Our community has shared deeply mixed experiences regarding the use of Ozempic and Mounjaro, with many warning of severe and sometimes debilitating side effects, while others argue that more manageable symptoms are a price worth paying for the significant health benefits.
Personal Accounts Highlight Varied Reactions
Independent readers have been actively discussing the side effects of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, with numerous individuals questioning whether the associated risks are being fully acknowledged as the use of these medications continues to expand rapidly.
Reacting to recent investigations into the hidden side effects of these pharmaceutical treatments, commenters shared a wide range of personal experiences. The discussion repeatedly returned to common issues including persistent nausea, frequent vomiting, various digestive problems, and concerns about potential longer-term complications that may arise from continued use.
Severe Reactions Versus Manageable Symptoms
Several readers described becoming severely unwell after initiating treatment, with symptoms so disruptive that they ultimately concluded the drugs were not worth continuing. These accounts contrasted sharply with other experiences where side effects proved mild or temporary.
While some readers acknowledged that side effects can indeed be manageable for many people, they emphasised that this should not overshadow or minimise the experiences of those who suffer serious adverse reactions to these medications.
Medical Professional Criticism
A significant number of commenters also criticised healthcare providers for being dismissive of reported symptoms or too quick to prescribe medication without adequate follow-up care and monitoring. This criticism formed a consistent theme throughout the discussion.
Underlying Societal Pressures
Beneath the surface of these personal accounts lay a palpable unease about societal pressure to tolerate severe side effects in pursuit of weight loss goals. Several readers questioned fundamentally whether being thinner is ever worth the substantial physical cost that some individuals experience.
Reader Perspectives in Detail
Positive Experiences with Mounjaro
"All I can do is report on personal knowledge" wrote one contributor. "I, my brother and niece all use Mounjaro and have for over a year. My brother for diabetes and weight loss; my niece and I solely for weight loss. All three of us have had great success. My brother and I had no side effects, and my niece vomited for about three days, then all good."
The contributor acknowledged this represents a more typical scenario while recognising "the awfulness of any side effect or failed medical intervention." They reported successfully reducing their dosage for maintenance purposes after significant weight loss.
Questioning the Cost of Thinness
"There are more important things than being thin" argued another reader. "You should stop the drugs as soon as the side effects became so awful."
This contributor, who lost over four stone on Mounjaro with side effects that eventually subsided, added: "I'm lucky, but I definitely wouldn't have carried on if I'd been vomiting like that. But now I have a new life and am extremely happy – as are thousands of others."
Negative Experiences and Discontinuation
"It wasn't worth it" reported a different reader. "I didn't get as sick as the women profiled, but I was sick in bed for three weeks after my first, supposedly low, dose. Vomiting, retching, unable to eat, headaches – all, so I lost ten pounds not from the drug, but from how sick it made me."
Concerns About Medical Approach
"Body fascism" suggested another perspective. "Personally, I put this all down to a segment of society's body fascism, especially with doctors. I've not been on Ozempic myself, but it's honestly not something I would like to be put on."
Long-Term Safety Questions
"The first users are essentially guinea pigs" warned a contributor. "All new pharmaceutical products go through testing before being allowed out to the public. Unfortunately, one test is being conducted by the public, and that is the long-term effects."
They drew parallels with other medical innovations where long-term consequences only emerged years later, noting that "big pharma are not charities – they report to shareholders, and that's the system we have, regrettably."
Specific Side Effect Accounts
"The sulphur burps are real" reported a user who took Ozempic for years before switching to Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes. "I can tell you first-hand that nausea and the sulphur burps are real. The sulphur burps are terrible and will show up for weeks at a time and then disappear just as quickly."
They expressed frustration that their doctor was "dismissive of it and prescribes acid pills, which have very little effect."
Addiction and Holistic Approaches
"Food can be an addiction" noted another reader. "Perhaps treating people's weight issues without considering their wellbeing is at fault. Modern medicine focuses on prescription drugs as a quick fix, to the detriment of older, tried and trusted treatments."
Dosage Concerns
"They have not been tested in the elevated doses" expressed outrage one contributor, quoting concerns about current prescribing practices. "I find this outrageous. I should think the drug companies and/or GPs prescribing these in the aforementioned damaging doses can be sued."
Alternative Perspectives
"It is a trade-off" concluded another viewpoint. "Every drug has side effects. It is a trade-off. With regard to losing weight, just eat a little less and exercise a little more – and keep doing it. No meds needed."
The diversity of experiences shared highlights the complex reality of these increasingly popular medications, with no consensus emerging about their appropriate use or risk-benefit balance.
