

matthewdgreen 1mo ago

Try Tirzepatide or one of the other drugs. They each have their own side effect profile.

huslage 1mo ago

I had similar issues on Semaglutide, but I've found Tirzepatide much more tolerable. I've lost 165lbs, A1C has gone down to 5, I have more energy at 52 than I did at 32, and I am exercising like a maniac now. Maybe you could try it?

onefish 1mo ago

I have a very similar situation: on it for about a year, 220lbs to 180 at age ~40. Also very active: weight lifting / biking / swimming and - the sport that made me realize I needed to loose weight - rock climbing. I've always been very outdoorsy-adventurous, and climbing/mountaineering is the natural sort of "end game" for this lifestyle. My weight never really got in the way of anything else in my life (maybe my self esteem) but, this might offend some people, but climbing is a sport where you really cannot be even a little bit fat. It makes you painfully aware of your body weight. Most "good" climbers are built like bean-poles. I don't really need to be a "good" climber, just an "okay" and safe climber - I'm mostly interested in alpine trad below ~5.7. I still feel like I need to lose another 10lbs. I was a fat kid growing up. I've had a BMI of 30±1 since age 12. I also have a family history of heart disease. Literally every male on my father's side for three generations has had a heart attack in their late 50s. We all have roughly the same body type. I already had hypertension in my mid 30s. Semaglutide has made me feel like there's hope. Unfortunately, I can relate to the lower energy levels. While I'm no longer lugging an extra 40lbs around (a full pack!), I still bonk way faster. My gym sessions are way shorter. Luckily, I haven't lost much muscle mass, so I look great and it's been the "cut" I've never been able to achieve, but I'm sure if I ever wanted to "bulk" I'd have to go off it. I've found if I have a big trip or climb coming up, I have to take a way smaller dose the week, or even weeks, prior. I found this out the hard way when I puked on a climb in North Cascades. I just couldn't eat, and felt like shit the whole time. The trick has been self managing my dose. I'm on compounded generic, so I can dose myself with my own needles. If I have a big trip coming up, I'll take like 25% of my maintenance dose for a week or two prior. This has been almost a superpower, because I'll get this massive burst of energy from the calorie intake. Im still not really sure if this is healthy, not the "taking 25%" part, but the fact that I feel like superman when I'm off it or on a low dose for a bit. Not sure what this says for someone who is basically taking semaglutide because their weight was holding them back from the activities semaglutide makes them too bonked to do anyways.

dripdry45 1mo ago
Thanks for the details, really liked your posting this. As a former Climber, moved to an area that doesn’t have a decent rock Gym and bought a house, this is inspiring. I have a chance to climb again and it will require losing some weight loss. I’m just a hair into the overweight category at the doctor. One question: how tall are you?

Lagoon3384_SWE 1mo ago

Good that someone speaks up on the side effects. As a slim person naturally, I see these drugs as cheating and I hope they are all not good. We need some markers for separation, clothes are another good one. I am "dressed up" for wearing chinos and an OCBD lol.

windsweptabove 1mo ago

If it makes you feel better I'm 50, and have developed those exact same symptoms over the half decade, without ever having to touching a GLP-1 agonist. I do have some of it down to unwisely taking Ibuprofen semi-regularly, i.e. Kidneys, bladder.