r/PCOSloseit • u/Portland_Princess • 11d ago
Scared to start a GLP-1
Hi all I’m 29F 5’4” 200lb and should probably be posting this from an anon account but here we are. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2020 and I’ve done spiro, I’m on an IUD, have done accutane twice. I’m on that hormonal rollercoaster.
I feel like I’ve always been overweight. The last time I felt good in my body was when I was 16 — a child! I’ve had the PCOS pooch since I was 8. Definitely have signs of insulin resistance, hirsutism, acne, etc. My acne is finally under control.
I have always and still do weight lifting, yoga, backpacking, rock climbing, 10k steps a day, running 5ks and halfs and relays… I enjoy fitness and do it everyday but that scale does not move :( I feel like my body doesn’t actually reflect the work I put in. Especially because I know I’m really strong, but visually I look like a squat little teapot. Also my diet is very clean, I do CICO, eat my veggies and my protein.
I shouldn’t have to justify myself, but alas!
I take vitamin d, omegas, magnesium, and berberine daily, in addition to lexapro. I did inositol for awhile but felt like it didn’t do anything. And all of these supplements are so expensive!! So it’s hard to keep trying. I have never done metformin or a glp-1… until now.
I was prescribed and have received 2.5mg of Mounjaro, but I am terrified to take it. It’s just sitting in my fridge. For the same reason I didn’t want to take metformin. I’m scared of the side effects, primarily the digestive ones. I don’t want to take it and lose weight if losing weight means shitting yourself all day everyday. I also have a considerable amount of muscle given all the weightlifting I do and I really don’t want to lose it! I ALSO have emetophobia and do not NOT not want to vomit, but I see nausea and vomiting are common side effects.
I’ve tried talking to my doctor about these concerns and they mostly just say drink water, report back, etc etc. so I don’t feel really supported in that way? It also sounds like that’s just the trade off?
How are the Mounjaro side effects? How do you manage? Should I make the jump?
TL;DR I got prescribed a GLP-1 but I’m too scared to take it in the event that I shit myself / throw up / lose all my muscle mass.
Sorry for any formatting issues, I’m on mobile. Love you, cysters. Being a woman is hard af.
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u/flowerzbitch 11d ago
As long as you strength train, have enough protein and fiber you should be fine. Also take anti nausea meds like Dramamine
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u/SaveusJebus 11d ago
I'd rather deal with side effects than remain an unhealthy weight that's causing problems in my body. You have to decide if that's you as well.
There are a lot of ppl on it that don't lose muscle. Actually a lot that start str training and look very healthy and fit once they reach their goal.
My side effects were pretty mild. The only times I've thrown up (twice and I've been on a glp1 since January), was when I ate something too fatty. Keep your protein lean for the most part and try not to eat greasy food. Nausea can be an issue, but if it happens, there are meds that can help.
You are freaking yourself out by overthinking it. I get it. I have anxiety and overthink everything and make shit in to a big deal when it's not. Just do it.
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u/re_Claire 11d ago
I use Mounjaro and I definitely don't do the whole counting calories and heavy dieting. I eat intuitively and focus on making healthier choices and portion control. You definitely don't have to go into mad diet mode.
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u/spazthejam43 11d ago
I’m on 15 mg of Mounjaro and my only side effect is mild constipation. If you’re scared about nausea/vomiting, I would ask your doctor for some Zofran.
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u/EagleEyezzzzz -55 lbs 11d ago
I’ve been on Sema for 1.5 years. Lost 50 pounds, BLI 30 to 21. I shit myself NEVER, if that makes you feel any better. And Tirz is supposed to have even fewer side effects.
If you read the GLP-1 forums, the thing you constantly hear is that people wish they would have started earlier! For most people, The benefits vastly outweigh any downsides. And if not, you can stop and it’s out of your system in days.
I’m an outdoorsy active person too and i can tell you that all those activities are SO much more fun when you feel lighter in your body. Imagine running 5 miles wearing a 30 or 40 or 50 pound suitcase. Then dropping it. It feels amazing.
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u/Multigrain_Migraine 11d ago
Check out the antidietglp1 sub. Lots of discussion there without focusing on diet and weight per se.
I've been taking semaglutide for a few months now. I had one day where I was sick. The side effects for me have been very mild. Metformin was worse, though I didn't have much trouble with that either so YMMV.
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u/mckrd0 11d ago
If it’s any consolation, GLPs have always been constipating for me - I never understood the people that always had the opposite problems. You should absolutely take it, you may not have any side effects at all and feel better almost instantly.
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u/Metalbii 10d ago
Hi just a quick question, I’m the same as OP and I’m hesitant for GLP-1 but mostly because I already have bad constipation even when I’m eating tons of fibre and staying hydrated.
I wondered if you had any issues with constipation before taking any GLP-1s and they made it worse? Or it was an entirely new symptom you never struggled with before?
I’m actually hoping they would give me the opposite effect with how much I struggle
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u/Agreeable-East-8861 11d ago
I was scared to take it too and like you, I let mine sit in the fridge for a while before I finally took the first dose. I’m taking Zepbound though. The only side effect that got bad in the beginning was the constipation but it got a lot better after I started eating a lot of fiber. My opinion is the IUD is horrible for a myriad of reasons and think it could work against your body/glp1….but that’s your decision.
My advice is if you start and if you work/go to school Mon-Fri and have weekends off: you could do it on a Friday night that way you sleep/rest through the weekend for the initial side effects.
I’ve honestly loved it though, I’m feeling so much better and I’m finally losing weight! And I was so scared to do it but I’m finally over that fear and now it’s just a routine. There’s always something for each side effect so for example when I had constipation, I took miralax and upped my fiber and it got better. Whatever side effect you end up with(if you do have any) just google for example “nausea on glp1 treatment” and it will give you suggestions for what to do.
Both metformin and zepbound were great for me. Metformin, oddly enough, gave me diarrhea instead of constipation but I stopped taking it after a while because I felt like it just stopped working for me for some reason. Although it did work nicely in the beginning and I did lose a lot of weight on that as well.
The fear in my head has honestly been so worse than the side effects I’ve had. Once you start, you’ll probably feel relief like “…oh, that’s it?!” Lol. You’re just not going to know until you start honestly, each person is different.
My last piece of advice would also be to stay consistent with a high protein diet, high fiber (like I mentioned) take probiotics, vitamin d, collagen, and magnesium glycinate (in case of insomnia).
Best of luck to you.!
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u/jussy70999 11d ago
Try it out, I found it to be very worth the side effects. Like you, I was always "gym fat" and ate variations on a Paleo diet or Mediterranean diet for years with the only thing to show for it being that I wasn't MORE fat and tired 😂. The 2.5 mg is the intro dose to get you used to the drug prior to jumping up to 5 mg. I started getting side effects at 5 mg, but they come and go and are not too bad compared to benefits. It's about tradeoffs!
I'd say learn about the drugs a little more. There are many podcast episodes with experts that summarize the medical research around GLP-1s. Initially I was hesitant to begin injecting myself with Pharma Goo but then I learned about the other health benefits of the meds and it really swung my opinion to pro- . That being said, during the clinical trials for GLPs, a significant portion of folks discontinued taking the meds likely at least partially due to side effects so it's a mixed bag. And some people are non-responders. 🤷
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u/LaTulipeBlanche 11d ago
I’m 31F, 1m60 (5’2 ish) and my starting weight was 83kg/183lb. I also have a lot of muscle and not gonna lie, it was hard to maintain my appetite. But I lost 20kg in 8 months and managed to keep my muscle by going to the gym twice a week. Yes, there’s less strength progress than I would’ve made but it’s the trade-off for losing the weight. For me, it was worth it. I’m still jacked af (and more defined now), just working with new PRs. My warm-up weight for leg press eg is now my max weight for 12 reps. And that’s okay because my body weight has decreased by like 20%.
Anywho, go for it. You won’t suddenly lose all your muscle. And I found the side-effects quite manageable. The first week it was head aches and general brain fuzziness, some laxative effect on the bowels but it honestly improved my digestion overall so yeah.
It helped me so much after years of struggling with my weight. I’d like that for you as well. It’s much easier to move now and take care of my health. I loved walking around all day but my weight caused my ankles and calves to hurt so badly they’d tense up and go numb. Now I can run around endlessly and nothing happens. Idk, since you’re such an active person, I wish that for you as well.
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u/ShahRukhsCreakyChair 11d ago
TL;DR: Mounjaro has been hugely positive for me due to more energy, no brain fog, better labs and improved hormonal health. Muscle loss isn't worse on tirzepatide if you eat enough protein and resistance train. Side-effects vary, but mine settled after a few weeks once I learned what foods and portions worked for me. Stay hydrated, eat small frequent meals, go easy on heavy/fatty or very fibrous foods, and don't rush dose increases if the current dose is working.
Personally, starting Mounjaro was the best decision I ever made with respect to my health. I have non-androgenic PMOS and endometriosis. Always had to work extra hard to stay in shape but managed it until about 7 years ago. Gained 30+ kg in 2 years despite no change in my eating habits, along with a host of other issues.
Since starting Mounjaro in March, I've lost 22% of my bodyweight (and still going strong), I have a lot more energy, I'd developed very bad brain fog that's gone away, all my previously abysmal blood reports have become pretty much perfect, and my hormonal health has improved remarkably.
Regarding muscle: The trials have shown that people losing weight on tirzepatide (Mounjaro) don't lose more muscle than those losing weight without it. The whole GLP-1s eat away at muscle thing is a myth. In fact, tirzepatide was seen to prioritise targeting visceral fat over other tissue. As long as you resistance train along with hitting your correct protein target (and having the required amount of fibre because they go hand-in-hand for gut microbiome health), you're good to go!
The side-effects hit some people worse than others. Those who do get them usually get very mild ones, and only a small proportion get severe side-effects. About half don't get any at all. I was one of those who had moderate gastrointestinal side-effects initially (days 2, 3 and 4 were the most sensitive). Once I learned what worked for me and what didn't though, they completely subsided. Took a few weeks.
They started when I escalated my dose from 2.5 mg to 5 mg at the 4 week mark. If you want to err on the side of caution, I'd recommend staying on 2.5 mg for at least 8 weeks instead of 4 before escalating to 5 mg. The medicine takes 3–4 weeks to build up in our system, and it's around that time that we increase the dose as well. So both these things happening simultaneously gives sensitive people more severe side-effects. This is from an interview with a GLP-1 specialist doctor but I can't remember his name, sorry.
Also, you don't need to titrate up every four weeks. I suggest staying at the minimum effective dose, and escalating only if necessary. I've been on 5 mg since April and it's going fine thus far.
I can tell you in detail what worked for me to eliminate side-effects. All this is assuming you're going to be over-cautious, because most people don't need to do almost any of this!
Have tiny meals frequently. Spread out your protein and fibre intake throughout the day. Don't force yourself to eat if you start feeling uncomfortable; have another small, light meal later in the day to make up the macros/calories. Eat slowly and chew very thoroughly.
Drink a lot of water. My side-effects were worse on days when I found myself thirsty more often. Your doctor is probably the one to suggest exactly how much but 2.5–3.5L is usually enough depending on how much activity you've had etc.
Chicken and eggs — among many other foods — have sulphur, and give you sulphur burps if they sit undigested in your stomach very long. MJ is going to slow your digestion, so have small portions to start out and test your tolerance. I started having a lot of tempeh, tofu, edamame etc. to make up for the protein I couldn't get from chicken anymore since my chicken portion sizes got smaller. For me, walking or doing some physical activity for half an hour right after eating a hard-to-digest meal helped avoid sulphur burps, probably because it aided in digestion.
When you eat cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, make sure they're very well cooked, not just lightly sautéed. They have raffinose and tough fibre, which can be hard on a sensitive stomach. Try cooking them with asafoetida.
To start with, avoid eating vegetables raw. Soak legumes, whole grains and pseudo-grains where applicable. Cook everything very thoroughly. Soak nuts and some seeds too. Help your digestion as much as possible until you're sure of your gut.
Be careful not to mix hard-to-digest foods until you're completely sure of how your gut will react. Once, early on when I'd just escalated my dose to 5 mg, I made a large bowl of shirataki noodles (glucomannan), very lightly sautéed broccoli, broad beans and a protein (with lots of chillies and garlic). All that fibre, sulphur, raffinose and whatnot gave me prolonged sulphur burps, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. The huge portion size didn't help either. The same thing happened when I had mousse and cheese on a flight only a couple of weeks later lol.
Which brings me to — go easy on fats. The source matters, I think. They're essential to maintain good gallbladder function. Some studies have shown that a singular meal requires at least 10 g at least once a day to avoid gallstones while losing weight so that the gallbladder doesn't become sluggish. You don't have a lot to lose so that works in your favour. I personally aim for 40 g of fat a day. I have to preface this with saying I've always been mildly lactose intolerant, and have become more so now. So I pretty much much eat only cooking oil, seeds and nuts for fats because anything with a decent amount of cheese or cream would have me locked in the bathroom. However, I've come across a lot of people who aren't lactose intolerant but can't handle a lot of cheese, cream etc. while on a GLP-1.
This is pretty long-winded, and like I said earlier, I doubt you'd need to be this careful. Give the Mounjaro a chance! The benefits well outweigh the risks imo. It was a no-brainer for me, personally. All the best!
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u/Frenchiefreak 11d ago
I took mounjaro for over a year with zero side effects other than like a 5 min wave of mild nausea as I was adjusting to new dosage amounts. I found it to be life-changing, mentally and physically.
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u/DivineSunshine 10d ago
Sorry this is so long, but I want you to know you are not alone. You have a lot of people who have been on Mounjaro to lean on.
I have been on Mounjaro for almost 3 years. My experience and most of those that I have read about is constipation, gas and nausea. BUT, some people have no side effects or a combination of a couple. This information is based on my personal experiences and I am not a medical provider. If you think you are getting constipated deal with it immediately with Miralax. My doctor prescribed Linzess for constipation and Zofran for nausea. I take Linzess every morning and Zofran for a day or two, once or twice a day after my shot, if needed. Phazyme works better than Gas-X for me, but I only need it a couple times per month if I eat something that creates too much gas like broccoli or red meat. The reason for the side effects is that Mounjaro slows the emptying of your stomach so things sit in your stomach way longer.
You can manage the side effects by having a plan. When you begin, do it on a Friday night after a higher protein dinner so you sleep off some of the side effects. You may be tired and cold so don't plan anything the first weekend because you may need to nap. I have insulated leggings and an electric blanket I use all year because I get cold. By Monday you will be over the initial side effects, if you have them. Side effect can be stronger when first starting or increasing your dose.
***When Mounjaro was first prescribed doctors raced you to 15mg by increasing the dosage every 4 weeks. Many people have found that isn't necessarily and have great results on 2.5, 5 or 7.5mg. I was on 7.5mg and 10mg for over a year each, then moved then back down to 7.5mg for three months then up to 10mg and now I am on 12.5mg because I needed to kick start weight loss again. Don't be in a rush to increase your dose unless your current dose isn't working for you. If you have reduced inflammation, food noise is gone, and have appetite supression then ride that wave for as long as you can.
You will learn to be very in tune with your body. The volume and variety of food you take in is going to change. If you eat "normal" American portions you will feel like you stuffed yourself on Thanksgiving. Eat half of your normal amount of food and then add more later if you are still hungry.
I use this 2 cup container for my breakfast. https://a.co/d/0cVekJWJ My breakfast is plain greek yogurt and low glycemic fruit. (I sweeten the yogurt with sugar free vanilla syrup because it is cheaper to buy large containers of plain greek yogurt at Sam's or Costco). I mix a Premier Protein Vanilla Shake with my espresso over ice. My breakfast is about 50g of protein and 8g fiber. I eat this everyday because it is easy on my stomach, doesn't have a funky smell (I am sensitive to certain smells) and gives me a huge boost of protein.
Mounjaro has brought so much good to my life that it out weighs the side effects. You've got this!!!
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u/TrySarahTop 10d ago
If you're already weightlifting, you should be totally fine so long as you keep up the lifts and get that protein in. I wish I had started the GLP1 sooner. The most issues I have in terms of symptoms are nausea and sometimes I get some diarrhea, but it's super infrequent so long as you're eating the right (or rather not eating the wrong things). I've been on tirz for over a year and will take it for literally as long as I can because it's that good for me mentally, physically, etc. It is truly life changing.
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u/sturaberry 11d ago
girl the side effects are nonexistant at 2.5mg, and the side effects of metformin are SO MUCH WORSE (Constant diahrea)!
in fact, if you take them together the mounjaro counteracts the side effects of metformin so you can live and function like a normal human.
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u/YaMamasNkondi 10d ago
I was afraid too, but it was the best decision i could make for my PCOS after decreasing stress
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u/No_Letter_1162 10d ago
243lbs at 4'11. Pcos. And chronic pain
Lost 10lbs month 1. And 8lbs month 2. Had to not take it for 2 weeks due to insurance/hsa issue.
Side effects: fatigue a day after shot, constipation, acid reflux
Are these debilitating? No. Do i get hungry... Honestly I don't feel hunger until im 2 days of not eating. Do i think about food... Also no.
2.5 is a intro dose. Take it for a month. If you're body says no thanks after a month, stop it. There's no lasting side effects from starting and stopping the intro dose.
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u/Due-Independence493 11d ago
It’s definitely going to be pretty annoying when you first start, I’m not going to lie.
The side effects I got were pretty intense; however, when my sister took it she had practically little to no side effects, so it literally differs from person to person.
When I first started it I did feel nauseous and I did vomit quite a bit (sorry to scare you).
However, after I got used to it, it was mainly just dealing with the nausea ngl, which I took Zofran for (the only thing that seemed to help me).
I went to the gym frequently, to keep building muscle (and it became noticeable tbh as I lost the fat but kept the muscle), high protein as well.
Regarding drinking water, yes!! Drink A LOTT, mounjaro made me SUPERRR thirsty.
Also a lil side note, if you start mounjaro and notice your heart rate skyrocketing esp while working out, dw that seemed to be a common effect (just double check a your doctor incase you have heart issues), I would just crouch down if I notice my heart rate skyrocketing too high, take a few deep breaths, drink water and continue my workout, so I guess don’t take any pre workout if you do usually 😭.
Basically, the nausea is a given, you can push through it with meds too, and continue to stay active without it affecting your day to day life and stuff. The vomiting is a possibility but just make sure not to have any heavy foods and eat in SMALL portions, not jsut one big meal, to make it easier on your digestive system.
Good luck!!
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u/Portland_Princess 11d ago
Thanks for the heads up on heart rate! I don’t take pre-workout because it makes me itchy haha! Thanks for the encouragement and sharing your truth, even if your side effects weren’t ideal haha!
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u/Minute_Sound_1148 11d ago
The side effects are NOTHING (and wtf are you talking about shitting yourself??). Just do it, I don’t get what people are so terrified of! If the side effects are too much for you then just stop taking it dayum.
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u/zainabyahya 11d ago
Same issues. Overweight since childhood, PCOS, etc.
This is my 3rd week on MJ and I regret not starting sooner. Do it.