NEW YORK (PIX11) -- For years, Miriam Schulman of Highland Park, New Jersey, struggled with what she called ‘food noise.’
“You’re always thinking of the next meal,” said Schulman. “What am I having for breakfast? What am I having for lunch? What am I having for dinner?”
Schulman said she tried diet after diet with little success, often losing weight just to gain it back.
“I’ve tried Weight Watchers,” said Schulman. “I’ve tried other strange diets. But nothing really, really turned off the food noise.”
Fast forward to today, and the food noise in her head is much quieter. “I just don’t think about it like that anymore, at all,” said Schulman. “I might even miss a meal, which is so weird.”
For Schulman, the solution was Wegovy. “Eventually, I lost about 65-70 pounds,” said Schulman. “I no longer have sleep apnea and I certainly don’t have diabetes.”
Schulman has been on Wegovy for two years, supervised by Dr. Dhavni Doshi, the director of Rutgers Weight Management Center at University Hospital.
“Weight loss is so complicated,” said Doshi. “It needs to be part of a comprehensive center. It needs to be done under medical supervision.”
The process is complex and requires constant oversight.
“Lab work, meeting with doctors, evaluating how you feel,” said Schulman, explaining the oversight. “It was a complete partnership.”
Without proper monitoring, the drugs can prove dangerous. The FDA said it has received multiple reports of side effects - some requiring hospitalization - that may be related to dosing errors associated with compounded injectable Semaglutide products.
“Without any medical supervision, you could be taking a dose that may not be right for you,” said Doshi. “You may be taking a medication or a dose that was never safe for you to begin with, for other medical purposes.”
With supervision, Doshi said it is safe - even common practice - to switch among the FDA-approved drugs: Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound.
“It might be because of a change in insurance formularies,” said Doshi. “It might be because of a change in cost or copays, or it might be because one might provide better control over weight or blood sugars.”
Schulman said she has never had to switch from Wegovy and has not experienced any significant side effects. “I eventually reached the normal range of height and weight for myself and that’s where I’ve stuck,” said Schulman. “I’ve just stopped losing.”
She plans to stay on a maintenance dose of Wegovy for life, coupled with healthier eating and a more active lifestyle. “It’s not only take a drug, lose weight,” said Schulman. “It really has to be comprehensive. And that’s why I feel like this has worked.”
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