My doctor prescribed Ozempic to help me lose weight. How it’s happening

Over the past few years, Luis’ blood sugar levels have started to rise and he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in September 2022.

“My cardiologist and primary care doctor knew how frustrating I was trying to lose weight,” she said.

After her diagnosis, her doctor prescribed metformin, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes that works by lowering blood sugar levels. But after three months of dieting on metformin, her A1C was still elevated.

“We decided to start low dose Ozempic to lower the A1C and start weight loss,” says Lewis.

Ozempic is an injectable drug that stimulates GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas and other parts of the body, resulting in increased insulin secretion in response to high blood sugar. Dr. Sethu ReddyPresident of the American Society of Clinical Endocrinology.

“Ozempic also tends to lower levels of the anti-insulin hormone glucagon. Weight loss can also help further improve blood sugar control,” Reddy told Healthline.

Ozempic contains the active compound semaglutide.

Doctor.Rekha B. KumarSemaglutide helps with weight loss by increasing satiety, delaying stomach emptying, and lowering blood sugar levels, according to Dr. Semaglutide, associate professor of medicine at Cornell University and chief medical officer at Found University.

“Semaglutide, named Wegovy, is an FDA-approved drug for obesity management, so Ozempic can help people with diabetes lose weight,” Kumar told Healthline.

Although Ozempic is only FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes, “If you have diabetes and are also obese, Ozempic is a good choice,” Kumar said.

Using Ozempic for weight loss in the absence of type 2 diabetes is considered an “off label use” of this drug.

In 2022, Food and Drug Administration A shortage of Ozempic was reported.This allows some controversy In some cases, people were taking off-label drugs for weight loss.

“Given recent supply issues in general, diabetes management will be a priority,” said Reddy. “However, weight loss in non-diabetics will be more of an indicator in the future. Her use of GL-1 analogues for weight loss will also depend on insurance policies and access to these agents.” To do.”

Lewis started taking Ozempic in January 2023 and has since lost about 4 pounds a week.

“I’m not hungry at all. I get full quickly,” she said. “I used to eat snacks when I got home. [from work] Or hungry at lunch. not anymore. “

However, eating fatty or greasy foods like French fries can cause some side effects, such as an upset stomach.

For most people, side effects are mild and cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and reflux.

“Because the injections are given every seven days, side effects can occur earlier in the week.” Nonetheless, if an individual has pancreatitis, we would be cautious about initiating GLP-1 analogues.”

Another potentially serious side effect could be an increased risk of tumor growth in patients with a relatively rare form of thyroid cancer (medullary carcinoma), Kumar said.

“Patients with medullary thyroid cancer, hereditary syndromes that include medullary thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, severe acid reflux and gallstones are not good candidates,” she said.

Lewis said the medication forced him to change his diet.

“Sometimes the food tastes very different and not in a good way. I love coffee, but sometimes it tastes so strong that it makes me nauseous,” she said.

With medication, she’s also touched on her food choices.

“I know very well what foods I’m eating. I know that if I eat high-fat foods, I’m likely not going to feel good. It’s kind of a new way of thinking,” she says. Told.

Ozempic is only intended for long-term use to treat diabetes, and if used off-label for weight loss, Kumar said it would need to be taken long-term to maintain the weight lost. I got

However, Reddy said those taking Ozempic should be closely monitored by a doctor.[for] Over time, sugar control deteriorates and eventually almost all people with type 2 diabetes will require insulin therapy.

Still, he expects Ozempic and other similar drugs to become more widely used.

“These agents, which have also proven cardioprotective properties and combined with glucose and weight loss properties, will become increasingly popular in the medical toolbox,” said Reddy.

For now, Lewis will continue to take Ozempic for diabetes and weight control.

“If this drug helped me lower my A1C and lose a few pounds, I would quit it and start feeling better about my health and self.”[But], I really don’t know how long to take this drug. “