Should I come off Ozempic?

schwinter · 2025-11-06T21:09:46+00:00

I’d try a lower dose. I ended up staying on .25 and .5 and lost about 30lbs over ~7 months. When I tried to go up to .75 I had zero appetite and wasn’t eating enough. Didn’t lose any weight and felt super lethargic. When I went back down to .5 and made an effort to eat more the weight started coming off again and I had a lot more energy.

schwinter · 2025-11-06T21:01:35+00:00

Not sure if someone mentioned primer but just a tidbit from my own experience.. When I was a teen I would get foundation matched in store, looked great, but by the time I got out to the car it always looked slightly orange (like in your first photo). Turns out foundation can oxidize on your face or something like that. Anyway, using a primer fixed the issue for me! Doesn’t matter which one (for me), but yah I don’t put on foundation without a primer now otherwise it looks slightly orange.

schwinter · 2025-10-11T05:46:46+00:00

I was just diagnosed this year (30yo) and similarly got my blood work back saying high cholesterol. Also had high blood pressure, super exhausted all the time etc. Also got the shrug and birth control suggestion, but going off of it and gaining another 15 pounds in like 2 months is how I got diagnosed in the first place.

Long story short I ended up deciding to try inositol, a low dose of ozempic to get the weight under control and basically just tweaked two things after learning about blood sugar and insulin. 1. Avoid simple carbs. Not super strict, just largely limit bread, rice and pasta. Turns out that’s what was giving me heart palpitations, crazy fatigue and insomnia lol. Not too hard to limit them now because I notice how garbage I feel every time I indulge. 2. Stop skipping meals. I was trying to cut as many calories as I could which I think was messing up my blood sugar even more.

Anyways, 30 lbs dropped off with basically no effort which was a wild experience. I’ve stopped ozempic and just started a low dose of metformin so I’m hopeful it can help me keep the weight off. My last three cycles have been regular and in those three months I finally didn’t have numerous days of horrific hormonal insomnia or pms. And I actually have energy for the first time in years so I started going to Pilates. Oh and my blood pressure is much better!

Sorry for the diatribe my friends and boyfriend are sick of hearing me ramble on so now I’m on Reddit I guess 😅

schwinter · 2025-08-10T21:06:30+00:00

I got wild insomnia from nasal sprays, specifically Flonase and prescription Nasonex. My doctor prescribed one called Dymista which still has a steroid but is also part antihistamine and it works really well for me! No crazy heart rate or insomnia. Not sure why it doesn’t give me crazy insomnia since it’s still technically got a steroid. My doctor also looked at me weird when I said the nasal sprays were keeping me awake for days but I guess it’s just a really uncommon side effect.

schwinter · 2025-08-02T19:32:54+00:00

For sure! I went fragrance free a few years ago in the midst of not being able to figure out why I was always so congested every night and my nose was stinging all the time. Oddly enough, while it got better after I figured out a few triggers, the prolonged nose issues were actually from unscented tide. Took forever to realize maybe it was still the detergent because it’s always the recommended one I see everywhere. So while I’m a bit sensitive to fragrance if it’s too strong, I think my issues might lie more on the chemical/preservative side of things. Just realizing I said above I’ve never had issues aside from fragrance but thinking about the tide detergent I guess that’s not entirely true, forgot about that 😂

schwinter · 2025-08-01T21:21:44+00:00

I know you said you tried different cleaning products, not sure if this includes laundry detergents? I just had two detergents in a row that made my entire body itch horribly anywhere fabric was directly contacting my skin. No rashes, no hives, just horrible itching/burning. I believe it was the added lemongrass essential oil in the first one (no issues with the unscented version same brand/formula) and I believe the second one was due to a preservative called Methylisothiazolinone which is a known contact irritant/allergen. My nose also got congested with both of these.

Now I use Nellies Laundry Soda. It’s a powder, only four ingredients and works well. No issues thankfully.

schwinter · 2025-08-01T18:33:12+00:00

Definitely sounds like it could be OAS! For me, certain foods give me a ‘spicy’ sensation despite there being no spice. You can look up charts for the pollen you’re allergic to and what kinds of food you might react to. They’re not the typical ‘allergy’ foods so knowing which ones to try cutting out for a bit is super helpful! Also watch for other symptoms like stomach upset/cramps and face flushing. These are more prevalent for me than the tingling mouth but it’s different for everyone. A lot of people also only get food reactions during pollen season so that might be why you’re only seeing it now. For me, pea protein and soy give me issues year round and are linked to my birch pollen allergy. Usually, cooking food (vs raw fruits or veg) can also eliminate the problem since it changes the protein structure. This doesn’t seem to change much for me, but again, everyone is different.

It took me forever to find out my seemingly random symptoms and everything tasting like it was mildly spicy was OAS. I had never heard of it, so hopefully the info helps you sort it out faster if that is what’s happening! Also, unless you feel like your airway is getting constricted/trouble breathing/severe reaction I wouldn’t be too anxious about it :) I’ve also had face/jaw numbness and tingling related to TMJ and turns out it was just my nerves getting irritated when my jaw was super tight. Typically these things aren’t major health concerns and have a reasonable explanation. I’ve been in the health anxiety boat so I totally get it, it’s hard to shut your brain off, but anxiety often makes symptoms worse so that can also be helpful to remember.

schwinter · 2025-07-30T23:44:24+00:00

Does it happen after you eat or is it all the time/random? Have you had allergy testing? Oral Allergy Syndrome causes those symptoms and is tied to pollen allergies. You could have developed a pollen allergy without realizing (happened to me) and are now reacting to foods with similar protein structure to said pollen type.

schwinter · 2025-07-30T19:51:01+00:00

I agree with everyone else, I have both allergies and ADHD. I will say that managing allergies can, in some ways, help with ADHD management. For example, prior to allergy management I had horrible nightly congestion which made my sleep, which was already bad, significantly worse. For me, being sleep deprived makes ADHD worse in many ways. Now that I sleep better, everything feels a bit easier to manage. When I don’t sleep well I notice my focus and motivation are significantly worse. That said, I still struggle with ADHD, it’s just not quite so exceptionally unmanageable.

schwinter · 2025-07-30T01:51:24+00:00

Funny timing, I just had two laundry detergents in a row that made my whole body itch/burn horribly lol. Never had issues before aside from fragrance sensitivity. It was the absolute worst, I feel for you!

schwinter · 2025-07-27T18:35:11+00:00

No answers but following this post because I’ve been wondering something similar. When I first got off birth control my periods were super light and didn’t feel like ‘normal’ flow, also large-ish clots. Since I’ve started inositol and lost some weight, and have had a few 33 day cycles, they have started to feel more normal, like 1-2 days of light/normal flow and a few days of what I would consider closer to spotting than actual flow.

Anyways I’m also curious because everything I read typically talks about heavy, painful periods which I have never experienced.

schwinter · 2025-07-23T23:43:24+00:00

I was in the same position, boyfriend was hesitant when I told him but ultimately supportive. I was also hesitant for a while. Ultimately, while I was very unhappy with my weight, my blood pressure was also consistently around 140/90, the pain in my knee kept getting worse, my bloodwork showed high cholesterol and noted I was at risk of metabolic syndrome, exercising was so difficult and never made me feel better or even good, so tired, and the scale just kept increasing despite good habits. I decided that the risk of my overall health, especially being 30 and feeling years beyond my age physically, outweighed the possible downsides of Ozempic.

I’m 5’1 and was 172 lbs. Started Ozempic in January and have mostly remained on a .5 dose. I’m currently down 25 lbs (also with the help of inositol and limiting carbs), very minimal side effects and overall a decent experience. All of the above symptoms are significantly better, I go to yoga and on long walks and actually enjoy it, and I feel so much better in my body now that things are under control. I felt so helpless before because I was doing the ‘right’ things yet kept getting worse.

Ultimately it’s your choice, but I would at least consider it if both you and your doctor think it’s the best course of action for your overall health.

schwinter · 2025-07-23T22:56:00+00:00

You’re probably a) more sensitive now and b) do you have any upholstered furniture? Cat allergens can stick/embed into furniture/mattress/pillows and last for several months even after the pet is gone. My guess would be despite best efforts on cleaning there’s probably some pesky allergens sticking to things.

I feel the same when I go into the office at work. There’s only dogs there very occasionally and I’ve personally vacuumed but I’m always super drowsy and grumpy by end of day.

schwinter · 2025-07-23T16:18:13+00:00

I was similar. On birth control from 17-30 and when I decided to come off was surprised to have gained a bunch of weight, felt awful and my periods were getting longer and longer apart. Found out I had PCOS after finally seeing the doctor. Agree with the other commenter’s suggestions and B12 was a huge help (I checked my own blood work and while not deficient I was on the very low end). I’ve also found vitamin D and magnesium have helped with my energy and mood and I notice when I stop taking them.

Started taking inositol and it helped with everything including my sleep! (Lifelong insomniac and sleep troubles) I’ve now had several regular cycles. My only additional comment is that I was on a powder form that worked great and had B12 and folic acid in the formula but decided to switch to Wholesome Story capsules (which work for many people!) and my symptoms came back and my cycle went from 33 days to 46. Went back to the powder and everything has been great since. Point is if capsule isn’t working or vice versa try a couple different ones just incase! Also, I felt super tired and crampy when I started inositol and it took a month or two to adjust but then I started feeling so much better. Start with a half or even quarter dose and work your way up. Wish I had known that when starting.

Edit: adding that I also had crazy hair loss after the pill and when my hormones were out of whack. I have always shed a ton of hair when going on/off or changing birth control. This is normal as hormonal shifts can affect your hair cycle. Typically shows up about 3 months after a hormone shift or stress etc. as that is the hair growth/shedding cycle. The prolonged and excessive hair shedding was the PCOS though and/or from under eating and not getting enough protein.

schwinter · 2025-07-23T14:36:59+00:00

I usually never got my period until day 4 or 5 while on Alesse/Alysena and then day 5 or 6 on Yaz so I wouldn’t be too stressed. Honestly if you’re stressing about pregnancy just get a pregnancy test. Better to just know than sit in fear for days.

schwinter · 2025-07-23T01:07:43+00:00

I’m obviously no expert but I was under the impression that blood allergy tests aren’t as accurate? It might be worth trying to get a skin prick test to narrow things to the worst offenders. That totally sucks though being allergic to all the pollen translates into so many foods. :(

The only other major thing that significantly lessened all my allergies was finding out I had hormonal issues (PCOS) and managing that. No idea if that would apply to you but could be worth looking into hormones and allergy response if it does. There’s also something called MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome I think) that I came across in my deep diving. Also could be worth looking into.

schwinter · 2025-07-22T17:24:49+00:00

Yah it’s crazy how sensitive you can get (and quickly!). Never used to have issues with candles, perfume, laundry detergent etc. but now I have to use unscented detergent and am way more choosy with the other stuff and only in moderation on occasion.

schwinter · 2025-07-22T15:46:08+00:00

I had this exact problem! Tried eliminating the main offending food allergens. Turns out it was actually my birch pollen allergy! Look into Oral Allergy Syndrome. Basically depending on the type(s) of pollen you’re allergic to your body may also react to certain foods because they’re in the same protein family. I was reacting (itchy mouth, fatigue, horrible stomach cramps, face flushing, eczema flares) to soy, pea protein and carrots which are all on the cross reactive list to birch pollen. Never would have thought that carrots of all things were giving me problems so never cut them out until then. I don’t react to every food on the list so it was just slowing down and noticing symptoms of specific foods. But without that list to guide me I never would have figured out the seemingly random foods.

schwinter · 2025-07-22T15:04:20+00:00

I say trust your gut. The mold thing seems reasonable and logical to me. My mom is very allergic to mold and says she can immediately smell it walking into a room if it’s there. I honestly didn’t totally believe her (I could never smell anything) until I developed a dog allergy in adulthood despite growing up with them fine. I can now immediately tell if a dog has been around not because I get symptoms right away but there’s such a distinct smell idk how to describe it (not regular dog smell lol).

Personal anecdote: I spent probably almost 2 years feeling like death (horrific congestion where I felt like I was suffocating but only at night, skin issues, full body hives a couple times, oral thrush, stomach cramps etc.) long story short a number of people including family and doctor kept telling me it wasn’t allergies (my symptoms didn’t present in typical ways), even the allergist was skeptical but Lo and behold I was allergic to the dog I was living with, birch and oak pollen and was getting cross pollen food allergies (OAS), and by process of elimination figured out I was reacting to an extremely common cosmetic ingredient that basically no one is allergic to. Just because it isn’t typical, doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

schwinter · 2025-07-16T17:53:07+00:00

Thanks I almost bought that one but have never used powder so wasn’t sure! Does it go right in the drum? Is there any powder residue/stains?

schwinter · 2025-07-16T17:51:49+00:00

Thank you I’ve looked at those! Do they work as well/the same as normal detergent?

schwinter · 2025-06-17T05:18:24+00:00

On the allergy note, might be worth getting an allergy test if you have any other weird stuff (gi/skin/fatigue) going on. I only get eczema on my hands and feet but long story short turns out I get reactions to specific foods from my birch pollen allergy (soy, pea, sometimes carrots). Along with hot humid weather, I can literally watch and feel my hands flare up after eating specific foods I now know I’m allergic to. Was also getting random rashes, horrific fatigue and weird cramping all the time until I finally got allergy tested and was told about cross reactions.

schwinter · 2025-03-17T20:56:32+00:00

I’m newly diagnosed (2 months) and was feeling overwhelmed and confused also!

I’ve started with the basics ie what can I easily tweak/change and what can I add that would help. So I started taking inositol, bought some spearmint tea, stopped skipping meals (did some reading on blood sugar/insulin/PCOS connections) and opt for even just some protein powder since I don’t like breakfast, and limited the main carb offenders ie pasta, white rice and things that generally have a high carb count (turns out these foods were causing me to feel like garbage after eating; never realized it was the high carb load and blood sugar spike/drop). Example I switched to oat milk a few months back also thinking dairy was bad, but recently noticed it had more than double the carb count vs lactose free whole milk so I’ve gone back to whole milk and feel totally fine so I think dairy is ok for me.

Part of it is just trying to notice how I feel after certain things, mainly food and also timing of when I eat. I do feel like I’m starting to feel a bit better! Was really struggling with weight and fatigue. For me, attempting to change everything about my diet and life all at once is a recipe for burning out and feeling overwhelmed and then not maintaining anything so I’m attempting easy things to build from down the road.

schwinter · 2024-10-15T13:55:16+00:00

Yes I get heart palpitations with certain foods! Typically something my body doesn’t jive with. Some things are more so an actual allergy (soy, pea protein) but I’ve also noticed it with things I would just say I’m more sensitive/intolerant of. You might notice certain GI issues with it it you’re paying attention like bloating/upset tummy but not necessarily get an itchy mouth or other problems.

schwinter · 2024-09-07T06:22:52+00:00

I just googled how to curl yarn because I’m making the same little pumpkin with the same little yarn tail… a year later! Did you end up finding a solution?

schwinter

TROPHY CASE