The heartburn has been quite minor, and only at night. Tums has been plenty for controlling it. (But I don't have GERD.) The heartburn itself is definitely not the cause of the weight loss for me, haha.
But intuitively it does make sense, because one of the primary effects of the drug is slowing down gastric emptying, so it causing heartburn isn't exactly surprising.
I'm also on one of these drugs (Tirzepatide) and have been for a few months. The first time I remember knowing I was fat was when a babysitter made fun of me for it at age 6. I've been fat ever since and I'm in my late 30s now.
I've lost significant amounts of weight (60+ pounds) three times in my adult life, through simple calorie restriction (intermittent fasting, including before I'd ever heard the term). Every time, I've gained the weight back. At the beginning of 2022, I was the heaviest I've ever been.
I've accomplished very hard things in my life, including those that take sustained effort. Sufficient willpower isn't a problem for me in general. I honestly only ever hear "it's easy, just eat less and move more" from people that have never actually been fat. "I did it and I lost 15 pounds, no big deal!" and the like. 15 pounds is easy for me to temporarily lose too. I've done it enough times I should know ;)
I've heard people say that the solution is to eat (healthy food) when you're hungry, and stop when you're full. The thing is, I'm never full. I can eat until I physically can't eat anymore (not something I do regularly, of course), and as soon as my stomach has emptied a bit, I feel fairly hungry again. "Eat until you feel full" is literally a human experience I had never really had.
On this drug, I finally know what people are talking about. I still like food, and I still get hungry. But it doesn't dominate my thoughts. I eat, and don't feel like eating again for hours. I eat something that I'd normally easily eat all of like a big burrito or whatever, and I feel quite full halfway through with no desire to finish. I'm steadily losing weight, with none of the usual preoccupation with hunger, ascetic adherence to a strict calorie plan, etc. But above all, I feel like I must be experiencing what most thin people experience all the time. I'll be perfectly happy to take the drug for the rest of my life, though I do hope affordability improves.
As for side effects: I've had some heartburn, but none of the other commonly reported side effects.
I asked my doctor about it and they prescribed it. They had previously prescribed Wegovy/semaglutide but it’s very supply constrained right now so I was never able to actually take it.
I’m not on semaglutide, but I am on tirzepatide (aka Mounjaro), which is the newest drug in the same class.
Honestly, it’s like a miracle. I’ve been fat since I was 6 years old. I’ve occasionally lost weight (though never made it to “normal”), but only through pretty intense, focused effort to restrict calories. I’ve always gained it back (and then some) after I can’t sustain that effort. (Call it lack of willpower or whatever, but this is how it works for the vast, vast majority of people.)
Anyway, on tirzepatide, it’s simply effortless. Food is still good, and I still like to eat, but I don’t think about it all day. I eat a reasonable amount, feel full, and don’t have the urge to eat again for hours and hours. That’s honestly a new experience for me. My entire life “eat when you’re actually hungry” would have meant eating all day every day, basically. I’ve been losing weight at a consistent 2.5 lbs / week on this drug. I fully intend to be on it for the rest of my life (or other drugs in the class as they come out).
As for side effects: I’ve had precisely none. No nausea, constipation, heartburn, etc. I understand those are common but I haven’t experienced them at all.
But intuitively it does make sense, because one of the primary effects of the drug is slowing down gastric emptying, so it causing heartburn isn't exactly surprising.