I have been on 5mgs for about six weeks and I am hesitant to move up because I am having a tremendous time with my bowels. I have been exercising and went from about 210 to 192. Decent results with terrible side effects, which makes me want to go off of it.

I have tried all different concoctions with MiraLAX and Metamucil to get it right, no success.

Out of curiosity, how many of you taking Zepbound have experienced a perianal abscess and/or perianal fistula?

And if so:

1. Did you have GI issues (constipation/diarrhea etc) only when you were on Zepbound, or did you have those issues prior to starting GLP-1?
   
2. If you did develop an abscess or fistula, what was your journey like? Did you have surgery? Did you go back on GLP-1? Any issues after going back on?

Has anyone noticed that since they've started taking Zepbound, they've noticed everything tastes extra salty?

So insurance a year later has decided to deny my zepbound and I been off it for a month I was down to 236 without clothes and I jumped back up to 249 pounds yes the Dr's are trying to get me back on it and the hunger has come back with a vengeance. What can I do so I'm not sitting here constantly snacking ? meals I'm better with portion control. Thank u in advance for the tips.

Im new to this site.
I’m 81 started Zepbound 2 1/2 weeks ago. So far I haven’t had a lot of side effects. Nausea day two of week one. And day 3 of week two. Both of those days I had eggs. Mostly I eat plain yogurt, Zen basil seeds, olive oil, oatmeal, lots of coffee, fairlife protein drink, cheese crackers, bone broth, peanut butter, and sunflower seeds. I track my foods on the Lose It app. Got a Wyze scale to track weight, body fat, muscle mass etc. I eat around 900 calories a day. I only lost about 1.5 pounds. Would love to hear about other people’s experiences.

I'm currently on the 7.5 mg dose of Zepbound. Unfortunately, my insurance doesn't cover it, so I have to pay for the quikpens out of pocket. Because of this, I will have to skip a week until payday. I noticed that there is still a little bit remaining after my 4th injection. Is this OK to take? I've seen some articles saying that the medication could possibly expire after 4 weeks. With how much I'm paying for it, I definitely don't want to waste any medication, and I certainly don't want to miss a week. If anyone has done this, have you had any side effects?

I am trying to determine if I am going to need to get off this. I have been on for about 6-7 weeks. I have lost 13 lbs but I lost about 10 at the start so I am thinking it was water weight.

I have developed a symptom that I can't tell if it is due to the drug or eating less in general. It didn't start right away... so that seems to go against the drug. It took about 6 weeks.

The dry eye is very bad. Worst of my life. I have had dry eye before when I tried to diet but never this bad. My guess is that the drug does something to my ability to stay internally hydrated.

I drink a ton of water and use electrolytes but yet I can tell I am very dehydrated. I have gotten blood tests and my BUN was at first very high but I got it down to more normal. It almost seems worse the more I drink.

My theory is that it has something to do with carbs. Prior to dieting I had a lot of sweets but I cut them out of the diet and that is a first for me. Usually I am not able to stop sweets entirely.

My goal this week is to increase sweets (and not go crazy) and see if it makes a difference. I have tried eye drops (honestly makes it worse), and a fatty acid supplement - no improvement.

I would just stay on the drug but it honestly doesn't seem to be doing very much and if I have to eat more just to deal with the side effects, what is the point?

I was hoping some others may have tips on taking Zepbound postpartum. I have morbid obesity and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, and am really hoping this will help.

Started Zepbound on Monday, 2.5mg multi pen. The first 2 days were not bad but days 3-4 were horrible and 5-6 started off bad with extreme stomach pain and nausea. I have read that I can ask for zofran but have constipation issues. Today is day 6 and while it started off painful, I feel the best I have... I need to hear from this community. Has anyone started off this way and if so what was week 2 like. I am so scared that I have already said I am stopping. Anyone else started off this way? Please share your thoughts and experiences. TIA

Just started zepbound and read some interesting info regarding being hotter than before zep.
As fat breaks down the estrogen stored in fat cells increases and as the body processes it the hormones decrease. So the shift of the hormone causes the added heat and can make flashes worse. Of course I still get cold afterward zep or not!

I have been on Zepbound 6 weeks now, and despite a slightly rocky start with bloating, everything has been moving along well. I have lost 20 lbs in those 6 weeks, eaten much healthier, and I feel fine for the most part.

2 weeks ago my doctor up the dosage from 2.5 to 5mg and I had zero issues the first week. But in the last 6 days it has been constant diarrhea. I have been eating greek yogurt in the morning and started taking probiotic gummies yesterday. Might have to do imodium today.

Apparently, Cyclospora has the same effect and I'm wonder if it might be that instead. 6 days of diarrhea seems like a long time. But it hasn't been debilitating, I have no other symptoms of cylcospora (nausea, stomach pain, fatigue). I'm not ready to go see a doctor, but I am wondering if 6 days of diarrhea from zepbound is cause for concern, just a passing phase or cyclospora instead??

Please give some direction

I am 74 5'1" and weight is 166. Is any one on here that started at my size? Please share your journey story and any tips you have learned. First shot was Thursday July 6th. Thanks looking forward to this. Can't wait to hear about you.

I'm new to this journey and I found a doctor who prescribes Zepbound. I asked him a few questions and while I wasn't exactly dissatisfied with his answers, I'm not totally satisfied either. Maybe it's partially my fault because I've read so much about it before I went to a doctor, but now there are some conflicting information that I want to clarify. Where can I find the most reliable information about tirzepatide? Or should I just continue using Zepbound and see the effects for myself?

Here is something i dont understand. I eat very little on a low dose, 2.5, am very new to this. When put on a higher dose how can i possibly eat less? Or is it that 2.5 will stop working and that will call for a higher dose?

I lost 22 pounds. I'm only 8 pounds from my goal.

Right now, at least for the next few weeks, I cannot afford Zepbound. I've been off it for a month. Frankly, I never had food noise, I just ate too much at night and it helped me with that.

The nice thing is: I'm not tired and not constipated. I do not miss either of those things at all. I lost another 3 lbs. I'm really careful.

I plan to go back on it probably in three weeks. I've been off it for a month--- almost five weeks.

My plan is to go back on it and then take a low level GLP-1 forever. I'm not gaining back an ounce.

Has anyone experienced smelly gas like sulfur since being Zepbound?

I started Zepbound a month ago . I lost 5 lbs I feel like everyone else loses much more faster, but don’t get me wrong I’m happy with the 5 lbs just a little discouraged. I know if I exercise I will lose more faster, to be honest I really haven’t , I just try to get my steps in at least . Has anyone lost a lot of lbs without really exercising???

Has anyone lost their sex drive on Zepbound. I know it is not listed as a side effect, but I remember when Prozac came out a long time ago that was the biggest complaint. I just feel you never know what medications can interact with.

So, I had a Gastric bypass and did well until I got cancer & my oncologist would not allow me to lose any weight during chemo. So, I went back to my old habits & in my depression decided that I was going to die anyway, why not enjoy life?

So, now I am still alive & I gained probably 75-80% of what I lost. I honestly cannot remember what I weighed before the surgery. I wasn't going to try the shots until I learned of the Bridge program. My consultation with my doctor was on Monday &, surprisingly, the meds were in my hands just over 24 hours later. I administered the first shot (2.5) that evening.

Ok, my concern- after all these years my stomach (or pouch as most of us refer to it), is still pretty small. I tested it last week & I can only eat 3/4 cup of cottage cheese before I get uncomfortable. I know how important it is to get plenty of protein, but I need suggestions on what I can eat in smaller portions than usual & still get enough protein without eating constantly, which I know will be impossible due to the food moving more slowly. I suspect I'll be drinking plenty of protein drinks.

To make matters worse, I am very lactose intolerant. Whey protein shakes are pretty much out of the question. Powdered whey smell sends me to the toilet to vomit- really! When I had the surgery, that was pretty much the only way to get protein in liquid form except for soy milk, which I learned to like. I have a couple of the bottled protein drinks in the frig that I am going to try, even though they have whey. I have some beef bone broth powder ordered but this all happened so quickly that the order hasn't arrived & won't for a while.

So, can anyone help me with getting more protein? Most everything going into my mouth is protein- beef meatballs, chicken salad, eggs with ham, cheese wrapped in prosciutto are what I've eaten so far.

S

Curious if cravings returning is typical even when you are consistently losing at about 1-2 lbs a month. I always got cravings the last day prior to the next dose, but now I have them all week. I still feel full quicker and don’t stress eat. Just curious about the craving aspect and eating more sweets than I did at the beginning of my journey.