So, lets talk about side effects of taking Zepbound, but first I want to say I'm sorry I disappeared for a few weeks. One, I was on vacation and very busy. Second, well I will explain in this post later on.
Onward!
As with any medication there are side effects of taking Zepbound. Some are serious, but when I went for my first doctor's visit my doctor explained to me what I could be facing. Honestly, the side effects, even the extreme ones, out weighed the effects of being over 300 lbs. I also have PCOS (more on that later), which puts me at risk of a lot of health problems, some of which I already suffer from. By losing weight I can decrease these risk factors. So that day I took my first shot of Zepbound in the office, and off we went!
I started like all people on the lowest dose, which is 2.5mg. That night my hunger decreased greatly. I could only eat half of what I normally would eat. The next day my appetite was even worse. I could hardly eat and I wasn't hungry. It was a really quick change, and it left my head spinning. Like, HOW? It was insane how fast it worked and I was happy.
Two weeks later I took my shot and right after the worst case of diarrhea hit me. I'm talking pure liquid, and it didn't stop! Like right when I thought there was nothing left, nope it kept coming. So I started taking some over the counter meds. Cleared it. In fact I would take a full dose of pink-stuff and I was good for about two days. Then I would check to see if the liquid would come back. If it did I took another full dose of pink-stuff.
This lasted for about two solid weeks, and in that time I hardly lost weight. Again, my mental negative Nancy kicked in and told me the shot wasn't worth it, but my husband supported me. He also encouraged me to wait it out. Because, honestly, this was my last option. If I gave up on this my mental health would not bounce back.
I waited it out and slowly the runs went away and once my body got used to the Zepbound I was fine. There were also what they call, sulfur burps. I call them Demon Belches! Mainly because it feels like this gas from the inner depths of your gut come bubbling up. They are not bad, mostly annoying and they vanish within a few days of taking a shot. After about three weeks they go away completely.
Now, I was on the 2.5mg for about two months because of the supply shortage, and I didn't lose much weight. Which really deflated me. I really thought Zepbound wasn't going to work for me. However; thanks to the wonderful ladies I work with, who are also taking Zepbound, and my husband I stayed the course. They really got me through all my doubts.
Finally, I was able to move up to the 5 mgs, and the back pain started. I'm used to back pain, I am over weight after all but this was bad upper back pain. It would go away when I laid down and it wasn't too bad in the morning. However, throughout the day it would get really bad and uncomfortable. This is where I am very very lucky to have people around me that have been through this journey. My friend at work kept telling me it was acid reflux. I'm like, "No way!" I don't feel acidy or heartburn or anything like that. After of a few days of back pain I would try anything.
I started a course of anti-acid which I got over the counter. Within 24 hours I was feeling so much better. I did the anti-acid for 14 days like the program said to at the pharmacy, and after that I added an acid reducer to my daily pile intake. Now, I'm fine. The only other side effect of the 5mg was the demon belches, and after three weeks they were completely gone. Also my appetite really decreased. Sometimes I didn't want to eat.
YOU HAVE TO EAT!!!
I can't stress this enough. Skipping meals will only lead to malnutrition, and make your health worse. Even if you don't feel like eating, eat something. A little bit of cheese or half an apple. Chicken, anything!
I finished my 5mg went up to 7.5mg after a month. The only side effect I had was the demon belches, and again, after three weeks they went away. I really started losing weight then.
I was on a roll and ready to jump up to 10 mg. . . That is where the big problems started.
The first week on the 10mg I started having, what I call, trauma dreams. They are not really nightmare's in the traditional sense, but they are not pleasant and they put me in a foul mood. After of a week of that fun my emotional state started to change.
I have a generalize anxiety disorder that measures off the charts, major depression, another type of depression I can't remember what it is a called, and PTSD. And Zepbound was rendering my anxiety medicine ineffective.
It started with thinking everyone at work hated me. That my boss was always upset at me, and that my friends were just tolerating me, and actually found me annoying. Then started the racing thoughts, and for over a week I was not in a very fun place.
I contacted my doctor right away. I'm very aware of my moods and mental struggles, I like to nip it in the butt before it can get to a dangerous place. I have been suicidal in the past, and I don't ever want to let things go to that place again. And it's very important to keep your doctor in the loop about this stuff, especially when changing medications or increasing doses. They need to know what is going on with you.
Now, I also had the added benefit of this happening to my friend at work, so she really thought it was the Zepbound. My doctor got back to me right away, and we set up a telehealth call. I told her what was going on with me, how much I was spinning out of control, and my belief it was the Zepbound. Right away we put a plan into place. She put in a script to go back down to the 7.5 mg, and if that didn't work we had other meds ready and waiting for me.
See, when you take your shot (once a week) the first few days the drug is really strong. You can feel the effects, but as the week goes on you can feels them lessen as well. When it started getting close to my next shot (which I was going down to the 7.5 mg) my mood started improving. The day after I took the lower dose I felt amazing!
I was back to my old self with a few days, and I was so damn happy to be my old self.
Now I will say that I really haven't lost any weight the last two weeks. I'm still at 266.8 lbs. But that's okay. You don't lose pounds every week, and there is another reason for my lack of weight loss.
See, in 2017 I was diagnosed with PCOS ( Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome). I had started bleeding very shortly after one of my periods and didn't stop for three months. After months of testing the result was PCOS. Which is a hormone imbalance is the simplest way of putting it. My body makes too much testosterone. There is a lot of side effects associated with PCOS, one of which is irregular or painful periods, and weight gain. Because of this I was put on Provera and a testosterone blocker. I have since gone off the blocker because it was hurting my kidneys, but I'm still on the Provera and I haven't had a period in SEVEN years!!
I'm a happy bitch, trust me.
However; I have lost a good 41 lbs and my body is responding to that. I can't be a 100% sure, but I know I ovulated last week because my hormones' were all over the place. I HATED IT!!!
While I'm not happy about it this is a good sign. It means my body is healing from all the damage PCOS has done to it, and it's all thanks to Zepbound. With my hormones all over the place and the standard bloating that comes with that, I'm not surprised I didn't lose anything last week. So I'm not worried about it, because it's a good, bitter-sweet, sign.
I hope this helps those that on the fence about taking Zepbound. I realize side effects are different for everyone, and these are just my experiences with it. There is still more to come though guys. I will have to go up to 10 mg at some point and my doctor and I are working on a plan for that.
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