u/k1tsk4

i've been on zepbound (5 mg) for 2 months and had 3 periods in that time. i have PCOS but my periods have always been very consistent and regular, just extremely heavy and painful. since starting zepbound, my first period (shortly after my first shot) was the most painful period i have had so far in my life and involved a lot of projectile vomiting when that had never been a symptom for me before, it was also nearly a week early and lasted for 8 days which is unusual for me (mine are usually 5). i then had a second mini period 2 weeks later that was 2 days long, and then my most recent one was again 8 days long and very painful, more so than usual. i have also had lots of spotting between these periods which has never happened to me before.

after the first period, i brought it up to my doctor who said that this isn't supposed to be a side effect of zepbound and he started talking about taking me off the medication, which is when i panicked a bit and said it wasn't that bad and that i'd rather deal with it than not be able to be on zepbound (which is true, the relief i've gotten from zepbound is worth the terrible periods). i haven't brought it up since out of fear that they'll take me off of the medication :( i just wanted to know if this has been an experience anyone else here has had? and if it's really that big of a deal?

big big TW for restrictive and binge eating EDs, intentional weight loss, negative body image, and low self esteem

i just started zepbound a week ago after 10+ years of misery and intense restriction/binge cycles where i lose significant amounts of weight in an unhealthy way and gain it back again once i feel like i lost enough weight to deserve to eat. i have PCOS and food related trauma and have always struggled with insane amounts of food noise and nonfunctional hunger cues that cause me to never ever feel full and satisfied, ever since i was old enough to remember.

one week on zepbound and everything changed in ways that i have dreamed of for so, so long. i can recognize when i'm full now and stop eating after an appropriately sized portion. i'm barely thinking about food anymore except for when i notice that i'm hungry. i don't live to eat anymore i eat to live. it's such a big relief that i want to cry just typing this. i always thought that i was just lazy and gluttonous and that everyone else just had a stronger willpower than i did, but it's not my fault it's the way i was wired.

right now i'm choosing not to weigh myself throughout this journey because i don't really care what it says. if i end up losing weight then great, but if i don't, i'm just happy that i'm not being tormented by my own brain and body 24/7 anymore. i seriously never could have imagined that one day i would stop feeling like that after so long.

kind of just a ramble but i need to get this feeling off my chest and be happy that things are finally getting better for me 😭

i feel like i'm unicorn hunting here. my partner is visually impaired and can only take the pulse due to the fact that it stops at every stop and announces where it is. i'm trying to help find them an in person therapist that is accessible via the pulse (a 10-20 min walk from the pulse is fine too) that accepts medicaid. preferably one that specializes in CPTSD but anything is better than nothing. every therapist that i've looked into either is fully booked, doesn't take medicaid, or is 13 miles away only accessible by car. please help!