canyonwalker: Pill bottle and pills (being sick sucks)
Today's Day 3 of taking Ozempic, a GLP-1 drug. The day's less than half over, but I'm writing now because something urgent is on my mind. I'm trying not to barf.

Getting sick to your stomach is one of the common side effects of GLP-1s. They slow your digestion, so food sits there longer. That increases the risks associated with overeating— i.e., throwing up because you ate too much.

I've been concerned about this as I've started taking a GLP-1. I mean, no one likes to barf. But it's a very real and common side effect. Many friends and my oldest sister, who are all taking GLP-1s, have warned that it can happen a lot. My sister says she barfs a few times a week even after she's adjusted her eating habits to minimize the problem. 😨🤮😭

I mentioned yesterday that on Day 1 I went to bed with some mild stomach discomfort from dinner still sitting in my stomach. It happened against last night— but worse. I'd eaten a full-sized dinner last night because I was hungry. I didn't experience any "You're full now, stop eating" cues during dinner. But then a few hours later, when I was ready for bed, my stomach seemed to be telling me, "Whoa, you shouldn't have eaten all that!" I laid down carefully, worried that I might have to get up and dash to the bathroom to puke.

I slept fitfully last night. Each time I woke up I felt like there was a bowling ball in my stomach. Thankfully it never got past the point of stomach discomfort. And by the time I got up this morning the feelings were gone. Dinner was digested.

It seems that I need to be more proactive about reducing my meal sizes on GLP-1. It's not enough to eat slowly and be mindful of signals of fullness that arrive sooner. Those signals are not arriving sooner. Instead I need to force myself to stop eating sooner, when my body is still screaming at me, "Eat! You're hungry! Eat!" or else I'll feel sick a few hours later. 😳🤢😞

canyonwalker: Pill bottle and pills (being sick sucks)
Today was Day 2 on The Pill. I started by weighing myself— something I couldn't do yesterday because the bathroom scale I've owned for 20 years just says "D'oh!" when I step on it now. I've gained a lot of weight over the past 18 months due to 1 or 2 of the many medicines I'm taking. I'm now over the weight limit for a lot of bathroom scales. That's why I ordered a new scale on Amazon yesterday. It has a higher capacity. It arrived swiftly but not in time for an inaugural morning weigh-in. So I did that today. And I forgot to do it first thing in the morning, before eating breakfast. So I did it after breakfast... and after a dump. I figured, one meal in, one meal out; it's balanced. 🤣

I feel like I'm starting to see some of the side effects of the GLP-1. It didn't start that way, though. Yesterday, Day 1, I began with my normal breakfast. Okay, I figured; the pill doesn't take effect immediately, especially at the lowest dose. For lunch I tried cutting down my normal portion by half but was still hungry afterward. I then ate more, adding up to a typical lunch amount. I tried a reduced portion again at dinner, going with 2/3 the amount I normally eat, and that's when I started to see some appetite reduction. I felt full after a modest, 2/3-sized dinner... though that feeling of fullness came partly from a mild discomfort that felt a bit like stomach gas. I had the burps for a few hours after dinner. When I went to bed 3.5 hours later it felt like the food was still siting in my stomach and trying to crawl back up my esophagus. It wasn't painful, thankfully; just a bit weird.

Today, Day 2, I downsized my breakfast and lunch to about 2/3 of what I'd normally eat for each. I was a bit hungry after breakfast and just waited until lunch. I was a bit hungry after lunch, too; I treated myself to a small dessert of two cookies. That was enough to hold me over until dinner without any mid-afternoon munchies. Come dinnertime, though, I was hungry. I ate a full portion at dinner. Now I feel bloated from that, like I overate. Part of learning to deal with this medication, and part of why doctors start everyone on the smallest dose, is becoming familiar with new signals and developing new habits. I'll see how I feel in about 2 hours when it's time for bed.

canyonwalker: Pill bottle and pills (being sick sucks)
Starting today I'm on the pill. A GLP-1 pill, that is. I need it for diabetes and losing weight.

I've anticipated doing this for a while now. I chose to wait on joining millions of Americans until I retired. What I'd heard about the side effects from multiple friends who take GLP-1s made me not want to deal with it while having a rigorous schedule of meetings all day every day.

Well, last week Thursday was my first visit with my GP since retiring in March, and I got the prescription. I got the first month's dosage of pills (I chose an oral medication over an injectable) Friday and took the first one this morning. So far... nothing's changed.

I've read a fair bit about side effects and ways to avoid, reduce, and manage them. I'm not looking for meal planning tips or your favorite recipes right now. If anything I am keeping in mind not to put the cart before the horse. This is only Day 1, on the minimum dose, of the oral medication (injectable generally hits harder). While it's 💯 worth knowing what I'll face in the weeks and months ahead it's also important to keep a perspective on what I need to do today and tomorrow.

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canyonwalker

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