Ozempic helped Lauren lose weight, but it wasn't easy

Lauren Ash started gaining weight as soon as she hit puberty.

The 42-year-old man from Adelaide/Tarundanya said: “Since having my baby, it has ballooned out of control.” ABC Podcast Ladies We Need to Talk.

“It's just always been that way for me.”

Over the years, she tried various diets and exercises, including aerobics and gym memberships, but none of them worked.

Then in 2021, Lauren was considering weight loss surgery when she heard that a friend was taking Ozempic. This drug is used to treat type 2 diabetes, but is often prescribed off-label as a weight loss drug.

Its popularity has increased explosively in recent years, lead to shortage Pharmacists create replicas of medicines.

“I went to see this doctor and he [prescribed] That’s to me,” Lauren says.

However, although she was able to lose weight, the use of drugs was not easy.

Rise of Ozempic

Teagan Taylor, the ABC's health science reporter and voice behind What's That Rash and The Health Report, said Ozempic is not the first weight-loss drug of its type, but “it really works. “It was his first drug,” he says.

Ozempic, and other brand-name versions of it (such as Mounjaro and Trulicity), are part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists.

“They imitate it [action] “This is due to a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1,” Taylor says.

“When you eat, your blood sugar levels rise…and this hormone is involved in the process of stimulating your body to produce more insulin, which helps lower your blood sugar levels.

“It has the effect of lowering blood sugar levels, so it has the following effects: [type 2] Diabetes.

“As a side effect, people taking it lost weight.”

Michela Sorensen, a Sydney/Gadigal Country-based general practitioner and women's health advocate, says the drug makes people feel full for longer and suppresses appetite.

She says the drug is a “game changer” for people with type 2 diabetes and obesity.

“Obesity is a chronic disease and one of the biggest health problems facing not only Australia but most of the developed world.”

Ozempic was launched in the US in 2017 and became eligible for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in Australia in 2020, but only for people with diabetes.

It is prescribed off-label for weight loss purposes. Off-label is when a doctor prescribes a medicine for a purpose other than that approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

“People recognized me.”

Lauren said Ozempic's weight loss effects have improved her life.

”[I] I went to the gym for a year and lost 2 kg, and in Ozempic I lost 35 kg in 12 months.

“I was able to play with the kids, and getting up and down became easier.”

She says thoughts about food no longer dominate her day.

“My 'food sounds' are gone. You know…'I'm hungry. I need to eat something. You can have a snack now. That toast looks really good.' I think I'd like some chocolate.'

“I wasn't hungry. The taste of food changed. I didn't want to eat anything.”

Losing weight also changed the way people treated her.

“I was just seen as a normal person…I wore normal clothes, and I was a normal person,” Lauren says.

“People recognized me and smiled.”

Dr. Sorenson says Lauren is typical of patients who seek this type of drug.

“People don't [always] care about numbers [on scales]but how does it affect daily life?

“Their core energy level is— [overweight] People, especially as they get older, find themselves really tired and unable to do regular exercise or walk with their children. ”

She also sees women during perimenopause, where physical changes such as weight gain may occur.

“They are experiencing a loss of identity and don't know where they are physically or mentally,” Dr. Sorenson says.

“Helping their bodies return to a comfortable position helped their health. [perimenopause] process. “

Ozempic side effects and risks

Dr. Sorenson explains that GLP-1 receptor agonists can have negative side effects, such as headaches and gastrointestinal problems such as constipation, diarrhea, and nausea.

“In many cases, symptoms improve as people get used to the medication, but not at a consistent rate.”

questions have been raised regarding the risks of pancreatitisand Thyroid cancer and pancreatic cancer.

So far, this research is reassuring, but because they're all rare, we're unlikely to know whether there will be a significant increase in the coming years.

The first two times Lauren received Ozempic shots, she suffered migraines and was “bedridden for two days.”

“I felt a little nauseous afterward, but that was it.”

Lauren had to stop taking Ozempic because she ran out of it, and five months later she started taking it again, but it didn't help.

“It didn't have the same effect. Then I got really sick because I have an autoimmune disease and I had to take steroids.

Dr. Sorensen says it's not uncommon for a drug to lose its effectiveness when stopped or started.

“Research shows that it probably stops working after three or four tries.”

She says it's also important for people to be aware of how much weight loss is possible when taking the drug.

“Data shows that weight loss is about 15 to 18 percent, and this takes about a year.

“But this also means that for most people so far, if they quit; [taking it] Even if you lose weight, you will quickly gain it back. ”

Therefore, it is a “long-term drug,” she said, adding that it is important to take it in conjunction with dietary and lifestyle changes.

“I'm having a hard time making money.”

Lauren recently started taking Munjaro and lost 20kg.

“I had no side effects at all. No migraines, no nausea… [but] My bank balance has suffered quite a bit. ”

Lauren says she pays about $650 a month for the drug.

“And to be honest, I’m having a hard time paying the bills.”

Dr. Sorensen said costs typically range from $140 to $550 per month, depending on the brand and dosage of the drug a patient takes.

“Right now, it’s just people who can afford it.” [that can take these drugs for weight loss]” says Dr. Sorensen.

“And we know that obesity is closely linked to socio-economic outcomes, so it would be great if obesity were more accessible, but this is something that needs to be tightly regulated. ”