People receiving any dose of
Many people also experience weight loss, although these medications are not FDA-approved for weight loss. When it comes to choosing GLP-1 agonist medications, there are several available alternatives to Ozempic, including Bydureon (exenatide), Victoza (liraglutide), and Trulicity (dulaglutide).
Other GLP-1 agonists that are alternatives to Ozempic include Byetta, Victoza, Tanzeum, Trulicity, and Mounjaro.
Mounjaro is a more effective drug than Ozempic. As demonstrated above, tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Mounjaro) leads to more clinically significant weight loss and blood sugar reductions than semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic).
Wegovy is available at a higher dosage (2.4 mg weekly) than Ozempic. Compared to 1 mg of semaglutide, more people taking 2.4 mg reported side effects in clinical trials.
Ozempic has a new rival: Mounjaro, also a diabetes drug, has led to average weight losses of 15 to 24 kg. A powerful new diabetes drug is poised to become a hit on the global weight loss market.
You've hit a plateau
It's normal to eventually hit a point where your weight loss slows down, especially if you're not working on keeping or building up your muscle mass. Losing muscle along with fat slows your metabolism and can slow down your weight loss.
Ozempic® is more effective for weight loss and blood sugar improvements than Saxenda®. Studies have also shown that Ozempic® leads to fewer side effects and adverse events than Saxenda® with people tolerating Ozempic® better.
How Long Can You Stay on Ozempic (semaglutide)? A person can stay on Ozempic® so long as they are tolerating the medication and it is deemed appropriate by their treating provider. There is no specific time frame when someone should stop taking Ozempic as it is a medication that is intended for chronic (long-term) use.
Although steady state levels are reached in 4 to 5 weeks, clinical effectiveness with Ozempic will vary from person to person and may take longer due to unique factors such as age, weight, amount of body fluid, additional medications you take, kidney or liver function, or your other medical conditions.
Some popular examples of weight loss pills are Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion), Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate ER), and phentermine (Adipex-P). Some clinical studies suggest that Qsymia is the most effective weight loss pill.
Ozempic can interact with insulin and other insulin-releasing medications, like sulfonylureas and glinides. It may also potentially affect how you absorb medications you take by mouth.
If you don't have diabetes, taking Ozempic for weight loss is considered an off-label use. Wegovy, a higher-dose version of Ozempic, is approved to help people manage their weight. This includes adults and adolescents ages 12 and older who meet certain body mass index (BMI) criteria.
Some individuals may actually gain more weight after stopping an obesity drug than they initially lost, Conde-Knape added. Studies have similarly shown weight rebound in people who stop taking Ozempic.
Experts said they consider Ozempic and Wegovy to be lifelong medications.
Teresa Shepherd said she lost 90 pounds while taking an off-brand version of the drug Ozempic for around eight months. Shepherd, who lives in Florida, told " Good Morning America" she has been able to maintain her weight loss two months after stopping the medication.
Will Ozempic or Wegovy reduce belly fat? The answer appears to be yes. That Novo Nordisk-funded study of almost 2,000 overweight or obese adults without diabetes also found their visceral fat — the type that accumulates in the belly — was reduced from baseline with semaglutide, along with their total fat mass.
In these trials, after 1 year of treatment, up to 63% of patients lost 5% or more of their body weight and up to 27% of patients lost 10% or more of their body weight.
Research has proven that higher doses of Ozempic — 2.4 milligrams of semaglutide — are very effective for reducing weight in people with obesity. In one landmark study, people with obesity who used the drug in combination with lifestyle interventions lost about 15% percent of their body weight in 68 weeks.
If you take too much Ozempic, you may experience nausea and/or vomiting. You may also have other stomach-related side effects, such as bloating or abdominal pain. Too much Ozempic can also lead to low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). If this happens, you may feel shaky, weak, or sweaty.
What happens when you stop taking Ozempic? Weight loss caused by GLP-1 agonist drugs is not always permanent. In clinical trials, people who stopped taking semaglutide regained the majority of their prior weight loss within a year.
Wegovy's sister drug, Ozempic, relies on the same formula but at a lower dose and was approved for people with Type 2 diabetes in 2017. Both drugs are brand names for semaglutide, a medication that can lower blood sugar and suppress appetite by mimicking a hormone that signals to the brain when a person is full.