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How much weight will you lose using Ozempic? Is it recommended?

Ozempic has made headlines with reports of successful weight loss and improved blood sugar control among those taking it. One doctor prescribed it for his patients and then used it to lose 12 kilograms. How does this drug work? What weight loss can be expected from using it? Are there any caveats?

Insider interviewed a doctor who said he prescribes Ozempic to his patients, noting that he also lost 25 pounds (about 11.5 kilograms) by taking it himself.

What is Ozempic?

According to Drugs, Ozempic is the brand name for the drug semaglutide.

What is Ozempic used for?

Ozempic is used to:

• Improving blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.
• Reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as stroke, heart attack, or death, for adults with type 2 diabetes who also have heart disease.

Ozempic should be used in conjunction with a balanced diet and exercise.

What is Ozempic's operation?

Ozempic belongs to a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, which work by binding to GLP-1 receptors, which stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas when insulin is needed. Additionally, it slows food release from the stomach and helps the liver produce less sugar. The combination of these effects helps lower A1C and blood sugar levels, and may also help reduce appetite.

Precautions for Using Ozempic

You should not use Ozempic if you have:

• An allergy to semaglutide or any other ingredients in this medication.
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2.
• A personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma.

In animal studies, this medication has caused thyroid tumors or thyroid cancer. You should discuss the potential risks with your doctor because it is unknown whether people who take it will experience these effects.

Can pregnant women take Ozempic?

The answer is no. Stop using this medication at least two months before you plan to become pregnant and ask your doctor about a safer medication to use during this time. Controlling your diabetes is very important during pregnancy, as is gaining appropriate weight, even if you are overweight. Losing weight during pregnancy can harm your unborn child.

How is Ozempic given?

Ozempic is injected subcutaneously once a week, with or without food, at any time of day. Each week, administer the injection on the same day. There are multiple doses in the Ozempic pen. After first use, store the pen with the needle removed in the refrigerator or at room temperature, and protect it from heat and light. Discard the pen 56 days after first use, or if less than 0.25 mg appears in the dose counter.

Ozempic Dosage

After consulting your doctor, start Ozempic with a 0.25 mg subcutaneous injection once weekly for 4 weeks. The 0.25 mg dose is intended for initiation and is not effective for blood sugar control.

• After 4 weeks of the 0.25 mg dose, increase the dose to 0.5 mg once weekly.
• If additional blood sugar control is needed, after at least 4 weeks of the 0.5 mg dose, it can be increased to 1 mg once weekly.
• After at least four weeks on the 1 mg dose, if blood sugar control is required, the dose can be increased to 2 mg once weekly. The maximum recommended dose is 2 mg once weekly.

Ozempic Side Effects

If you exhibit any of the symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as:

• Itching.
• Dizziness.
• Rapid heartbeat.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Ozempic may cause other serious side effects, so contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:

• Vision changes.
• Unusual mood changes.
• Thoughts about hurting yourself.
• A heartbeat that is pounding or fluttering in the chest.
• Swelling or a lump in your neck.
• Difficulty swallowing.
• Hoarse voice.
• Feeling short of breath.
• Severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back.
• Nausea with or without vomiting.
• Upper stomach pain.
• Fever.
• Clay-colored stools.
• Jaundice.

Is Ozempic approved for weight loss?

Although Ozempic does promote weight loss, it has not yet been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight loss. Alyssa Northrup, a writer, wrote in a Forbes magazine article that Ozempic is not officially a weight-loss medication, but research shows that people who take it may lose some weight. However, the active ingredient in Ozempic, known as semaglutide, has been approved by the FDA at higher doses to treat individuals with obesity and other weight-related medical conditions under the brand name Wegovy.

Is insulin the same as Ozempic?

Ozempic and insulin are not the same thing, but Ozempic helps your pancreas produce more insulin when your blood sugar is high. Dr. Lydia Alexander in California says that, unlike insulin, Ozempic rarely causes low blood sugar.

While Ozempic is not specifically labeled as a weight-loss drug, studies sponsored by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, suggest that those taking semaglutide—the active ingredient in Ozempic—may lose weight. In 2021, semaglutide for weight loss was approved by the FDA under the brand name Wegovy. However, Wegovy provides a higher dose of semaglutide than Ozempic.

Wegovy contains 2.4 mg of semaglutide, compared to 0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg of semaglutide in Ozempic.

How much weight can you expect to lose with Ozempic?

In a large clinical trial sponsored by Novo Nordisk, 1,961 overweight or obese adults without diabetes were given 2.4 mg of semaglutide or a placebo once a week for 68 weeks, along with a lifestyle intervention. Those taking semaglutide lost 14.9% of their body weight, compared to 2.4% for those taking the placebo. It's important to note that the dose of semaglutide used in this study was higher than the dose provided by Ozempic.

In summary, Ozempic is FDA-approved only for treating diabetes, not for weight loss, according to Dr. Christopher McGowan.

Do you maintain your weight after using Ozempic?

While taking semaglutide may help you lose weight, most people will regain much of that weight if they stop using it. Studies indicate that stopping Ozempic completely will likely result in regaining most of the lost weight within several months, notes Dr. Rekha Kumar, chief medical officer of the Evidence-Based Weight Care Program and an endocrinologist at an academic medical center in New York City.

Is Ozempic recommended for weight loss?

Dr. McGowan advises people with type 2 diabetes, especially those who are overweight or obese, to consult their physician to determine if Ozempic is a good option for helping them control their blood sugar and lose weight. He adds, "For primary treatment of obesity, Wegovy is also an excellent option for any patient who has achieved weight loss through diet and exercise alone, has a BMI of 30 or above (or 27 or above with obesity-related comorbidities), and is willing to use a once-weekly injection long-term."

Dr. McGowan does not recommend using Ozempic for short-term "cosmetic" weight loss. Although this has received significant media attention, Ozempic and related GLP-1 drugs are not designed for use in this manner and can lead to potential adverse events, ultimately leading to weight regain.

In addition, anyone with contraindications, such as a history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia, or a history of pancreatitis, should not use Ozempic.

Ozempic's Rise on TikTok Concerns Doctors

In February 2023, an AFP report stated that the keyword "Ozempic" had reached more than 500 million views on TikTok. The frenzied demand for this diabetes drug for weight loss has caused it to be taken off the market, raising concerns among doctors. "I started taking Ozempic 6 weeks ago," an American TikTok user said in a video viewed nearly 100,000 times. The young woman, who appeared much thinner in her workout clothes than in her previous photos, added, "I didn't do any exercise. I just gave myself an injection of this product."

Fake Prescriptions

In France, the High Authority for Health issued a positive opinion at the end of last December regarding the use of Wegovy to treat obesity. This is currently limited to those suffering from morbid obesity and a related condition.

An Agence France-Presse report in February 2023 stated that while a decision was pending from the authorities regarding Wegovy's price and the method of collecting its payment from social security, its distribution remains limited, unlike Ozempic, which is available "on a regular prescription," according to Professor Jean-Luc Faye of the University of Montpellier. Faye noted that "pharmacists have received prescriptions" for Ozempic for people who don't have diabetes, as well as "fake prescriptions used by more than one person."

For its part, the National Drug Authority has warned physicians that patients must have diabetes before they can prescribe this medication. Although the authority has not observed any "sudden increase in consumption in recent months," there has been a shortage in available Ozempic due to increased global demand.

Side Effects

Doctors have also expressed concern about the side effects of semaglutide. "There are also rare but more serious risks, such as acute pancreatitis, which can occur even at low doses, biliary disorders, and rare cases of severe constipation that can lead to intestinal obstruction," Professor Faye stated. "There are also rare but more serious risks." He also spoke of a "greater risk of thyroid cancer" after several years of treatment. 

Although the risks of semaglutide are "controlled" regarding its benefits in combating diabetes, "doubts remain, especially regarding long-term overweight patients," according to Professor Faye, who emphasized that "the therapeutic benefit of using it to lose a few kilograms is negligible. The goal in this case is limited to aesthetics, while the risks are present."