Natasha Robinson She has long struggled with high blood sugar, insulin and A1C levels. His 37-year-old man from Dallas had been on diabetes medication for several years. metformin However, no progress was seen. So, as someone who worked in a higher education institution and had step-parents who were pharmacists, Robinson took matters into his own hands and researched better alternatives.
She eventually came across Ozempic and recommended it to her doctor.
Ozempic is an FDA-approved prescription drug that you take by injection in your thigh, stomach, or arm. It is commonly used to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. This is the brand name for semaglutide, which, according to the FDA, targets areas of the brain that stimulate insulin production and regulate appetite.
With his doctor’s approval, Robinson began taking Ozempic in January 2022 and opened up to PEOPLE about the realities of taking the drug over the past year.
“I don’t like needles, so I was a little nervous to be honest. So the idea of actually giving myself an injection was pretty scary,” she told PEOPLE. I started taking medicine to get my body to do what it’s supposed to. Please use the insulin my body was making properly.
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Natasha Robinson
Taking medication was quite an adjustment for Robinson. Early on, she dealt with a lot of nausea — a common side effect of Ozempic.
“The nausea was pretty rough at first,” she explains. Continuing, I felt better and actually had a little more energy than I had before.”
“Right now, I’m a little nauseous, but I’ve certainly never been consistently nauseous for days like I was in the first month,” she adds.
Robinson also noticed that she started to lose weight about a month after starting the pills, even though she didn’t pay attention to the number on the scale.
“I immediately noticed my cheekbones were a little more exposed,” she explains. “I actually woke up one morning and asked my husband, ‘Are there any bruises? . Because there was a small area on her cheek that looked like a small birthmark. That was my first indication that something was changing. ”
Robinson’s facial changes may be the result of another common side effect.”Ozempic’s faceweight loss causes key areas of the face to shrink and lose volume.
Natasha Robinson
By October, the mother of two had lost 52 pounds. Her health has improved significantly in areas her doctors wanted.
“My blood tests are really showing significant changes in markers of inflammation and insulin and glucose,” she says, and she has more energy. I didn’t realize how difficult life had become before.”
RELATED: Ozempic rebound is real: Doctors say weight gain can be ‘devastating’ after stopping
Despite her improving health, there is one factor that worries Robinson. That’s Ozempic’s cost.
Robinson now spends $24.99 a month on Ozempic, which she says is fine. But without monthly coupons, her prescription would cost $175 a month, and without insurance, she would be spending over $1,000 a month.
There is currently no common form of Ozempic. Average retail cost without insurance It ranges from $1,205 to $1,368.
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Robinson says she is “feared” that her insurance company will soon require pre-approval for Ozempic, so she may no longer have access to the drug. This is a problem that many others are also facing.
“It’s a drug that lasts a lifetime. Your body doesn’t just suddenly remember how to use insulin properly and how to increase insulin sensitivity. So I fully expected it to be low doses for the rest of my life.” she says. She has already figured out how to get her medicine in case something happens.
“If a doctor would write a prescription for me, I would probably order it from Canada,” she admits. because it is reasonable.”
Robinson explains that while some have taken Ozempic for an online epidemic, she and many others are heavily dependent on the drug.
“I think the more people talk about obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, and PCOS, the more people realize that lazy isn’t necessarily lazy,” she says. “There’s a misconception that if you have health problems and can’t lose weight, you’re lazy. But it can be a lot more complicated than people realize.”
Robinson, who also shares her experience Social mediatells PEOPLE it’s important for her followers to learn the options available for their medical needs and feel comfortable creating plans with their doctors to best optimize their health. .
She is glad these conversations are taking place despite some misinformation resulting from recent trends related to Ozempic. Ozempic — and other similar injections Wegoby When Munjaro — It’s been trending on social media and in Hollywood circles lately.
“Celebrities don’t really help when they talk about drugs they’ve taken for a short period of time or taken incorrectly — misinformation isn’t great — but when we talk about these drugs more The fact that you can have a lot of conversations…don’t think it’s a bad thing,” says Robinson.
