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A lady with PCOS took semaglutide. She misplaced 70 kilos and her intervals got here again.

  • Ashley Dunham was contemplating bariatric surgical procedure when she realized about semaglutide.
  • Dunham struggled together with her weight and irregular intervals as a result of polycystic ovary syndrome.
  • She misplaced 70 kilos in 5.5 months on the medicine and recommends it to everybody, she stated. 

A lady with polycystic ovary syndrome — a situation that may have an effect on an individual’s menstruation and weight — noticed her intervals return after taking the weight-loss drug semaglutide. 

Ashley Dunham determined she wished bariatric surgical procedure final June when she “hit all-time low” and felt she may now not management her weight.

Though she used to eat healthily throughout the day, she was all the time ravenous come the night so ended up late-night snacking, which brought on lots of misery, the 32-year-old from St. John’s, Florida, who works in digital advertising, informed Insider.

“The load simply stored piling on,” she stated.

Whereas ready for an appointment with a bariatric surgeon, she realized concerning the buzzy weight reduction drug semaglutide and determined to attempt it.

“It was a last-ditch effort earlier than I went drastically headfirst into getting surgical procedure to lastly shed extra pounds,” Dunham stated.

Dunham by no means did see the bariatric surgeon. After she began taking compounded semaglutide (which medical doctors say may be dangerous) costing $299 a month in August final yr, she misplaced 70 kilos in 5.5 months. 

“I’d suggest it to all people,” she stated.

Dunham is amongst individuals who have struggled with their weight to show to semaglutide, which was initially developed for diabetes and bought as Ozempic, however was accredited for weight reduction by the FDA in 2021 below the title Wegovy.

The drug was rapidly branded a “game-changer” for weight reduction, and has develop into so standard that there have been shortages. It really works by suppressing urge for food and is taken as a weekly injection, with the dose steadily growing over weeks.

Confusingly, Ozempic has develop into the byword for semaglutide merchandise, no matter whether or not an individual is taking them for weight reduction or diabetes. 

Dunham has PCOS and her intervals returned on semaglutide

When Dunham began taking the drug she steadily began noticing adjustments over the primary couple of months.

Delicate nausea was the primary facet impact Dunham skilled — with a facet of migraines — however these went away after six months. The constipation, nevertheless, hasn’t abated, she stated.

One other change was her intervals returning. Dunham had irregular menstrual cycles due to her PCOS and had been on and off the contraceptive tablet for years to manage her cycle, she stated.

Dunham gained greater than 65 kilos over 9 months in 2016, going from “skinny” to “morbidly overweight,” which made it arduous to course of her place in public areas, she stated. The hormonal adjustments that observe after coming off the contraceptive tablet could cause each weight achieve and loss, relying on the individual, and Dunham believes that is what occurred to her.

After restarting contraception for a 3rd time, Dunham got here off it once more across the time she began semaglutide as a result of her estrogen ranges have been too excessive.

Since shedding pounds on semaglutide, she has regained common intervals for the primary time in a yr and a half, which she believes is right down to the drug. Carrying extra weight can have an effect on your menstrual cycle and there may be some analysis to recommend that semaglutide may assist ladies with PCOS handle signs, however additional analysis is required.

Greater than half of ladies with PCOS develop kind 2 diabetes by the age of 40, in response to the CDC, so Dunham thinks extra folks want to speak about how semaglutide might be able to assist ladies with the situation. 

Professor Adam Balen, advisor gynecologist and spokesperson for the Royal Faculty of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, UK, informed Insider that it is doable that semaglutide can assist handle the PCOS signs by bettering sensitivity to insulin and serving to with weight reduction.

Nevertheless, he stated that semaglutide isn’t licensed for the remedy of PCOS. “A clinician might contemplate prescribing this drugs ‘off-label’ in the event that they assume it could profit a affected person with PCOS, however this would wish a cautious dialogue with them about the advantages and potential dangers,” Balen stated.

Dunham’s life now not revolves round her subsequent meal

Ashley Dunham before semaglutide and after

Ashley Dunham’s “meals noise” has disappeared, she stated.

Ashley Dunham



Dunham additionally seen adjustments to her urge for food and relationship with meals.

Dunham can solely eat a couple of third or half the quantity she used to earlier than feeling full, she stated. Having all the time completed her plate earlier than, it is a “utterly new” idea for Dunham. When you attain that full level, the thought of retaining consuming is “disgusting,” she stated.

“I now not revolve my life round when my subsequent meal is,” Dunham stated. “I could make aware selections as to what I will eat with intent.”

The “meals noise,” she stated, has gone. 

All through her weight reduction journey, Dunham has tried to take heed to her physique, consuming what she needs when she feels hungry, she stated. Nevertheless, she has made an effort to eat sufficient protein to assist with muscle upkeep and total well being.

“I do take pleasure in meals however now my relationship with it’s totally different,” Dunham stated. “Now I can take pleasure in meals with out the repercussions.” 

As an example she’s now not afraid to order dessert, she stated, however generally she orders it to go and may not eat it till the subsequent day.

Nevertheless, Dunham has discovered herself “hyper-fixating” on meals, that means that if she feels she needs, say, McDonald’s French fries, she’s not glad and does not need to eat anything till she’s received them, she stated. 

Dunham is beginning to really feel like her previous self once more

In her first couple of months on semaglutide, Dunham seen she felt much less torpid and puffy.

Semaglutide has helped Dunham really feel like her previous self once more, she stated. She’s having fun with going procuring, taking footage, and consuming meals with out “extreme nervousness,” she stated.

Dunham plans to transition to a upkeep dose as soon as she’s misplaced all the burden she needs to.

The $299 a month price ticket is inexpensive for Dunham for now, however she hopes the insurance coverage business would possibly change or one thing extra inexpensive would possibly come alongside in the long run, she stated. 

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Originally posted 2023-04-24 09:40:19.