Prescriptions for drugs like Ozempic are soaring, and so is misinformation. Here is how to separate fact from fiction.
According to a study from Epic Research, prescriptions for drugs containing semaglutides (the main ingredient in drugs like Ozempic) have gone up 930% in four years. The popularity of weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy has surged over the past year, with doctors prescribing these drugs for people looking to manage their weight. The drugs work by blocking receptors that can cause hunger and increasing hunger levels. They mimic the GLP-1 hormone, which causes people to produce insulin and correct a hormone imbalance often caused by obesity. However, these side effects, which may cause gastroparesis, are temporary and should only be removed once you stop using the drug, may also cause an inflamed pancreas, kidney, or gallbladder. There are also reports of heart improvements and unexpected pregnancy due to these weight-loss drugs. The most common side effects for these drugs include gastropareis, which can often be caused by diabetes or surgery, and inflamed pancreatreas or gall bladder. The medication is not permanent and should not be used weekly for a maximum of two years.
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Over the past year, the craze around weight loss drugs have taken on new life. Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy have become popular choices for people looking to manage their weight. “I think you would be living under a rock if you hadn’t [heard about it],” said Melissa Bateman, nurse manager at Baptist Memorial Health Care.
Lee Thomas was first prescribed Ozempic a year ago, after doctors found Thomas was pre-diabetic and showed early signs of coronary artery disease.
“Knowing the family history, there was basically no time to mess around," Thomas said. "We had this tool to use, and so why not try it?”
Bateman said these drugs work by blocking receptors that can cause hunger. According to the Mayo Clinic, drugs that use Semaglutides, like Ozempic or Wegovy, specifically mimic the GLP-1 hormone. In turn, this helps people produce insulin and help correct a hormone imbalance, which often exists in people with obesity. “It’s slowing everything down in your gut," Bateman said. "It’s making you feel full.” In the end, this sends a message to the brain that decreases the cravings for food or water.
Are there other side effects from these drugs? Since the drugs became more commonly used, reports have been coming in suggesting additional benefits of these weight-loss drugs, from heart improvements to unexpected pregnancy. “These medications have become very interesting,” said Dr. Martha Gulati with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, "We are finding that not only does it help patients lose weight, which is fantastic, but we finally have a trial that shows that we improve outcomes, meaning we reduce the risk of dying from any cardiovascular problems and reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke." The study from the New England Journal of Medicine suggests those Semaglutide medications lowers certain people’s risk for a heart attack or stroke by as much as 20%. According to Bateman, this is done by addressing the underlying factors involved in heart disease, including excessive weight and high blood sugar. This same balance of hormones and weight loss also has an effect on fertility. Recently, several women have reported surprise pregnancies after taking a weight loss drug. "The fertility actually gets impacted, and women who are obese or overweight...their periods can be irregular," said Dr. Payal Kohli, cardiologist at Cherry Creek Heart. "They can have syndromes like PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, that suppress their fertility." “So you see a lot of women with insulin resistance and things like that, which could be the underlying reason for the infertility,” Bateman said.
In the event someone does find themselves pregnant while taking a weight-loss drug, Bateman said they will need to be taken off of it immediately.
Are there any bad side effects associated with these weight-loss drugs? The most common side effects for drugs like Ozempic include: Other side effects may also include inflamed pancreas, kidney or gallbladder, in which case it may also be recommended to stop using the drug. There has been a growing concern of drugs like Ozempic causing gastroparesis due to online claims. Gastroparesis causes the stomach not to empty properly and can often be a side effect of diabetes or surgery. "Gastroparesis is really a problem where the nerves that go to your stomach don't work very well," said Dr. Maria Escobar-Vasco, assistant professor in the Division of Endocrinology at the UT Health San Antonio. "And so then your stomach doesn't work very well, but the medications won't affect the nerve system. They just slow down the stomach." However, while the side effects of the medication may seem like gastroparesis, they should only be temporary, and go away once you stop taking the medication.
Will I gain the weight back if I stop taking the drug?
Some weight-loss drugs are not permanent solutions. Ozempic itself is only meant to be used weekly for a maximum of two years, meaning at some point, a patient will likely need to come off of it for a period of time. Last year, the National Institutes of Health released a study that found that out of a group of participants who stopped using Semaglutide-based drugs, the average weight regain was about two-thirds of the weight they lost.
According to Bateman, drugs like Ozempic are not meant to be the sole solution toward a person's weight-loss goals and should be one step of a greater solution with lifestyle changes. In order to develop a comprehensive plan, Bateman suggests working directly with your physician who prescribed the drug.
“Really hone in on what you’re eating, the exercise, this is not a time to cheat," Bateman said. "…This is a great opportunity to see if those lifestyle modifications are making any influence along with the drug.”
• Exercising for 30 minutes for five days a week
• Going to bed around the same time every night
• Start developing a plan while you are still taking the weight-loss drug
• No more needles? A daily pill may work as well as Wegovy shots to treat obesity
• FDA approves new version of diabetes drug Mounjaro for weight loss
• Yes, counterfeit Ozempic has been sold in the U.S.
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