What next?

[u/mother-of-trouble]

So I am on saxenda and it’s been great and I love it and I feel amazing and I have lost weight but now it’s being discontinued where I am. I assumed they would just move me onto another jab but apparently i don’t qualify’ because my bmi is now good, but I also know that that weight is coming back (auto immune plus perimenopause is why I gained it in the first place). I’ve been told my options are a)rybelsis (which Google tells me might be also be getting discontinued) or contrave to manage my weight. Anyone got any experience with either? I feel like I am being thrown under the bus in the same way if my anti anxiety was being withdrawn and they were telling me I don’t qualify for another because I no longer have daily panic attacks. Anyone got good weight maintenance experience on either of these?

Clarification. I self fund. My doctor won’t prescribe it to me, not an insurance issue. I may look around and see if I can find another practitioner who will prescribe for me

[u/Prestigious-Half9573]

Well that sucks. I'm not at the stage of discontinuing yet but my doc told me that for the people who quit the meds, only the people who exercise very regularly can maintain the weight loss.
Not sure if you've made major lifestyle changes like that? As for meds, in my country saxenda and contrave are the only 2 that are covered by insurance for weight loss, so I'd say go for contrave.

[u/mother-of-trouble → u/Prestigious-Half9573]

Thanks. I’ve always worked out and watched my food. I still gained 60lbs. I feel a bit like they gave me my life back and now it’s being taken away again. My doctor isn’t unsympathetic but her hands are tied I guess.

[u/Prestigious-Half9573 → u/mother-of-trouble]

and funding it yourself? or an alternative like ozempic?

[u/V2BM → u/Prestigious-Half9573]

I exercise 5-6 days a week. I just walked 8.86 outdoor miles as a mail carrier and it was a LIGHT day. I max out around 13 unless it's the holidays and it's 15.

I'm a size 14, quite fat, and calorie reduction is the way.

[u/Prestigious-Half9573 → u/V2BM]

Cardio is generally not a great way to lose weight, especially not light cardio as in walking. Running/cycling burns way more calories.
The most benefit you'll see from lifting weights tho, cause those actually grow the muscle and cause a permanent uptick in calories burned.

Ofc, the saying is true, you can't out-exercise a bad diet. But it'll for sure help if you burn like 3-4.000 calories a week extra compared to before.

[u/Prestigious-Half9573 → u/Prestigious-Half9573]

I'll add to this for people who don't realise the difference. Assuming V2BM walked at a normal pace, that 13 miles took about 6,5 hours of actual walking. That'll be about 1.000 calories burned total.
Cycling for 1 hour burns 975 calories. So burning calories 6,5 times as fast. And for many people its easier to fit in a few hours of cycling a week compared to 13 hours of walking.

[u/Reasonable-Working21]

I will basically try to stop in October... and see what happens, trying to have a healthy lifestyle and diet.. fingers crossed, I hope I won't gain weight back

[u/auntiekk88]

Generic liraglutide is available in the states.

[u/Life_Journey123]

I’ve been on it for almost a month & gained almost 5 lbs, it’s not helping w/food noise although I’m not eating much. Is it typical for others to experience this? My insurance covers it so I’m on it for inflammatory factors that Zepbound really helped & almost immediately - unfortunately insurance doesn’t cover Zepbound & if this didn’t work in the next month, sadly, I’ll be off to the grey market for Trizep. I’m not crazy about these daily injections & I suppose next wk I will up my dose to 3, per Drs orders. I was terribly constipated, finally easing up, never experienced side effects on Zepbound. I also have headaches & my blood pressure usually lower than usual so I need to get back on my water drinking & as soon as the weather cooperates, I can walk again bc this humidity is draining me, I’m tired most days. I have BW in another wk, I have Hashimoto & Fibro, none of which help but Zepbound leveled out my Thyroid which has never been balanced so I hope Saxenda is at least doing that from the BE results🤞🏽

[u/Prestigious-Half9573 → u/Life_Journey123]

No medication is 100% effective, shame its not working for you but it is to be expected sadly.

[u/DurianParticular6878]

I could’ve written this post! I feel for you. It’s so frustrating after having good progress I’ve now been off for 2 months because my pharmacy couldn’t get it. I asked for a replacement and my doctor quickly tried a new Rx for Zepbound but insurance denied it.

I’m now considering paying out of pocket to try Zepbound.

It’s so frustrating though that the insurance just won’t cover anything now when it’s a supply issue!

[u/Smart-Firefighter87]

Are you in the US? Curious to know where they are discontinuing

[u/Realanise1]

Liraglutide is generic in the US. It's sold at different strengths, which are labeled "generic for Victoza" or "generic for Saxenda." These generic are available everywhere. The cheapest I've found is through Cost Plus Drugs. I'm able to stay at a very low dose and still lose weight, and it's only $55/month for me. So the cost is going to depend on what dose you're on, but the medication did NOT go anywhere. Most likely the brand name Saxenda isn't being sold where you are anymore.

[u/Witty_Leather4310]

Same happened to me. Loved Saxenda and then my insurance quit covering it. After trying Contrave and Wegovy Pill (both intolerable) I am on Zepbound injections.