+1 to sarah.morrison. Especially the point about "NateNeph perspective but I think this ov..." — I have seen the same in my own experience with VA healthcare GLP-1.
Want to share my personal experience related to VA healthcare GLP-1 access since I think it might help others in a similar situation.
I started my GLP-1 journey in October 2024 at 255 lbs with prediabetes and hypertension. My endocrinologist prescribed semaglutide 0.25mg to start.
Now, 16 months later: I am down 80 lbs, my labs have normalized, and I am off 2 of my 3 medications. The VA healthcare GLP-1 aspect specifically was something that made a big difference in my journey.
This community helped me every step of the way.
claudia_zurich — that is really helpful context on VA healthcare GLP-1. Follow-up question: did you experience any side effects during this phase?
I am in a similar situation (about to start) and trying to set realistic expectations.
To answer HealthEcon_DC's question specifically:
From a clinical standpoint, VA healthcare GLP-1 access is something I discuss with patients regularly.
The short answer: discuss this specific situation with your prescribing provider.
The longer answer involves weighing the risk-benefit ratio for your individual situation, which I am happy to elaborate on if helpful.
Saving this for reference. Quality thread.