Christmas Dinner Warning for Ozempic Users: 'Food Was Bubbling Up'
Allison Rankin was looking forward to her family's annual Christmas gathering.
In 2022, she traveled to Indiana, where her aunt transformed her living room and garage to accommodate the extended family of 60 for the holiday.
However, that particular year was different because Rankin, then 45 and residing in Boston, Massachusetts, had recently begun taking Mounjaro, a weight-loss medication.
Having been on the medication for roughly three months, she had shed 20lbs from her initial weight of 190lbs, bringing her closer to the obese range for her 5ft 7in frame.
Upon arriving at the party, she chose to keep her medication use private, as the drug was scarce at the time, and she feared accusations of depriving type 2 diabetics, for whom the drug was originally intended.
Rankin acted normally, greeting relatives and enjoying a glass of champagne before filling her plate with macaroni and cheese, pie, turkey, and gravy.
In a recent interview, she recalled that about an hour after starting her meal, she felt something was amiss.
'I just had that feeling... that feeling where you are going to throw up,' she explained. 'I felt like if I could throw up right then, I would. There was enough food bubbling at the top of my throat.'
She had eaten too much.
Physicians advise against overeating while using weight loss medications because these drugs slow down the digestive process, potentially leading to vomiting.
'When you overindulge at a buffet, you can usually just breathe through it,' Rankin, now 48, stated.
'But on a GLP-1, that won't happen. The food simply sits in your stomach. I experienced the [cold sweat] and the sensation of being about to explode.'
She recounted going pale, experiencing alternating chills and hot flashes, before excusing herself to the restroom.
Once in the bathroom, Rankin induced vomiting, expelling the undigested meal.
'It was solid food,' she remembered. 'It hadn't digested at all.'
After cleaning up, Rankin returned to the party and continued eating. She mentioned that no one noticed the incident.
This was the second instance of Rankin privately vomiting at a family gathering while on the drug. The first occurred at Thanksgiving after starting Mounjaro in late September 2022. She reported identical experiences at both events. Health tracking apps like Shotlee can help monitor eating habits and potential side effects.
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Rankin shed 50lbs in six to eight months using Mounjaro and Zepbound, both containing the active ingredient tirzepatide.
Rankin had been trying to lose weight for years. She had tried the Atkins and Paleo diets, as well as reducing her calorie intake, but she said that nothing had worked.
She often worried about her health because of her weight. Many members of her family were at least 40 to 50lbs overweight, and several had heart problems.
Her father and uncle had experienced heart attacks, while her aunt and sister both required a quadruple bypass.
After starting Mounjaro, Rankin initially made mistakes, such as consuming only 600 calories daily due to a lack of hunger. She also suffered from nausea as a symptom, though she had not vomited previously.
Following these vomiting episodes, Rankin, who co-founded MyCompanionBox, a company providing food samples to weight-loss drug users, made changes. She began eating protein-rich meals and attending exercise classes.
Rankin lost 50lbs in six to eight months on Mounjaro and Zepbound (another GLP-1 agonist), averaging about 7lbs per month. After reaching her target weight of 140lbs, she gained back 10lbs because friends thought she looked gaunt.
She currently takes 10mg of Zepbound weekly and plans to continue the medication.
Rankin now feels more comfortable with her medication use and weight management.
She now selects only the foods she wants to eat and spreads them out on her plate, leaving empty space to avoid overfilling it.
However, dealing with unsolicited advice remains challenging.
'In my family, nothing is ever quite right, and they'll comment on everything you do,' she stated.
'If you're overweight and eat too much, they criticize you. If you're skinnier, they tell you to eat more because they aren't used to seeing you eat like a thin person.'
After years of practice, Rankin has achieved self-acceptance.
'I openly share my GLP-1 use and my involvement in a GLP-1-related business. It has helped me, and I'm comfortable with that,' she said.
'By discussing it, I hope to educate others who are worried or curious about the drug.'
