Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) remedy that’s generally prescribed for folks with kind 2 diabetes to assist handle blood glucose (sugar) and A1c ranges and to handle insulin resistance.
Whereas authorised for kind 2 diabetes, Ozempic has additionally seen off-label use in kind 1 diabetes circumstances to handle comparable points, comparable to insulin resistance.
This off-label software has contributed to its rising recognition amongst a broader vary of individuals with diabetes, though such use just isn’t formally authorised by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA).
Listening to in regards to the lived expertise of somebody taking this remedy remains to be fairly uncommon.
Stevie Cook dinner, a authorized assistant in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, has lived with diabetes for the previous 23 years. Recognized with kind 1 diabetes on the age of 10, they’ve been utilizing Ozempic for the previous 15 months for diabetes administration, along with insulin pump remedy.
Stevie sat down with us to share their story.
How did you get began taking Ozempic?
Cook dinner was taken with exploring Ozempic for managing insulin resistance — a situation the place the physique requires extra insulin to take care of regular blood sugar ranges — and consulted their pharmacist, who believed it might be useful. Inspired by this, Cook dinner remarks, “So I approached my physician to start the dialogue.”
Many individuals with kind 1 diabetes develop a stage of insulin resistance much like that seen in kind 2 diabetes, particularly after managing the situation for a few years.
Ozempic and different GLP-1 drugs mimic the motion of hormones which can be naturally concerned in regulating starvation, emotions of fullness, insulin sensitivity, blood sugar ranges, and abdomen emptying. These hormones are sometimes poor in folks with each sorts of diabetes, which may complicate administration of the illness.
Learn extra about this remedy in: Every thing You Must Know About Ozempic.
This deficiency is why drugs like Ozempic will be helpful. They assist deal with insulin resistance and enhance blood sugar and A1c ranges (a measure of glucose management over the earlier 2 to three months).
Be taught extra about blood sugar ranges and A1c in: Blood Sugar Chart: Blood Sugar and A1c Targets.
Why did your physician need you to take Ozempic?
Overcoming doctor hesitancy is a big barrier for folks with diabetes, particularly these with kind 1 diabetes, in accessing drugs like Ozempic. This hesitancy stems from the truth that Ozempic is formally authorised by the FDA just for managing blood sugar ranges in folks with kind 2 diabetes.
Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of motion of Ozempic — the best way it impacts insulin secretion and blood glucose ranges — is comparable in each sorts of diabetes.
In consequence, many medical doctors think about prescribing the remedy “off-label” (with out FDA approval). That is notably frequent for folks with kind 1 diabetes who’re coping with insulin resistance and chronic excessive blood sugar ranges.
Analysis is ongoing to guage the effectiveness of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for treating kind 1 diabetes, with the hope that these research will result in FDA approval for this use. Such approval would simplify entry to those drugs for everybody with diabetes.
Cook dinner recounts, “My physician wasn’t too eager on prescribing it at first, however agreed we must always attempt it for insulin resistance and gave me a 3-month prescription to begin. That was 15 months in the past.”
Did you expertise any unwanted effects? Do you continue to?
Ozempic may cause quite a lot of antagonistic unwanted effects, particularly when first beginning the remedy. Cook dinner skilled a few of these results, noting, “I had loads of nausea and vomiting for the primary three to 4 weeks, however that has since dissipated.”
It is not uncommon for folks to expertise unwanted effects initially after they start taking the drug. These unwanted effects of Ozempic can embrace:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Decreased urge for food
- Low blood sugar (particularly should you additionally take insulin)
Usually, because the physique adjusts to the remedy, these unwanted effects usually subside on their very own. Nevertheless, it’s essential to pay attention to uncommon however severe unwanted effects, comparable to extreme gastrointestinal issues, and talk about any persistent or worsening signs along with your healthcare supplier.
Be taught extra about potential unwanted effects in: Ozempic Facet Results: What You Must Know.
Has your diabetes administration improved since taking Ozempic?
Ozempic has been efficient for Cook dinner in not solely reducing blood sugar and A1c ranges but additionally in curbing blood sugar spikes.
Cook dinner shares their expertise: “I don’t expertise vicious excessive blood sugars as usually now, and after I do, they’re much less ‘sticky’ — they don’t keep excessive for as lengthy, and the crash down isn’t as extreme.”
Thanks to those enhancements, they’ve continued utilizing Ozempic for over 15 months, demonstrating the remedy’s long-term effectiveness in bettering each blood sugar ranges and total diabetes administration.
Did something shock you about taking Ozempic?
Whereas Cook dinner anticipated some antagonistic unwanted effects from Ozempic, they had been pleasantly shocked by how efficient it’s for managing their blood sugar ranges.
Regardless of a nationwide scarcity of the remedy in america, Cook dinner stories that they didn’t encounter any difficulties acquiring Ozempic in Canada. They plan on taking the remedy for the foreseeable future.
Is the remedy inexpensive for you?
One of many tougher points of managing diabetes with drugs like Ozempic is their price. Cook dinner notes that with out insurance coverage, the remedy can be unaffordable. In america, for instance, the listing value is $935.77 per thirty days.
They are saying, “I’ve an excellent advantages plan by means of my employer, however at first they’d not cowl Ozempic as a result of I’m a kind 1 diabetic. My physician offered a observe, which they nonetheless denied. I then spoke to my insurer instantly and defined the state of affairs, they usually authorised it underneath my protection.”
Navigating the complicated prior-authorization course of to safe obligatory drugs will be irritating. Luckily, by means of persistent negotiation and clear communication, Cook dinner efficiently secured protection for his or her Ozempic prescription.
Do you’ve any suggestions or recommendation for folks trying to take Ozempic?
Cook dinner gives a vital piece of recommendation:
“If price protection is a matter for you, I like to recommend being pushy about it along with your insurer. If you’re a long-time kind 1 diabetic and expertise insulin resistance, advocate for your self! Inform your physician you suppose it’s value attempting, and observe your unwanted effects and advantages completely on your physician’s overview.
Be constant along with your injections. And don’t let anybody let you know that you simply’re ‘simply taking it to drop some weight.’ Folks don’t need to hear that it might be useful, they simply suppose we’re being useless. Self-advocacy will be difficult, however it was value it for me!”
Closing ideas
Navigating the complexities of diabetes administration requires extra than simply following a prescribed medical routine.
Cook dinner’s expertise with Ozempic underscores the essential position of self-advocacy and customized care in managing continual situations like diabetes. Regardless of the hurdles, Cook dinner’s persistence in overcoming doctor hesitancy and insurance coverage boundaries highlights the significance of advocating for your self within the healthcare system.
Cook dinner’s journey additionally highlights the evolving panorama of diabetes therapy. With the off-label use of the drug in folks with kind 1 diabetes, there may be hope for extra folks to entry this efficient drugs.
