Okay to stay on a tiny dose of Ozempic?

Eddie09

Eddie09

Well-known member
OK so, I'm on Ozempic for weight loss, but I'm not super overweight to begin with (5'2", 135lbs). I'm a little nervous about increasing my dose to what they recommend because of the side effects I'm dealing with.

I got my prescription through one of those online places, and they started me at 8 units for the first two weeks, then I'm supposed to go up to 12 units for two weeks, then to 16, then to 25. I took my second dose of 8 units almost a week ago, and I'm finally starting to get some side effects that I can't seem to shake. I wanted to go up to 12, and then just chill there.

I've been eating a ton of protein, staying really hydrated, doing everything they said - but for the past few days I've been feeling super dizzy, sick to my stomach, and having headaches. The idea of a higher dose makes me feel even worse. Even with the tiny dose I'm on now, I can tell it's working because my appetite has really gone down. Should I talk to the online doctors about this? I'm worried they'll just tell me to stop completely, which I don't want to happen.

Just to make it clear: They use units instead of mg. 8 units (what I'm on now) is 0.2 mg.
 
Hey there,

A few things to consider:

1) It's totally fine to stick with the lowest dose that's working for you. No need to go higher if you're seeing results.

2) I'd suggest logging your doses in an app. It can help you keep track of how much medication is active in your system. I use glapp.io

3) Like others have said, mg is the actual amount of medication. That's the number that matters. (Ml is just the volume, which can vary). Check out FatScientist.com - it does the calculations for you!

4) Sometimes those heavily advertised companies aren't the best deal. You can often get the same meds, from the same pharmacy, without the monthly fees and markups. Shop around! Here's a good place to start:
 
The most important rule in medicine is to use the smallest dose that is effective, so yes, you absolutely can stay at a lower dose if it's working for you.
 
If you're already seeing appetite suppression and losing weight on your current dose, there's usually no medical reason to rush to a higher dose that's going to make you feel awful. The goal is the minimum effective dose, not the maximum dose you can tolerate.
 
I was on 0.5mg for a really long time, like 6 years, before I went up to 1mg (and I've been on 1mg for over a year now). It was working, so I didn't see any reason to increase it. Plus, with the shortages, staying at 0.5mg was a safer bet, until the 1mg pens were back in stock.

When Health Canada said the shortages were over, I asked to go up a dose because my background insulin wasn't changing since I started back in 2018. My endocrinologist agreed to try 1mg to see if it would help, and it did lower it. I'm down about 30lbs and up 28 lbs for my core strength. So things are going well!
 
Stay at the low dose until the side effects are better. Then, you can slowly increase the dose. Going up slower is fine.
 
Some people do great on a small dose. Others don't.

I'm just gonna see what happens. I can always up the dose later if I'm not happy with the results on a low dose.
 
Are you eating enough healthy carbs? Like rice, potatoes, pasta etc.? Lots of people cut carbs too much and focus only on protein.
 
What are "units"? That's not usually how it's prescribed. It's usually in mg, or maybe ml if it's regular injections and not a pen.

So, I can't say anything about your dose.

But, in general, if a dose is working, you can definitely stay on it. Some people just need less. And if it's just because of side effects, you can stay on a lower dose for a while until your body gets used to it, then increase again.
 
JerseyJoeV said:
Are you eating enough healthy carbs? Like rice, potatoes, pasta etc.? Lots of people cut carbs too much and focus only on protein.
Click to expand...

Good point. I have definitely seen people getting lightheaded from not eating enough. Ozempic suppresses appetite so much that you have to make sure you are still eating enough.
 
Thanks for the reminder to not overeat!
Scale_Jail_Break said:
I totally agree with the "less is more" approach. I'm actually about to *lower* my dose soon. It's about finding what works for you.
Click to expand...

It's so easy to eat way too much before I realize I'm full. I forget I don't need as much food anymore!
 
Thanks everyone for the advice! I feel a lot better about staying at this dose for a while. I'm going to focus on managing the side effects and making sure I'm eating enough, like @JerseyJoeV said. I'll reach out to the online doctor too, just to keep them in the loop.
 
I think Mounjaro works best for people who just take the drug and don't do much else. But if you're actually doing the work, staying in a calorie deficit, moving, eating clean, it depends. Some folks see better results with Ozempic that way, others with Mounjaro. Honestly I'd recommend starting with Ozempic and switching only after you've maxed it out and been plateaued on the highest dose for at least 2 months.
 
Mounjaro tends to work better for people who only rely on the medication without other weight loss efforts. If you're also doing the work - running a deficit, exercising, eating well - your results may differ. Some folks find Ozempic better, others find Mounjaro works best. I'd recommend starting with Ozempic and switching only after you've plateaued for a couple months at the highest dose.
 
Thanks for answering. I'm hoping for the same thing. Interested in trying lower amounts on a more frequent schedule. Seems like it might work well. How did your transition feel between 2.5 and 5?
 
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