Since last year, this drug called Ozempic has been making waves. A lot of celebrities, like Elon Musk and Chelsea Handler, have been using it for weight loss.
What is Ozempic used for? It is one of the viral products on the market, and people primarily use it for weight loss, although it’s a drug for type 2 Diabetes.
Now, because it’s a drug you should not jump into using it as soon as you’ve heard about it ,until you’ve gone through a couple of points.
Today I’ll be discussing a few pointers about how Ozempic actually helps a person to loose weight and what other medical effects and side effects you need to know before starting on Ozempic.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a brand name for a medication called Semaglutide, and because it’s a medication, it needs to be prescribed by a physician. It is used in type2 diabetics, roughly once a week and injected for a couple of months, depending on how severe your diabetes is.
The more severe your diabetes, the longer you need to be on Ozempic. Bear in mind that Ozempic is not the first-line drug for diabetes type 2. However, more and more doctors are seeing the health benefits that Ozempic has on their patients, and hence, a lot of doctors are prescribing it as a first line treatment for diabetes type 2 patients.
Benefits of using Ozempic
Here are the four benefits of an Ozempic that you need to know.
1.Controls blood sugar:
Ozempic is a brand name for a medication that is a Semaglutide that is under the family of glp1 (glucagon-like peptide). It mimics the body’s own glp1 and binds to the glp-1 receptors. It is a naturally occurring hormone in our body that helps regulate blood glucose levels.
How does Ozempic work on the body? By injecting Ozempic in your body, your body will be able to produce more insulin and, at the same time, reduce glucagon in body.
What is glucagon? It is actually glucose, which is released by the liver, and the reason why we want it to be low is because glucagon can lead to blood sugar spikes, and when you have blood sugar spikes, blood sugar gets high, leading to a sugar crash, and then people tend to snack more.
Now, over the long run, it is great for someone with diabetes type 2 because you have more insulin in your body, so more insulin leads to better blood glucose control.
2.Significant weight loss:
Ozempic has been made famous by celebrities like Elon Musk and Chelsea Handler, whereby they lost double digits in their weight in a very short period of time.
How does Ozempic work for weight loss? Ozempic induces satiety or fullness. It means that after using Ozempic, one does not feel like eating as much because they feel full for longer periods of time. This is because Ozempic actually delays what is known as gastric emptying, which is the amount of time the food stays in your stomach. The longer the food stays in your stomach, the longer you feel more food, and it also suppresses Cravings: Now different people have different cravings. Some people crave more salty stuff, and some people crave more sweet stuff; however, Ozempic helps suppress both the cravings for salty food and for sweet food.
The testimonies for a lot of people on Ozempic are that they just do not feel like eating, which leads to lower calorie consumption and weight loss.
3.Reduced risk of cardiovascular events:
Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been shown to increase the rates of heart attacks, strokes, and other heart problems, so with better control of your type 2 diabetes, you actually lower the risk and mortality from heart problems; hence, the long-term use of Ozempic is actually great for someone with type 2 diabetes and heart issues.
4. Better sleep quality:
A lot of overweight people have obstructive sleep apnea, whereby they stop breathing for a couple of seconds to a couple of minutes every night during the sleep, and this can actually lead to very poor quality of sleep. With weight loss, obstructive sleep apnea, actually reduces, hence there’s an improvement in quality of sleep, so when you wake up in the morning, you do not feel as tired.
So as you can see, there are many different benefits of taking Ozempic. However, before you run off to your doctor and ask for it, do understand that Ozempic itself has a lot of side effects and complications, so here are seven side effects and complications that they do not tell you about Ozempic.
Side effects of Ozempic
1.Gastrointestinal discomfort
It causes a lot of gastrointestinal discomfort along with nausea, bloating, diarrhea, and in some cases, even constipation. Keep in mind that these side effects are common in a lot of diabetic drugs, so if you’re already on a diabetic drug, these particular side effects are nothing new to you.
2.Thyroid cancer
Studies in rats found that Ozempic actually increases thyroid cancers, especially medullary thyroid carcinoma, so if you or someone in your family has a family history of thyroid cancer, you might want to avoid Ozempic. Otherwise, regular screenings are required.
3. Increases pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, and this is because Ozempic makes the pancreas to produce more insulin than it’s already producing, which can lead to inflammation.
Pancreatitis is a painful condition that presents as excruciating stabbing pain at the center of the abdomen, which moves all the way to the back. It is advised to visit the hospital as soon as possible when such symptoms are experienced, as they can be deadly.
4 .Risk of hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is when blood sugar falls below a certain threshold, leading to cold sweat, fatigue, and palpitations.
5 .Ozempic face:
What is Ozempic face? when someone loses weight quickly in a short span of time, as in Ozempic, the skin gets saggy and it accelerates aging. There will be hollowing of the cheeks and loss of fat in the cheeks, sunken eyes, hence you end up looking like a drug addicts.
6. Rebound weight gain
A study shows that two-thirds of Ozempic users regain all the weight loss within a year of stopping it because immediately after stopping Ozempic, the initial craving for food returns and at the same time feelings of satiety vanishes. However, most people who have always battled with weight loss find it very difficult to control their own diet or control their cravings, and because of that, one year after stopping Ozempic, most people will actually regain 100 percent of their weight, so if you’re someone who is on a diet and planning to stop it, you might want to look for non-medical and non-medication methods, like clean diet and plenty of exercises.
7 .Affect vision.
There are cases where people on Ozempic have blurring of vision, but diabetics already suffer from diabetic retinopathy, where the nerves in their eyes have already been partially damaged, and when on Ozempic, some people have worsening of their vision.
So think wisely and consult a doctor before jumping into this band wagon. Let me know if you know any other information about Ozempic that I missed. Do you know of any other celebrity on Ozempic ?let me know in the comments.
FAQS
The drug Semaglutide is sold under this brand name. It is mostly used to treat people with type 2 diabetes. It’s getting more attention now that people know it helps them lose weight.
As an appetite enhancer, Ozempic helps you lose weight by making you feel full for longer. It keeps the stomach from emptying right away, which cuts down on cravings and total calorie intake.
Ozempic has many benefits, such as better control of blood sugar, big weight loss, a lower chance of heart disease, and better sleep quality for people with sleep apnea.
Acid reflux, pancreatitis, low blood sugar, “Ozempic face” from dropping weight quickly and then getting it back, and eye problems are some of the most common side effects.
Indeed, it is very important to see a doctor before beginning Ozempic. You can only get it with a prescription, and it has some risks and side effects that need to be carefully managed.
I am a dentist, baker, and fitness and health enthusiast with a passion for living life to the fullest. I am foodie and explorer, always seeking new adventures and flavors. Currently working on my own skincare brand.
