In summary, Ozempic can make you feel tired, but it's a rare side effect. In the long-term, you may notice the opposite: energy increases and you're less tired, as you lose weight and improve cardiovascular health while taking Ozempic combined with physical activity and diet changes.
“A small percentage of people were found to have adverse reactions such as dizziness and fatigue in trials with Ozempic,” Priya Jaisinghani, M.D., an endocrinologist at NYU Langone Health. But, unfortunately, the reason why some experience fatigue while taking Ozempic is unknown, she says.
The side effects of Semaglutide may be temporary. As mentioned, the most common side effects include feeling tired, itchy skin, and diarrhea. However, these should stop after a few weeks of continuously taking the medications.
Dizziness can occur while taking Ozempic. This side effect was very rare in people taking the drug in clinical trials.
In rare cases, the use of Ozempic may cause anxiety and mood swings, irritability, shakiness, and confusion. However, when you take other medications along with Ozempic, it may escalate anxiety or mood change. Hence, discuss these potential issues with your physician beforehand to avoid any side effects.
Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) can cause side effects that some people are unable to tolerate. Following dosing guidelines can help manage these side effects. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are the most common semaglutide side effects. But they usually subside after a few weeks of using the medication.
Ozempic works by adjusting the way your body processes glucose (sugar). This can lead to slower digestion, which means food stays in your stomach longer as it's being broken down. As your stomach works on digesting, it produces additional gas, which can lead to that uncomfortable bloating feeling and stomach pain.
The most common side effect with Ozempic is nausea and occurs in about 15% to 20% of people. Others include vomiting (5% to 9%), diarrhea (8%), stomach-area pain (6% to 7%), and constipation (3% to 7%).
The most common side effects of Ozempic, according to the drug's website, are nausea, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, told CBS News that the drugs "are a well-established class of medicines, which have demonstrated long-term safety in clinical trials.
It's used to lower blood glucose (sugar) levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes. The starting dose of Ozempic is 0.25 mg injected once weekly for 4 weeks. Then, your dose is moved up to 0.5 mg once weekly.
You may need a higher dosage of Ozempic
The same holds true for Ozempic's weight loss results. People taking higher doses of Ozempic tend to lose more weight. In the landmark study we cited above, people lost 7% of their body weight, on average, within a year and a half of taking 1mg of semaglutide.
The most common side effects when using Ozempic® are diarrhoea and nausea. These side effects are usually mild and normally decrease with continued use. Speak to your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects and they worry you.
Remedies for Ozempic fatigue include lowering your sleep debt, getting in sync with your circadian rhythm, and improving your sleep hygiene to help you get the best sleep possible. Eating a healthy diet, managing any GI side effects, and keeping stress and anxiety low can also help improve sleep and fatigue.
It is important to have your blood sugar levels checked regularly. This is the only way to know if Ozempic is working properly for you. Your doctor will recommend how frequently you should do this.
In combination with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, Ozempic may also be prescribed off-label for weight management in people with obesity and overweight. Gastrointestinal side effects from Ozempic are common, but manageable. They include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation.
You start feeling those usual hunger pangs again, and consequently, you may start eating more to satisfy that hunger. An increase in your consumption can lead to the regaining of weight that was lost. A 2022 study found that most individuals gain weight back a year after stopping the medication.
Ozempic and its sister medication, Wegovy — approved for weight loss for people who are obese or overweight with weight-related medical conditions — are considered long-term or lifelong treatments.
Ozempic is also used off-label for weight loss. In particular, it can help reduce the amount of belly fat. This is because Ozempic works by making you feel fuller for longer, which can help you resist overeating by controlling cravings and hunger.
Ozempic can cause nausea and vomiting if taken after eating foods high in fat or sugar. It is recommended that you take Ozempic before meals, rather than after, to minimise any potential side effects from eating high-fat or high-sugar foods.
The Relationship Between Diet and Weight Loss on Ozempic
While Ozempic can help control your appetite and blood sugar levels, it's not a magic pill that will automatically make the weight fall off. Eating a balanced diet low in calories, fat, and sugar is essential when using Ozempic for weight loss.
It may be related to how the medication causes a decrease in appetite, leading a person to eat less and get less energy from food. Typically, side effects from Wegovy improve as time goes on and the body adjusts to the medication.
On average, a user can lose about 3 to 5% of their body weight after using Ozempic for a month regularly. This equates to about 4 to 6 pounds on average. Using a higher potency of the drug may result in more weight loss, but it isn't recommended that you start taking it right away.
For people with type 2 diabetes who take Ozempic to manage their blood sugar, halting treatment may cause blood sugar to rebound to around pre-medication levels, says Beverly Tchang, MD, an endocrinologist and an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.