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People Are Getting Brutally Honest About Their Experiences On GLP-1s, And Its So Informative
Originally developed to treat Type 2 Diabetes, GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have completely changed the conversation around weight loss. For the first time, obesity is increasingly being viewed and treated as a medical condition rather than a lack of personal willpower — a shift many believe has already contributed to America’s declining obesity rate in recent years.
Peter Dazeley
Whether in your own social circles or across the media, we’ve all seen the dramatic before-and-afters of people on GLP-1s, but the day-to-day reality in between is far less visible. That’s why we recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share what they wish they knew before starting GLP-1s. Here’s how the medication changed 33 peoples’ lives in ways they never, ever expected — for better and for worse.
1. “I’ve been taking GLP-1s because of my diabetes, and I’ve dealt with the usual side effects (diarrhea, nausea, etc.), but the weirdest one I’ve had is sulphur burps. When I was first put on Ozempic, I had two weeks of burps that tasted like sulphur, no matter what I ate.”
Nicoletaionescu / Getty Images/iStockphoto
—Anonymous, 41, Male, Vancouver
2. “I started taking generic Ozempic because I had insulin resistance and was on my way to pre-diabetes. I was not overweight, ate well, and exercised regularly. For me, it was just luck of the draw. I have multiple autoimmune conditions, and I’m at high risk for developing more. Something I didn’t realize when I started taking it is that GLP-1 medications lower inflammation throughout your body. So not only did my food noise drop and my insulin resistance disappear, but my A1C inflammation marker went down into the ‘not inflamed’ zone.”
“Ozempic put my other autoimmune illnesses into remission, which is something years of careful dieting and supplementation never quite achieved. I’m now on a low dose of tirzepatide (Mounjaro) indefinitely. I never wanted to be on a medication long term, but this is SO WORTH IT for me. I’ve never felt and been healthier during my adult life.”
—Anonymous, 35, Woman, Texas
3. “I know there may be some serious side effects for some users, and for some, the medications might just not work, but there are people like me for whom they worked wonders. I lost almost 100 pounds in a slow, healthy manner with no serious side effects. Yes, I am on a low-dose maintenance prescription that I will likely be on for a long time, but for me, it was totally worth it. I also had a gastric bypass about 20 years before with similar results, and the GLP-1 journey has been so much easier.”
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—Anonymous, 41, Female, North Carolina
4. “When I went off GLP-1s between October and January, I gained all 50 pounds back. My endocrinologist couldn’t believe that. That being said, $50 for a 3-month supply saves me about $200 a month because I’m buying fewer groceries and ordering less takeout. The food noise being lessened has made me more efficient at work, and my perimenopause hot flashes and acne have cleared up.
—Anonymous, 39, Female, Maryland
5. “My husband was on Mounjaro for about 9 months to a year before he started to feel just lousy all the time, tired, had no energy, and had stomach pains. He went to the doctor, and she sent him for a sonogram of his abdominal area. No issues were found, so she told him to stop Mounjaro. All his issues disappeared! It turns out his symptoms were all side effects of the medication.”
—Anonymous, 65, Female, Massachusetts
6. “I am taking a GLP-1 to reduce chronic inflammation from long-covid, so I’m not really interested in it for weight loss or diabetic treatment reasons. I knew when starting the medication that I would lose weight, but I didn’t expect the nausea, constipation, which turned into diarrhea, and vomiting that occurred in my first couple of months on Tirzepatide. I almost thought about quitting because while my inflammation was reduced, I was always nauseous and constantly going to the bathroom. It took 3 to 4 months for these symptoms to subside.”
Nicoletaionescu / Getty Images/iStockphoto
—Anonymous, 28, Woman, Georgia
7. “I wish someone had warned me that the food noise DOES return after stopping the medication.”
—Anonymous, 32, Female, Atlanta, Georgia
8. “Taking GLP-1s has given me a cornucopia of bodily functions. Burps that rattle windows, random hiccups in the middle of nowhere, all that air from my own derierre. I’ve had great success losing weight on Wegovy, though, and my other side effects have been minimal, so I’m fine with the havoc it wreaks on my digestive system.”
—Anonymous, 49, Female, New Jersey
9. “I haven’t been on GLP-1s, but my wife has, and no one ever told us how alcohol can affect you WAY more when you’re on them. Seriously, be careful when drinking until you know what your new limit is. I’ve heard some real horror stories about other people also learning that the hard way.”
Alvaro Medina Jurado / Getty Images
—Anonymous, 32, Female, Idaho
10. “The medicine may make you drop pounds, but it doesn’t cure body dysmorphia. Logically, I know I’ve lost weight. I’m down 3 sizes, I have more energy, I feel better, but every time I look in the mirror, all I see is a girl who is overweight. When they tell you you really have to put in the work, they mean it. It’s an everyday struggle to remind myself of my progress.”
—Anonymous, 33, Female, Virginia
11. “I wish I knew how much my skin would start sagging after losing the weight, even though I work out. I look so much older.”
—Anonymous, 59, Female, USA
12. “I wish I knew that as soon as I went off GLP-1s, I would gain weight back twice as fast as I ever had in the past. I also experienced increased migraines and arthritis pain after stopping the medication.”
—Anonymous, 36, Female, Minnesota
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13. “I worried it would feel like ‘cheating’ to lose weight from GLP-1s, but it doesn’t. It feels like I was finally taught what it’s like not to have ‘food noise’ all the time. It showed me what a disadvantage I was at compared to people who don’t have obsessive thoughts about food. It never had anything to do with willpower. The signals in your brain about food can get mixed up for many reasons. People who think it’s just about willpower have no empathy or idea what it’s like to have food insecurity or other food-related anxiety.”
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—Anonymous, 30, Female, Arizona
14. “I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life. I also have bad eating habits, and I hoped the medication would fix everything. When I started taking GLP-1s, I stopped feeling hunger pains, but I still craved food to carry me through boredom, loneliness, and anger. I basically continued eating the same amount while on the meds and ended up with less money, more nausea, and a worse self-image than what I started with. There is a reason they say a healthy diet and exercise is the way to go, and that’s what I plan to do from now on.”
—Anonymous, 36, Female, Florida
15. “I wish someone had told me that you don’t have to lose muscle mass while losing weight on the shot. So many people, women especially, take the GLP-1 medication and do cardio, lose weight quickly, and get upset at losing so much muscle mass as well. However, if you add in strength training 3 to 5 times a week, meet protein and calorie goals daily, you can lose the weight AND gain muscle while on the medication.”
—Anonymous, 35, Female, USA
16. “When I started the medication, I learned that doctors are given a strict schedule where you start at 0.25mg, then after 4 weeks move up to 0.5mg, and so on until you’re at the max dose. They use this same schedule for everyone, but everyone reacts to the medication differently: some get sicker than others at different doses and lose weight at different rates.”
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“When I was due for my first increase, I was still feeling nauseous and struggling to reach my calorie minimum, so I called my doctor and asked to stay at the same dose for a little longer. That was 5 months ago, and I have now lost 40 pounds at the lowest dose. I still have some food noise and cravings, but this has allowed me to practice handling them with some training wheels rather than just quitting cold turkey at the max dose once my coverage ends. So, people considering GLP-1s should know: You don’t have to increase your dose just because that’s what the schedule says. Listen to your body and do what works for you.”
—Anonymous, 38, Female, Ontario
17. “It shocked me how much people who aren’t on GLP-1s and aren’t doctors think they know about the medications. There’s always someone saying, ‘You’re taking something away from someone who needs it for diabetes,’ when in reality, there is no shortage. People also say GLP-1s will make you anorexic, but I don’t think that’s true for the vast majority of people on them. And lastly, there’s a widespread belief that you will have horrible side effects, but a lot of us don’t. It’s like any other medicine — there’s lots of different experiences, but some are just positive!”
—Anonymous, 35, Female, Connecticut
18. “I wish someone had told me that once you start, you can’t stop. It’s a lifelong medication; otherwise, you gain the weight back.”
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—Anonymous, 41, Male, Pennsylvania
19. “I wish someone had told me that GLP-1s are fucking amazing. I declined them for so long because I was afraid of these scary side effects or that my muscles would all deteriorate. I am quite overweight and have never had anything work until now. Imagine if there was a shot that could cure heroin addiction or gambling addiction —that is what GLP-1s feel like for food.”
“Food anxiety from a childhood of food insecurity no longer runs my life. So, I wish people would stop assuming it’s just bad. For many people, it is a hope that we’ve never felt before! I will happily take it for the rest of my life if needed.”
—Anonymous, 34, Female, Rhode Island
20. “I didn’t expect people to be so discouraging about my decision to take GLP-1s. It seems like everyone has an opinion on Ozempic, and they’re often quick to share their unfiltered views and judgments. Most commonly, I’ll get told that I’ll just gain all the weight back when I stop the meds. Even though I’m also working with my doctor, my dietician, and consistently exercising with plenty of strength training to make sure I can come off and maintain, people discount it all the second they hear that a GLP-1 is involved.”
—Anonymous, 29, Female, Toronto
21. “I wish someone had told me not to be so scared. Hindsight is 20/20. I didn’t even realize the ways I wasn’t doing well until I lost the weight. I held off on starting until a family member and I discussed all of my reasons for not wanting to start GLP-1s, and they said, ‘Anyone can find a reason not to do something,’ and they were right.”
“Yes, the drug has side effects, but one and a half years later, I feel wonderful in a way I didn’t even know I could. I wish this had been available to me 10+ years ago. There will always be people who will shame or judge people for taking GLP-1s, but ultimately, the way I feel now, thanks to this medication, makes it all worth it. As my family member said to me, ‘The risks and side effects of obesity are far more common and deadly than any risk from a GLP-1.'”
Photo By Alex Tihonov / Getty Images
—Anonymous, 36, Female, Canada
22. “When I was pregnant with my second child at 28, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. After I had him, I had a really hard time maintaining my sugar levels and blood pressure, and was later diagnosed with diabetes at age 30. I have always been a runner, have eaten relatively healthily, and had never been overweight. But my blood work was horrible… I went to my doctor crying, and they prescribed me Ozempic. I have been on it for 4 years now, and it has changed my life. I lost 30 pounds, and my blood pressure is fantastic. My bloodwork looks great. I finally feel like my body is doing what it is supposed to.”
—Anonymous, 39, Female, Georgia
23. “I was not prepared for the amount of nausea I would feel while adjusting to the meds! I understand the role of GLP-1s is to drastically curb your appetite, but it’s a constant battle with nausea as you work to acclimate your body.”
—Anonymous, 46
24. “On the one hand, I felt amazing and lost a ton of weight on GLP-1s, but I also got incredibly constipated, which led to what became chronic anal fissures. It caused excruciating, debilitating pain for months and months. I had to have surgery to cut the muscles in my butthole so that they could finally heal, and it took months of being off the GLP-1s for the medicine to fully leave my system and for my poops to return to normal. I had no idea that was a possible side effect, but the colorectal surgeon I worked with said she is seeing a huge increase in the rate of cases due to the popularity of GLP-1s.”
—Anonymous
25. “I wish I had known how easy it would be for me to quit smoking on GLP-1s! It only took a couple of weeks to wean off cigarettes; I just do not want them anymore. I lost weight WHILE quitting smoking, killing two birds with one stone! My doctor said it hasn’t been tested yet, but there is some anecdotal evidence that it does help people quit smoking.”
Alvaro Medina Jurado / Getty Images
—Anonymous
26. “GLP-1s were a game changer for me. I have struggled with PCOS and my weight since I was 17 years old. In my life, I have dieted and worked out a ton, and still could never get down to a ‘normal’ BMI. It’s torture constantly thinking about the food I’m eating and the guilt associated with it. GLP-1s changed all of that for me! I am eternally grateful.”
(Cont’d) “The mild nausea is worth it. It just makes me not want to eat. Sometimes, food actually grosses me out. But I never see that as a problem. I eat small amounts of foods that make me happy, and I feel no guilt! I feel healthy and strong. And the best side effect of all… after trying for 6 years, I ended up conceiving naturally and am due with my first child in a month! My zepbound baby for sure!”
D3sign / Getty Images
—Anonymous, 36, Female, San Francisco Bay Area
27. “I’m a big guy, like really big, and I was prescribed Zepbound for sleep apnea. I thought I’d start losing weight right away, but I was surprised that I didn’t lose a single pound in 3 months! Turns out, it can take a while to find the right dose for your body, especially if you have a lot of extra weight. If you aren’t losing weight immediately, talk to your doctor — you may need a higher dose.”
—Anonymous, 41, Male, Pennsylvania
28. “I wish someone had warned me about how weird it is to see yourself in the mirror looking like a different person. I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life, and it’s just so jarring to compare photos from a year ago and not recognise yourself. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, but I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”
—Anonymous, 32, Female, Liverpool, UK
29. “I didn’t expect how much judgment I would get from people. Everyone assumes you take the medicine and the weight comes off without any work. What they don’t realize is that I wake up by 5 every morning and work out for an hour. I still have to watch what I eat.”
—Anonymous, 34, Male, Oklahoma
30. “An unexpected side-effect I’ve experienced is apathy. I have not been able to cry in months, even though I want to. Also, heightened anxiety generally.”
—Anonymous, 37, Female, Pennsylvania
31. “The side effects during the first month were brutal. I had to pull over to the side of the road several times or rush to the bathroom because of the sudden onset of sickness. Also, Ozempic face. I lost a lot of weight, and because of my age, my skin sags and I have a big turkey neck. With all that being said, I would do it again because my A1C numbers have been great.”
—Anonymous, 65, Male. Concord, North Carolina
32. “I’ve been on both Wegovy and Mounjaro at different times, and now, I get almost no pleasure from food. I don’t miss it, though. Specifically, it made me realize that fast food doesn’t taste good — it’s just very addictive. I cut down massively on drinking because, again, I don’t get any addictive pleasure from it anymore.”
“The worst thing I’ve experienced during my GLP-1 journey is the ignorance about it just being ‘a diabetic drug,’ and people thinking I’m somehow taking it away from someone when I’m spending my own money and improving my health. My mum is an insulin-dependent diabetic (initially gestational), and I did a Master of Science module in diabetic management. I am not taking anything away from anyone.”
33. And finally, “After starting on GLP-1s, food is no longer any fun to me. Cooking for my family is now a huge chore; there’s no enjoyment in having dinner. I would rather eat a small snack from the pantry. I also stopped enjoying eating dinner out with friends/family. I enjoy the time with them, but would rather be doing anything else than eating!”
Skynesher / Getty Images
—Anonymous, 30, Female, Dallas, Texas
You should always consult your doctor before making medical decisions. That said, we hope these stories made you feel seen if you’ve experienced something similar, or more informed if you’re deciding whether GLP-1s may be right for you.
If you have anything else to add, we would love to hear about your experience on GLP-1s in the comments, or using the anonymous form below. Your response could be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post.
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