Regardless of its reputation, listening to in regards to the lived expertise of somebody taking Ozempic remains to be fairly uncommon.
Stevie Prepare dinner, a authorized assistant in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, has lived with diabetes for the previous 23 years. Identified with sort 1 diabetes on the age of 10, they’ve been utilizing Ozempic for the previous 15 months for diabetes administration, along with insulin pump remedy.
Prepare dinner sat down with us to share their story.
Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) remedy that’s generally prescribed for folks with sort 2 diabetes to assist handle blood glucose (sugar) and A1c ranges and to deal with insulin resistance.
Whereas authorised for sort 2 diabetes, Ozempic has additionally seen off-label use in sort 1 diabetes instances to handle comparable points, equivalent to insulin resistance.
This off-label software has contributed to its rising reputation amongst a broader vary of individuals with diabetes, though such use just isn’t formally authorised by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA).
How did you get began taking Ozempic?
Prepare dinner was considering exploring Ozempic for managing insulin resistance — a situation the place the physique requires extra insulin to take care of regular blood sugar ranges — and consulted their pharmacist, who believed it may very well be useful. Inspired by this, Prepare dinner remarks,
“So I approached my physician to start the dialogue.”
Many individuals with sort 1 diabetes develop a stage of insulin resistance much like that seen in sort 2 diabetes, particularly after managing the situation for a few years.
Ozempic and different GLP-1 drugs mimic the motion of hormones which might be naturally concerned in regulating starvation, emotions of fullness, insulin sensitivity, blood sugar ranges, and abdomen emptying. These hormones are usually poor in folks with each sorts of diabetes, which might complicate administration of the illness.
Learn extra about this remedy in: Every little thing You Must Know About Ozempic.
This deficiency is why drugs like Ozempic might be helpful. They assist deal with insulin resistance and enhance blood sugar and A1c ranges (a measure of glucose management over the earlier 2 to three months).
Be taught extra about blood sugar ranges and A1c in: Blood Sugar Chart: Blood Sugar and A1c Targets.
Why did your physician need you to take Ozempic?
Overcoming doctor hesitancy is a big barrier for folks with diabetes, particularly these with sort 1 diabetes, in accessing drugs like Ozempic. This hesitancy stems from the truth that Ozempic is formally authorised by the FDA just for managing blood sugar ranges in folks with sort 2 diabetes.
Nonetheless, the underlying mechanism of motion of Ozempic — the best way it impacts insulin secretion and blood glucose ranges — is analogous in each sorts of diabetes.
In consequence, many docs take into account prescribing the remedy “off-label” (with out FDA approval). That is significantly widespread for folks with sort 1 diabetes who’re coping with insulin resistance and protracted excessive blood sugar ranges.
Analysis is ongoing to guage the effectiveness of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for treating sort 1 diabetes, with the hope that these research will result in FDA approval for this use. Such approval would simplify entry to those drugs for everybody with diabetes.
Prepare dinner recounts,
“My physician wasn’t too eager on prescribing it at first, however agreed we should always attempt it for insulin resistance and gave me a 3-month prescription to start out. That was 15 months in the past.”
Did you expertise any unwanted effects? Do you continue to?
Ozempic could cause quite a lot of adversarial unwanted effects, particularly when first beginning the remedy. Prepare dinner skilled a few of these results, noting,
“I had a number of nausea and vomiting for the primary three to 4 weeks, however that has since dissipated.”
It is not uncommon for folks to expertise unwanted effects initially once they start taking the drug. These unwanted effects of Ozempic can embody:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Decreased urge for food
- Low blood sugar (particularly if you happen to additionally take insulin)
Usually, because the physique adjusts to the remedy, these unwanted effects typically subside on their very own. Nonetheless, it’s vital to concentrate on uncommon however critical unwanted effects, equivalent to extreme gastrointestinal issues, and focus on any persistent or worsening signs together with your healthcare supplier.
Be taught extra about potential unwanted effects in: Ozempic Aspect Results: What You Must Know.
Has your diabetes administration improved since taking Ozempic?
Ozempic has been efficient for Prepare dinner in not solely reducing blood sugar and A1c ranges but in addition in curbing blood sugar spikes.
Prepare dinner shares their expertise:
“I don’t expertise vicious excessive blood sugars as typically now, and after I do, they’re much less ‘sticky’ — they don’t keep excessive for as lengthy, and the crash down isn’t as extreme.”
Thanks to those enhancements, they’ve continued utilizing Ozempic for over 15 months, demonstrating the remedy’s long-term effectiveness in bettering each blood sugar ranges and total diabetes administration.
Did something shock you about taking Ozempic?
Whereas Prepare dinner anticipated some adversarial unwanted effects from Ozempic, they have been pleasantly stunned by how efficient it’s for managing their blood sugar ranges.
Regardless of a nationwide scarcity of the remedy in america, Prepare dinner reviews that they didn’t encounter any difficulties acquiring Ozempic in Canada. They plan on taking the remedy for the foreseeable future.
Is the remedy reasonably priced for you?
One of many more difficult elements of managing diabetes with drugs like Ozempic is their price. Prepare dinner notes that with out insurance coverage, the remedy could be unaffordable. In america, for instance, the record worth is $935.77 per thirty days.
They are saying,
“I’ve an awesome advantages plan by way of my employer, however at first they might not cowl Ozempic as a result of I’m a kind 1 diabetic. My physician supplied a be aware, which they nonetheless denied. I then spoke to my insurer immediately and defined the scenario, they usually authorised it underneath my protection.”
Navigating the advanced prior-authorization course of to safe obligatory drugs might be irritating. Thankfully, by way of persistent negotiation and clear communication, Prepare dinner efficiently secured protection for his or her Ozempic prescription.
Do you’ve got any suggestions or recommendation for folks seeking to take Ozempic?
Prepare dinner presents a vital piece of recommendation:
“If price protection is a matter for you, I like to recommend being pushy about it together with your insurer. In case you are a long-time sort 1 diabetic and expertise insulin resistance, advocate for your self! Inform your physician you assume it’s value making an attempt, and be aware your unwanted effects and advantages totally to your physician’s evaluate.
Be constant together with your injections. And don’t let anybody let you know that you just’re ‘simply taking it to drop pounds.’ Individuals don’t wish to hear that it may very well be useful, they simply assume we’re being useless. Self-advocacy might be difficult, nevertheless it was value it for me!”
Remaining ideas
Navigating the complexities of diabetes administration requires extra than simply following a prescribed medical routine.
Prepare dinner’s expertise with Ozempic underscores the vital position of self-advocacy and customized care in managing persistent circumstances like diabetes. Regardless of the hurdles, Prepare dinner’s persistence in overcoming doctor hesitancy and insurance coverage boundaries highlights the significance of advocating for your self within the healthcare system.
Prepare dinner’s journey additionally highlights the evolving panorama of diabetes therapy. With the off-label use of the drug in folks with sort 1 diabetes, there’s hope for extra folks to entry this efficient medication.
