GLP-1 Side Effects, Setbacks and Starting Again

GLP-1 conversations are often presented as simple success stories.

You start the medication, the food noise gets quieter, the weight comes off, and everything moves in the right direction.

But for a lot of people, the reality is much more complicated.

In this episode of Life During and After GLP-1, I talk with Janette about a year that included Ozempic, Mounjaro, side effects, pharmacy changes, other medications, long COVID symptoms, fatigue, dehydration concerns, stopping, restarting, and trying to figure out what her body was actually responding to.

Janette shares how her first experience with Ozempic initially felt promising, including less food noise and some early weight loss, before other health issues and medication complications made it difficult to know what was causing what. She also talks about trying Mounjaro, dealing with hair loss and feeling physically unwell, and eventually stepping away from medications altogether for a period of time before deciding whether to try again.

One of the biggest themes in this conversation is how difficult it can be to separate the effects of a GLP-1 medication from everything else happening in your health at the same time.

That is why these conversations matter.

Not every experience is linear. Not every medication works the same way for every person. And sometimes the process includes a lot more troubleshooting, uncertainty, and restarting than the advertisements or social media posts make it seem.

Janette is now preparing to restart Ozempic again, with a different understanding of what has happened over the last year and a willingness to see how her body responds this time.

We also talk about something that matters just as much as the number on the scale.

How does your body actually feel while you are doing this?

This is a short conversation, but I think it reflects a side of the GLP-1 experience that a lot of people will recognize.