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Beginning the Zepbound journey
I’m a 78 year old retired teacher who has struggled with being overweight since my late 30’s. I’ve tried numerous diets over the years but none were successful for very long. Now I’m dealing with a multitude of health conditions….high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, GERD, sleep apnea, glaucoma, asthma, multiple allergies, arthritis… to name a few. My 80’s are looming in the near future. I just received clearance to begin Zepbound. Does anyone have any experience with this GLP—1 that could share any tips, advice or approach to meal planning while on this weight loss medication?…I’m hoping that losing weight will help me reduce medications and overcome some of the many chronic conditions which have impacted my quality of life. —Mary from Indiana
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Also it’s ok if results appear slowly. I’ve learned patience in my old age. 😉
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1 Reaction@lisalucier Thanks so much for your referenced articles. Very informative. I especially like that Zepbound has been correlated to sleep apnea reduction.
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2 Reactions@maysh47 - wondering where you are at today with your weight loss? You mentioned you felt the limiting your calories to 800 per day was a mistake. Did you decide to continue on the tirzepatide (Zepbound), or did you go another route entirely for weight loss?
@marsha2026 - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.
Here are a couple of Mayo Clinic articles on
tirzepatide (Zepbound) that may be useful for you:
- Tirzepatide (subcutaneous route) https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/tirzepatide-subcutaneous-route/description/drg-20534045
- Prescription weight-loss drugs
Study the pros and cons of medicines to treat obesity. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss-drugs/art-20044832
Sounds like you have some good habits already in place. I have taken tirzepatide (Zepbound) previously till I got to the highest dose and my insurance stopped coverage due to a maximum. I honestly don't think much at all happened the week or two I was starting and on the lowest dose. Perhaps others have had different experiences.
If you have to wait awhile to see effects of the tirzepatide (Zepbound), how would you feel about that?
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1 ReactionI’m a 78 year old female just starting Zepbound 2.5 mg. I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy 11 years ago with moderate weight gain. I’m good at using protein first, drinking water and exercising. But I’m anxious about what to expect the first week or two. What more can I do? What have you experienced?
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1 ReactionI’m 84 and on Zep for 10 mos and went from 245 to 160 lbs limiting myself to 800 calories per day. Big mistake to do that! Others in my family are taking it slow not counting calories but eating less. I lost muscle mass, hair, my fingernails etc: I loved wearing size 14 but that pleasure was short lived. Consult a nutritionist!!
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3 Reactions@barb73 - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I had similar symptoms when I was on semaglutide/Wegovy previously in 2024. Coffee was at times a trigger. I also was doing what my family called "death burps."
I did have to talk to my doctor and a gastrointestinal doctor I happened to be seeing at the time, and I was prescribed some medications that helped with stomach cramping and nausea, which I was really struggling with.
I think most doctors prefer you start with medications for these symptoms which are OTC and more benign, which you are doing. If no luck, I'd encourage you to tell your doctor about what's going on and what you've tried so far, and ask what else might be available.
I did not love, nor did my primary care doctor love, prescribing me one medication to deal with the effects from another. But it was worth it to me at the time, so I did it.
After losing insurance coverage for over a year, due to maximums in my plan at the time, I did regain most of the weight I'd lost. So, I'm now on Wegovy again. This time, I'm only moved up to the next dose when my side effects are under good control. I've been at most doses for 3 months. This is crazy-making slow for weight loss, but it's been a much smoother process side effect-wise.
Did the simethicone (Gas X) help you?
I’m 73, started on 2.5 mg dosage, now up to 10 mg. All of a sudden I’m have stomach discomfort, drinking one cup of coffee makes my stomach hurt. Also belching constantly. My doctor wants me to increase to 12.5 and then to 15 mg which I will stay on.
I haven’t had many problems up to this point (other than constipation). Not sure what’s going on. Tried Tums, they do not help. Now trying GasX.
Thanks.
@grammamo keep up the great work!
@thomctc I just started eating 1/2 of the meal I prepare and finish the rest later. This is working, as far as eating just enough before overeating. I am really focusing on protein first.
This is for those, like me, that are constantly fatigued. My blood labs were all normal except my B12 took a nose dive from a previous test 5 years ago. I am assuming this is due to not eating red meat or dairy and just plain aging. I started using an organic B12 spray daily and can't believe what a difference it made in my energy level.
Thanks for your advice.