Ozempic stimulates the release of insulin and lowers blood sugar. When you abruptly stop using it, the amount of glucose in your body can spike, especially if you have diabetes. Some may end up in the ER due to sheer exhaustion from the blood sugar spikes and crashes.
For people who are trying to lose weight, whether or not they need to, Ozempic will flush out of your body and you'll go back to where you were, Sadhu said. There's no withdrawal and you don't need to taper off the drug, although you may feel hungry again and regain the weight.
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.
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.
No, they don't need to be tapered before stopping, Low Wang said. “You can always choose to stop the medications, but it's important to know that you will have a very high risk of regaining lost weight and worsening diabetes control,” she said.
The drugs also come with a warning that they may increase the risk of thyroid cancer, acute pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, low blood sugar, kidney injury, damage to the eye's retina and suicidal thinking or behavior.
“Ozempic face” is a term for common side effects of the type 2 diabetes medication semaglutide (Ozempic). It can cause sagging and aging of facial skin. A doctor may recommend lifestyle modifications or facial fillers to treat these effects.
How long can you lose weight with Ozempic? One trial found that after 2 years on semaglutide, patients were still losing weight [5]. Although there is technically no limit to how long you can take Ozempic weekly, at Juniper, our prescribers mostly recommend sticking with the program for at least a year.
What Should You Do If You Want to Stop Taking the Drug? If someone chooses to stop taking semaglutide, there's no need to gradually reduce their dose or cadence. Once a person stops regularly taking the medication, their body will naturally cycle through the remaining drug, Fitch said.
Many have reported losing substantial weight after taking the trendy drug semaglutide, which has the brand name Ozempic or Wegovy. But plastic surgeons say they're seeing a rise in patients coming in with saggy, loose skin that appears after dramatic weight loss — a phenomenon known as "Ozempic face" or "Ozempic body."
High fat foods or sugary foods
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.
Ideally, you should not take Ozempic if you do not have diabetes, or if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning on becoming pregnant. Ozempic may cause serious (but rare) side effects, including thyroid C-cell tumors and medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).
Ozempic contains semaglutide, which mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1; when people take the drug, higher levels of that hormone flood the receptors in our brain that regulate our eating behaviors, Dr. Hwang said, changing how our neurons transmit signals to the rest of our body.
Refined carbohydrates
This can make it harder to manage blood sugar levels in people both with and without diabetes. These types of foods are typically lacking fiber, which can send blood sugar levels soaring. It is best to avoid refined carbohydrates if you're taking Ozempic.
For those on the drug, Rubin recommends increasing your intake of lean protein such as chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, beans, soy and low-fat dairy.
Earlier, Kim and Khloe were accused that they both were taking Hollywood's fad weight-loss drug, Ozempic for weight loss. Both sisters have rejected claims using any unnatural means and said that it's because of diet and exercise.
According to the FDA, they've received reports that patients taking the compounded version of Ozempic have had “adverse effects.” They also noted people could be using doses of semaglutide that are derived from a salt — which haven't been tested — rather than its pure form.
Ozempic can cause other digestive side effects, such as gas, burping, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. These side effects may affect your belly pain. Belly pain can also be a symptom of pancreatitis (inflammation of your pancreas). This is a rare but serious side effect of Ozempic.
Ozempic® (semaglutide): It's one of several GLP-1 medications that are best known for their ability to help patients with type 2 diabetes control blood sugar—but the drug is also effective in helping those with obesity or overweight improve their metabolic health and lose weight.
Avoiding alcohol and caffeine with Ozempic®
Caffeine may also cause your blood sugar levels to fluctuate, possibly increasing the risk for hypoglycemia when taking Ozempic® at the same time.
Whole grains also help stabilize blood sugar levels due to their slower release of glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream. This makes them a great food to eat while taking Ozempic. Whole grain foods include: Whole wheat bread.