Can't seem to shake gross side effects...help!
I've been on Ozempic since January 2025, under doctor supervision. I gradually increased my dose to 1.5mg and stayed there for 8 months, with minimal side effects, and lost about 40 pounds. (I know this isn't a ton of weight, but I also have PCOS and my doctor and I are both happy with the progress.)
In December 2025, there was a mixup at my pharmacy that resulted in a 3 week delay in getting my next Ozempic pens. I essentially went cold turkey off Ozempic because of this. When my prescription finally came in, I did one week at 0.5mg before increasing to 1.5mg the following week. That week at 1.5mg was AWFUL. I vomited for the first time while taking the med, had terrible nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, you name it, on a daily basis for almost two weeks afterwards. I took OTC meds and ate extremely bland when I could stomach it to help with the side effects.
I thought I had maybe increased too quickly and shocked my body, so I went back down to 0.5mg and gradually upped my dose back to 1.5mg one week at a time. I've been back on the 1.5mg dose for a few weeks now, but I feel so unstable on it. I'm being cognizant of what I'm eating in terms of fat, sugar, salt, and protein intake, and I feel like I'm making good choices. I've upped my water intake as well. But I still get heartburn, nausea, sulfur burps and diarrhea at least a couple times a week.
I feel on edge all the time because I can't figure out what's different this time around. I was happily on 1.5mg for months before but I feel like ever since the snafu with my pharmacy, my body is just not adapting or readjusting to Ozempic again. I'm being even more careful and diligent than I was before, and it's not helping. I'm so frustrated. Ozempic is the only thing that's worked to help me lose weight after a lifetime of being obese, and I would hate to not be able to use it anymore. But right now, this doesn't seem worth it. I hate being sick half of the week, every week.
Has anyone else experienced this after pausing Ozempic for a while? Any advice? Should I just power through? Reduce my dose again and work my way back up more slowly? Is this the norm and I was just very lucky when I first started taking it?