Companies may study medicines that are used to treat certain conditions to see if they also cause weight loss without treating the condition. Ozempic, a medication for type 2 diabetes, falls into this category.
The FDA is currently reviewing Ozempic, which is a once-weekly injection that can be used in combination with diet and exercise to help people lose weight. Ozempic becomes the second medication in its class to be approved for weight loss in overweight or obese adults under the new indication.
Ozempic for weight loss are discussed in this article.
Ozempic – what is it?
The injectable medication Ozempic (semaglutide) helps type 2 diabetics control their blood sugar levels by combining diet and exercise. These medications are known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, which mimic the hormone GLP-1 in your body to lower blood sugar levels after eating.
Prefilled pen injectors are available to administer Ozempic once a week. Compared to other medications that must be administered once or twice a day, it is considered to be a long-acting option in its drug class. Under the brand name Rybelsus, semaglutide, the generic version of Ozempic, is also available as an oral tablet daily.
Does Ozempic work like insulin?
As far as I know, Ozempic is not a type of insulin or one that can replace insulin. In the presence of glucose (sugar), it stimulates the release of insulin by the pancreas. Ozempic does not work when your pancreas cannot produce insulin, such as in type 1 diabetes, because it relies on your body’s own insulin.
Ozempic are stimulants, aren’t they?
Ozempic do not contain stimulants. As opposed to other weight loss medications, such as phentermine, Ozempic has a different mechanism for causing weight loss. I’ll talk more about this next.
Is it safe to use?
When used as directed, Ozempic is considered safe and effective by the FDA. The FDA-approved labeling of the medication details the medication’s risks, but safe doesn’t mean there aren’t any. You shouldn’t use Ozempic if you or your family have a history of certain thyroid cancers, as it contains a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors occurring in rodents (with unknown risk in humans).
Ozempic is injected once weekly at a dose of 0.25 mg as the starting dose, and up to 1 mg as the maximum dose in type 2 diabetes. Ozempic’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, has also recently requested FDA approval for a higher dose of 2 mg once a week.
Doses currently approved for diabetes are lower than those for weight loss, which is 2.4 mg once weekly. More importantly, it’s being tested on people who have a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 alone or 27 kg/m2 with at least one weight-related comorbidity (excluding diabetes).
In other words, if you don’t have diabetes and your healthcare provider prescribes this medication off-label for weight loss, keep in mind that the FDA has not reviewed the data to determine that it outweighs the risks.
What is its effect on weight loss?
People who take GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic tend to lose weight as well as control their blood sugar. It is the hormone GLP-1 that slows down the speed at which food is ejected from your stomach (called gastric emptying). Aside from causing insulin to be released by your pancreas, it also blocks a hormone that triggers sugar release from your liver.
By combining these functions, you can feel less hungry, resulting in fewer calories consumed and more weight lost.
Are you able to curb your appetite with Ozempic?
Ozempic may help curb your appetite, yes. GLP-1 plays a direct role in regulating your appetite as well as slowing gastric emptying to make you feel full longer.
What is the timeframe for losing weight on Ozempic?
To lose the most weight with Ozempic, you’ll likely need to gradually increase your dose. Clinical trials involved adjusting participants’ doses every 4 weeks or so until they reached 2.4 mg once a week. At 20 weeks in the phase 3 trial, most participants reached the full dose and lost weight as the dose was increased. During the remaining 48 weeks at the full dose, they continued to lose weight.
You will see the best results when you combine your medication with a healthy diet and exercise to lose weight. You may not tolerate the full dose of the medication if it doesn’t work for you.
Do you need to avoid any foods or medications?
If you are on Ozempic, here are some things to keep in mind.
The first thing you should do while taking Ozempic is limit your alcohol consumption, especially if you have diabetes. Especially if you are drinking on an empty stomach, alcohol may cause your blood sugar to drop too low when combined with Ozempic. It is also possible for alcohol to irritate your stomach. Combining this with some GI side effects might make you feel worse.
Taking oral medications may also require you to exercise caution. Because Ozempic slows down gastric emptying, the body may not absorb as much oral medication as it should. Despite trials showing this not to be significant with Ozempic, make sure your provider is aware of any other medications you are taking before taking Ozempic.
Talk to your provider before combining Ozempic with other weight-loss medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) supplements and herbal preparations.
What is the cost of Ozempic?
Ozempic can get very expensive in the United States. More and more health insurers have stopped providing coverage for Ozempic, as the medication is mostly used for its weight loss capabilities. However, the rise of Ozempic in the United States has not slowed down. It has gotten to the point where many States are facing a shortage of the injectable pens.
Thousands of Americans are now purchasing their Ozempic from overseas. Americans can buy Ozempic from different countries including; Canada, Australia, Britain and Mexico. If you are interested in purchasing Ozempic from another country, we highly suggest visiting buyozempic.com. The folks there have tried and tested many online services and have weaved out the good, the bad and the ugly.
Is there anything similar to Ozempic?
As well as Ozempic, Novo Nordisk manufactures Saxenda (liraglutide), an approved weight loss medication similar to Ozempic. When comparing Saxenda vs Ozempic, it’s important to note that they are similar active ingredients, making them both effective medications for weight management and diabetes treatment.
Saxenda costs more than $1,500 on average at retail. Nevertheless, if you have private or commercial health insurance, you may be able to qualify for a manufacturer’s savings card and pay as little as $25 for a 30-day supply.
You can save even more money purchasing your Ozempic and Saxenda through insulinoutlet.com. They provide Americans with medication by a fraction of the cost. They do not sell generics and have been increasingly popular on a multitude of Facebook groups.
Ozempic should be taken for how long?
As of now, Ozempic has only been FDA-approved for use in people with type 2 diabetes and heart disease who need blood sugar control and heart attack or stroke prevention. Since you are managing a chronic condition with Ozempic, you will take it as directed by your healthcare provider.
Once the FDA reviews data for this new indication, we’ll have a better idea of long-term safety for those without type 2 diabetes who want to try Ozempic to lose weight. The company conducted four trials over a period of 68 weeks (about 1.5 years) in which participants received treatment.
Although the headline results of the clinical trials are encouraging, the FDA has the final say regarding safety and efficacy.
