Ozempic For Weight Loss: Risks, Side Effects And More

User Reviews for Ozempic subcutaneous

Comments & ratings on the side effects, benefits, and effectiveness of Ozempic subcutaneous .

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• Reviews (293)

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• Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (156 reviews)
• Other (85 reviews)
• Weight Loss Management for an Obese Person (29 reviews)
• Weight Loss Management for Overweight Person with BMI 27 to 29 and Weight-Related Comorbidity (23 reviews)

3.7 Overall Rating

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Most voted positive review

Having read many threads on this forum I havn`t read any from users who also suffer with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) so I thought it might be helpful to share my experience as I have had IBS since my late teens. I am 64 now. I started as most people do with a weekly injection of .25 mg to start my body to get used to Ozempic. I thought at first that I had no side effects. This was not quite cor.

Most voted negative review

Cramping, diarrhea, cannot taste food

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1-20 of 293
Mary | 55-64 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
Condition: Other
Overall rating 2.3
Effectiveness
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Prescribed for pre diabetes. Diet and exercise were not working. Took my first dose Sat night. Sunday morning had some nausea and diarrhea but not bad. I thought the worst was over. 6 pm Monday violet projectile vomiting, diarrhea and a headache that would spilt anyone’s head into two. My body would involuntarily shake and every time I threw up my insides would shake and burn. Went to the ER couldn’t hold liquids down. Sat for 4 hours and came home because the zofran kicked in and the Ativan hel ped with the shaking. Took 2 Tylenol PM and slept. I’ve called my endocrinologist and am waiting for a call back. In the meantime I’m on the BRAT diet and sleeping and I’m losing a day of work. I will not be trying the second shot. Read More Read Less

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Natalie | 35-44 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
Condition: Other
Overall rating 1.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

Awful. Took this for weight loss. Wish I never did. First and only dose .25 – immediately my ears started ringing, but ignored it. Within a couple hours I was fidgety, anxious and had a weird brain wire fog. 2 days later and I am suffering. Heart palpitations, anxiety, I don’t feel like myself at all. I’m not too nauseous, it’s the brain weird feelings that scare me. I 100% regret taking this and will definitely not do a 2nd dose. I feel like I’m dying and contemplate going to the ER, but there is nothing anyone can do. You have to wait up to 5 weeks for side effects to go away. Don’t take this unless you NEED to. I did it for vanity reasons and I regret it. I will stick to the gym and keto and just pray I will go back to normal. Not worth it. Read More Read Less

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AshleyM | 45-54 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient

Condition: Weight Loss Management for Overweight Person with BMI 27 to 29 and Weight-Related Comorbidity

Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
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I started Ozempic December 11th, 2022, weighing 165, today is January 20, 2023 , I weigh 148. Total weight loss so far is 17 pounds. Another 23 to go. After gaining 40 pounds in 16 months, my blood sugar was unstable, I was always aIways sweating, fatigued and could not lose this weight no matter what I tried , which was a first for me. I am 5’6, slim build, always weighing 118 to 125lbs. I had tried metformin but it did help. My Dr suggested Ozempic and mentioned it was not for the faint of heart. My first .25 injection was in the stomach, the side effects came on strong, the next day, nausea, acid reflux, sulphur burping, throwing up bile, and loose bowels. It has not been easy, in terms of side effects but I now inject in my thigh and they are more manageable and have diminished in severity and occurrence. A bland diet, has been working best, I make smoothies with protein powder, fruit and unsweetened almond milk 3 times a day. Meat has been hard to stomach, so has cheese, pasta, or anything heavy. Grateful this is working! Read More Read Less

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Anonymous | 35-44 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
Condition: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Overall rating 3.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I started on .25 the normal and I am currently taking the max does of 2ML. I have days when I have explosive diarrhea and some days my eyes sight is not that clear. On a good note I went from a 13 A1C to 6 A1C. I’ve also loss a significant amount a weight for my body type. I went from 156lb to 133lbs, because I don’t have an appetite and sometimes the thought of eating makes me nauseous. Even when I feel hungry I take a few bites and I am full. I feel low energy most days because I feel tha t I’m not getting all the nutrients that my body needs. Read More Read Less

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fatpat | 55-64 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient

Condition: Weight Loss Management for Overweight Person with BMI 27 to 29 and Weight-Related Comorbidity

Overall rating 4.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

lost 24 pounds. Side effects include vomiting at random times of days, intense diarrhea, upset stomach

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FortLaudGuy | 55-64 | Male | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
Condition: Weight Loss Management for an Obese Person
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I started with 1mg week 1. I had some nausea at first which disappeared. I cut out carbs, had one meal daily around 2 PM every day ate 12 green grapes for breakfast and as a snack at 7 pm, and lost 20 lbs in 3 weeks. I went to a friend’s for brunch, I didn’t eat a lot but I ate differently, resulting in overnight diarrhea. It really works if you change your diet, as you stomach stays full for hours and not minutes. No headache or other issue. I was relieved to see that Dairy Queen and Ben and Jerry had not gone out of business due to my absence. Read More Read Less

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Will33309 | 55-64 | Male | Patient
Condition: Weight Loss Management for an Obese Person
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I have lost 20 lbs in three weeks, using Ozempic the with a healthy diet. My BMI was 34 now 31.

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Disappointed | 55-64 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
Condition: Weight Loss Management for an Obese Person
Overall rating 2.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I was so excited to start on Ozempic. Started on .25 for 6 weeks, then went to .50. Its been horrendous. Sulphur burps and gas have kept me awake all night. Feel sick a lot from nausea. Throwing up on occasion. Diarrhea and constipation. Ruining my days because I lay in bed not feeling good. Yes This stuff works excellent for curbing your appetite. I only eat like once a day because I’m not hungry at all. Finally after 35 years of battling overeating and food cravings, something finally stopp ed all that. I felt like I was a normal person. But the side effects are not worth it, because it says only 25% of people kept the weight off. I’m going off of this medication because the side effects. And it also causes pancreatitis, gallbladder issues, gallstones and has a black box warning. Not worth it! Read More Read Less

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A. Williams | 45-54 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
Condition: Other
Overall rating 3.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
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My first time taking the medication it was a on Sun and by Mon evening I had a cluster migraine. And my stomach started running off a week later bad after everything I ate, all of a sudden I’m running to bathroom (The shot’s gave me cluster migraines lasted 4 days and I to go get a shot). I’ve never known I could have IBS; I’ma let my Dr know to check me for that. Overall the shots did work, curbs your appetite. Yes I stopped taking it because it was giving me migraine every morning.

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MichaelD | 65-74 | Male | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
Condition: Weight Loss Management for an Obese Person
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

Had my first dose at noon. Became extremely nauseous around 3pm. Vomiting began at 6pm and continued for 16 hours. No more for me!

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Shirl | 55-64 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient

Condition: Weight Loss Management for Overweight Person with BMI 27 to 29 and Weight-Related Comorbidity

Overall rating 2.0
Effectiveness
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Satisfaction

Unfortunately I must have gotten every side affect, I was violently ill for a week and it has taken another week to recoupe. This is not for me.

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Marilyn | 55-64 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
Condition: Weight Loss Management for an Obese Person
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I started Ozempic in August 2022 and I am thrilled to say I have lost 30 pounds. I started with. 05 for four weeks,. 05 for four weeks and 1mg since. No side affects till I started 1mg, with that said I only burp occasionally. First thing in the morning I inject into my leg, have a cup of coffee and water. I have been intermittent fasting for years and I continue starting to eat at 1:00p.m and stop eating by 9:00p.m. I stay away from deep-fried foods, chips, cookies, cake and most junk food. Wit h that said if I am feeling I want a desert I will take a tiny sliver of cake or pie. I’ve learned to eat slower as it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain you are full. I drink five to eight glasses of water a day and endulge in a glass of red wine or two on the weekend. Nothing worked for me until Ozempic! 15 more pounds to go. I hope this has helped. Read More Read Less

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lovebird | 55-64 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
Condition: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Overall rating 3.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

My may concern, and the side effect is unclear vision. Not only do I become sensitive to light, but my vision also becomes cloudy; I have to squish my eyes to see, which is a new onset since I am on the medication. I want to continue using it, but a vision change is one of the significant side effects. Thus, I have temporarily stopped using it until I discuss it with my doctor.

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David | 35-44 | Male | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
Condition: Weight Loss Management for an Obese Person
Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I am a 43 yo male. Started Ozempic for weight loss on November 8th after hitting an almost all-time high weight of 236. I just took my 9th dose this morning and am down 17 lbs. Its always been hard for me to lose weight without incredible amounts of exercise or near starvation, so i am pleased. So whats the journey been like? At the .25 starting dose, all was well till between week 2-3 when i had about 2 1/2 days of aggressive diarrhea (essentially liquid form and almost uncontrollable). P robably 20 times in that period. (That side effect led me to a blog like this where someone said they found less trouble when taking the shot in the leg vs the stomach. I had taken the first two in the stomach and immediately switch to the leg for shots 3-9. I have no idea if it actually helped or if my body just got used to the medicine – but i do know i wont be doing any more shots in the stomach. :)) Thankfully, in the 6 weeks since, ive only had that one time again. Like some others, with my first ever dose i had no idea if i got any or not. But alas, it seemed to work out. After this initial box of .25, i was upgraded to a box of .5. As the .5 box came to and end, my doctor was going to keep me at .5 for another cycle, but it was impossible to get the medicine at that dose so i successfully urged him to take me to 1.0. This morning was my third shot of 1.0. In the last two weeks i have a new symptom, with is mild vertigo. Usually mostly in the morning after getting up quickly or after consuming sugar. I can deal with it though, i just try to stay aware of it and what causes it. Good luck to you all! Read More Read Less

Ozempic For Weight Loss: Risks, Side Effects And More

Dr. Janese Laster is a quadruple board-certified physician and the owner of Gut Theory Total Digestive Care in Washington, D.C.

Janese Laster, M.D. Gastroenterology / Nutrition / Obesity Medicine / Bariatric Endoscopist
Updated: Jan 25, 2023, 10:10am

Commissions we earn from partner links on this page do not affect our opinions or evaluations. Our editorial content is based on thorough research and guidance from the Forbes Health Advisory Board.

Table of Contents

• What Is Ozempic?
• Ozempic for Weight Loss: How Does It Work?
• Is Ozempic Safe?
• Common Side Effects of Ozempic
• Should I Use Ozempic to Lose Weight?

Ozempic is a once-weekly injectable medication formulated to help adults with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar. Although not officially a weight loss drug, research suggests that people who take Ozempic may lose modest amounts of weight while on the medication. In fact, the active ingredient in Ozempic, known as semaglutide, is FDA-approved at higher doses for treating individuals living with obesity and other weight related medical problems under the name Wegovy.

Due to a Wegovy shortage coupled with Ozempic’s weight loss effects going viral on social media, people without type 2 diabetes have begun using Ozempic off-label for weight loss.

In this article, we discuss this growing weight loss trend and offer insights from physicians on Ozempic’s effectiveness for weight loss, safety and what you should consider before taking Ozempic for weight loss.

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What Is Ozempic?

Ozempic is an FDA-approved prescription medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. It helps improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes and is proven to lower hemoglobin A1C, a measure of blood glucose over time, according to research cited on Ozempic’s site. It also helps adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease lower their risk for cardiovascular events like stroke or heart attack.

The active compound in Ozempic, semaglutide, is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It works by activating GLP-1 receptors throughout the body and enhancing the effects of the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1.

“GLP-1 serves multiple key functions in the body,” explains Christopher McGowan, M.D., a gastroenterologist specializing in obesity medicine and endobariatrics, and founder of True You Weight Loss in North Carolina. “It boosts the release of insulin by the pancreas in response to food intake, which helps to control blood sugar. Likewise, it reduces the release of glucagon—a hormone that increases blood glucose—thereby also helping to control blood sugar.”

Ozempic is a once-weekly self-administered injection of semaglutide. It comes in 0.5 milligrams, 1 milligram or 2 milligram dosages.

Is Ozempic Insulin?

Ozempic is not insulin. It helps your pancreas produce more insulin when your blood sugar is high. “Unlike insulin, Ozempic rarely causes low blood sugar,” notes California-based Lydia Alexander, M.D, a board certified obesity medicine specialist and president-elect of the Obesity Medicine Association, the largest organization of clinicians dedicated to preventing, treating and reversing the disease of obesity.

Ozempic for Weight Loss: How Does It Work?

While Ozempic is not specifically labeled as a weight loss drug, studies sponsored by Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Ozempic, suggest people who take semaglutide—the active compound in Ozempic—may lose weight [1] Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine. 2021;384(11):989-1002. [2] Mares AC, Chatterjee S, Mukherjee D. Semaglutide for weight loss and cardiometabolic risk reduction in overweight/obesity. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2022;37(4):350-355. . In fact, the FDA approved semaglutide for weight loss in 2021 under the brand name Wegovy. However, Wegovy provides a higher dose of semaglutide than Ozempic—2.4 milligrams of semaglutide in Wegovy compared with 0.5 milligrams, 1 milligram or 2 milligrams of semaglutide in Ozempic.

As a GLP-1 receptor agonist, semaglutide enhances the effects of the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1. Dr. McGowan explains that in addition to its effects on blood glucose and diabetes, GLP-1 also impacts weight via two key mechanisms:

• Affects the hunger centers in the brain (specifically, in the hypothalamus), reducing hunger, appetite and cravings
• Slows the rate of stomach emptying, effectively prolonging fullness and satiety after meals

“The net result is decreased hunger, prolonged fullness and ultimately weight loss,” adds Dr. McGowan.

In one large clinical trial sponsored by Novo Nordisk, 1,961 adults with excess weight or obesity who did not have diabetes were given 2.4 milligrams of semaglutide or a placebo once a week for 68 weeks, along with lifestyle intervention. Those who took semaglutide lost 14.9% of their body weight compared with 2.4% for those who took the placebo [1] Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine. 2021;384(11):989-1002. .

It’s important to note that the dose of semaglutide used in this study was higher than the dose provided by Ozempic. However, 2.4 milligrams is the dose of semaglutide in the FDA-approved weight loss drug Wegovy.

“Ozempic is FDA approved for the treatment of diabetes only. It is not a weight loss medication,” explains Dr. McGowan. “Its sister medication, Wegovy, is specifically approved for the treatment of weight,” he adds.

Even though Ozempic and Wegovy are essentially the same medication (just available in different doses), it should be noted that while Ozempic is typically covered by insurance, often, Wegovy is not.

High demand and subsequent inventory and supply chain strains have severely impacted the availability of Wegovy, notes Dr. McGowan. As a result, Wegovy has been repeatedly unavailable since its introduction and many people are turning to off-label use of Ozempic for weight loss. Dr. McGowan notes that this is interfering with the availability of Ozempic for those with diabetes.

While taking semaglutide may help you lose weight while you are on the drug, most people will regain much of that weight if they discontinue using it. “Studies show that stopping Ozempic completely will likely lead to regaining most of the weight lost within several months,” notes Rekha Kumar, M.D., head of Medical Affairs at evidence-based weight care program Found, and practicing endocrinologist at an academic medical center in New York City.

“GLP-1 medications [like Ozempic] are designed to be taken long-term,” explains Dr. McGowan. “They are chronic medications for the treatment of chronic conditions (both diabetes and obesity).”

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