I am a 54-year-old man, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2019. Metformin kept my A1C around 7.2-7.5 for three years, then it started creeping up. My endocrinologist suggested adding tirzepatide.
Baseline: A1C 8.1, fasting glucose 178, weight 241 lbs, BMI 34.7, blood pressure 142/88 on lisinopril.
The clinical results speak for themselves:
Month 1 (2.5mg): A1C not rechecked yet. Fasting glucose dropped to 145. Lost 4 lbs. Mild nausea.
Month 2 (5mg): Fasting glucose 128. Lost 7 more lbs. Nausea moderate. Started checking blood sugar more frequently — post-meal readings that used to be 200+ were coming in at 140-160.
Month 3 (7.5mg): A1C check: 6.8. Down from 8.1 in three months. Fasting glucose averaging 112. Weight 222 lbs. My endocrinologist was visibly pleased.
Month 4 (10mg): Post-meal glucose readings consistently under 140. Fasting glucose around 105. Nausea had mostly resolved. Eating smaller meals felt natural, not forced.
Month 6 (12.5mg): A1C: 5.5. Fasting glucose: 94. Weight: 209 lbs — down 32 lbs. Blood pressure: 122/76.
My doctor reduced my metformin dose and said if the next check holds, we may discontinue it. I went from being a poorly controlled diabetic heading toward insulin to being in essentially normal glycemic range.
The medication has side effects. The first two months were rough — nausea, diarrhea, fatigue. I had an episode of severe constipation at 7.5mg that required a laxative. The sulfur burps lasted about six weeks and then mercifully stopped.
But as a diabetic, I care most about the numbers. And the numbers are extraordinary. My continuous glucose monitor looks like a different person's data. The spikes are gone. The variability is gone. My time in range went from 52% to 91%.
I will likely take this medication for the rest of my life. Given what it has done for my metabolic health, I consider that a reasonable trade.