Reducing Ozempic dose due to Headaches

Lucyr

Lucyr

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Other Type
So the headaches continue, pretty much all day every day for 2 weeks now, with varying levels of intensity. They’re waking me up in the night (usually 3am), don’t seem to be connected to bgs, and taking propanalol 3x a day, paracetamol 4x a day and ibuprofen 3x a day isn’t helping.

I’ve been off work because of the headaches for just short of 2 weeks, returning gradually in the last few days but not managing full hours because the headaches have been worse with working on screens. The GP said its probably a virus, come back if still an issue after 2 weeks, get your eyes checked and get a carbon monoxide alarm.

I increased the dose of ozempic in December and wondered if it could be related, headaches not listed in bnf but my other symptoms of fatigue and nausea are. I called the hospital DSN this week and suggested reducing ozempic from 1.0 to 0.5 to see if it helps, she agreed straight away. But, I haven’t yet told my GP / asked for a new prescription of the 0.5 pen, and picked up a brand new 1.0 pen this week. I take the dose at the weekend.

Any ideas how best to estimate a dose of 0.5 so that if it is the ozempic i can start feeling better sooner? The ozempic pens only have a number for the one dose, before that it’s just lots of lines, there are little clicks as you dial it up. Any ideas if just trying to go halfway will be about right?
 
Here’s a couple of pictures. I’ve counted and the green mark I’ve drawn on makes exactly 3 full rotations between 0 and 1mg, so favouring 1.5 rotations as an estimate for this week. Or I could hold off reducing the dose, just take the 1mg dose and wait till I’ve got a 0.5 pen. I’m impatient for feeling better though!
 

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Really sorry to hear that you are still struggling with those nasty headaches Lucy. Afraid I have no idea about the Ozempic and if you would be able to dispense a half dose from a single use pen. I believe they are really expensive which means it is discouraging to experiment with one but since it has already been dispensed to you (and they won't take it back) and you are not going to use the full dose, so they are otherwise going to be wasted, I would maybe count the clicks to fully prime it and then dial it back half way. My thoughts are then that you either inject that and then see if you can eject the remaining product by dialing up the remaining clicks or inject the first hopefully "half" into a container and then the remaining amount into yourself.... if it will actually dispense the other "half".... but then there is no way of knowing if it has dispensed the second half or not. Oh gosh, it is a bit of a conundrum!
Let me know what you do and how it works out.
Really hope the headaches settle down soon. 2 weeks must feel like a lifetime and is very concerning!
 
Would it matter if you didn't take it until you got the 0.5u pen, it might just mean changing the day you take it. Sorry if that is a silly suggestion.
 
Leadinglights said:
Would it matter if you didn't take it until you got the 0.5u pen, it might just mean changing the day you take it. Sorry if that is a silly suggestion.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure, this was my first thought but a letter from the hospital to the GP requesting a change of prescription, the GP then acting on that and the prescription being dispensed, can combine to take a few weeks. If I stop it for long I’d have side effects when restarting it.

I’d rather ditch it entirely to be honest but I agreed to stick with it on the 0.5 dose in case it is doing something of any use.
 
Lucyr said:
I’m not sure, this was my first thought but a letter from the hospital to the GP requesting a change of prescription, the GP then acting on that and the prescription being dispensed, can combine to take a few weeks. If I stop it for long I’d have side effects when restarting it.

I’d rather ditch it entirely to be honest but I agreed to stick with it on the 0.5 dose in case it is doing something of any use.
Click to expand...
Maybe try the half clicks then.
 
rebrascora said:
Really sorry to hear that you are still struggling with those nasty headaches Lucy. Afraid I have no idea about the Ozempic and if you would be able to dispense a half dose from a single use pen. I believe they are really expensive which means it is discouraging to experiment with one but since it has already been dispensed to you (and they won't take it back) and you are not going to use the full dose, so they are otherwise going to be wasted, I would maybe count the clicks to fully prime it and then dial it back half way. My thoughts are then that you either inject that and then see if you can eject the remaining product by dialing up the remaining clicks or inject the first hopefully "half" into a container and then the remaining amount into yourself.... if it will actually dispense the other "half".... but then there is no way of knowing if it has dispensed the second half or not. Oh gosh, it is a bit of a conundrum!
Let me know what you do and how it works out.
Really hope the headaches settle down soon. 2 weeks must feel like a lifetime and is very concerning!
Click to expand...
The mechanism works the same as an insulin pen in that you can dial up to wherever you want on the dial, dial backwards as well as forwards, stop injecting half way through if you want to etc. The only difference is that it only has one number. So no need to eject the part I’m not injecting, there should just be half a pen worth left after the months use.

I think I’m going to go with taking 1.5 full turns, since 3 full turns is the full dose. Not sure if it will be exactly the 0.5 dose but at least it must be vaguely close.
 
Good luck!
I was thinking maybe 20 or even 40 clicks or something for the full dose and then dial it back 10 or 20 for the half. It would be interesting to know if it will dispense the second half if you dial it up again after injecting?
 
rebrascora said:
Good luck!
I was thinking maybe 20 or even 40 clicks or something for the full dose and then dial it back 10 or 20 for the half. It would be interesting to know if it will dispense the second half if you dial it up again after injecting?
Click to expand...
I tried counting the individual clicks but I lost count after 60 and had to start again The pens usually contain 4 doses and last a month so I should think it would give the second half if dialled up again
 
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