Ozempic Opinion
Here are eight reasons you might want to be cautious before using Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss:
- Wegovy and Ozempic are not for everyone. Ozempic is approved for people with Type 2 diabetes. And Wegovy is approved for people with obesity or those who are overweight and have health problems related to excess weight.
- If you lose weight with new drugs, you likely will need to keep taking the medications forever to keep the weight off. People who stop taking Wegovy and Ozempic often gain weight back relatively quickly.
- The drugs are expensive, and in general, insurance plans don’t cover them for weight loss (although they often do for people with diabetes).
- The popularity of the new drugs has led to some shortages.
- The drugs can cause unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects.
- A small percentage of people who take the drugs can suffer from a diabetes eye complication called retinopathy. Along with consulting with your primary care provider or endocrinologist, you should also see your eye doctor.
- The drugs tend to suppress a person’s appetite but to lose weight, you’ll still need to reduce your intake of desserts, sugar-sweetened beverages and fatty foods. And, of course, exercise is important to keep your body healthy.
- Some people have complained about looking older due to “Wegovy or Ozempic face.” While many people taking weight loss drugs are pleased to shed some pounds, some say they’re dropping weight in the wrong place: their face. Some have complained of looking old and gaunt due to fat loss in the face.
While there are reasons to be cautious about the newest drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy are helping many people lose considerable weight — about 12% of body mass, on average — which can dramatically improve a person’s health.
And for decades, leading medical experts blamed people who were overweight or obese for the extra pounds they were carrying without giving them much help or considering the physiological causes for weight gain. Some blamed obesity on simple math: “Overweight people simply needed to eat less and move more.”
While sedentary lifestyles and consumption of high-calorie, processed foods most certainly have boosted obesity rates in the U.S. and around the world, experts have learned much more in recent years about genetic causes for weight gain. Some people’s bodies may, in fact, want them to pack on fat. So, drugs that dramatically reduce appetite and help people lose significant pounds, may be a game changer.
Wegovy vs. Ozempic: Are they the same drug? What are they?
It’s correct that Wegovy and Ozempic are two names for the same drug: semaglutide. Ozempic is the name of the drug as prescribed for people with diabetes. The FDA approved Ozempic for people with diabetes in 2017 and approved Wegovy for people who have obesity or are overweight and have additional health problems in 2021.
“They are just prescribed under different names with slightly different doses and different indications,” Low Wang said. “The drug product itself is the same.”
How do Wegovy and Ozempic work?
The drugs decrease appetite and slow down emptying of the stomach so people feel less hungry and eat less. They can cause some unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects.
Who is eligible for Wegovy?
Under the FDA authorization, Wegovy is supposed to be used for people who are obese or overweight. Those who have a body mass index (or BMI) of 30 or greater are eligible along with those who have a BMI of 27 or greater who also have other health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol that make weight loss important.
In reality, some people who do not have obesity or weight-related health conditions have been saying that they’re using Wegovy or Ozempic to drop 10 pounds and “get skinny.”
How do these drugs work?
Wegovy and Ozempic mimic a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1, which targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite, according to the FDA authorization.
Why are weight loss drugs a big deal?
In the U.S., about 70% of adults are obese or overweight, and many have serious health problems that put them at greater risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer.
“Losing 5% to 10% of body weight through diet and exercise has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in adults,” Dr. John Sharretts of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said when the FDA approved Wegovy.
What are the most common side effects of Wegovy?
Gastrointestinal problems are the most common side effects since Wegovy can slow down people’s digestive systems. During clinical trials, some participants experienced nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, indigestion, dizziness, bloating and gas.
If you take Wegovy or Ozempic to lose weight, will you need to keep taking the drugs indefinitely?
Yes. As with many chronic conditions, most people who use the drugs for diabetes or weight loss will need to keep taking them to keep benefiting from them.
“Sometimes people can decrease or eliminate the need for chronic medications through significant lifestyle changes,” Low Wang said.
Of course, that takes work and commitment.
“Depending on your individual situation, and without sustained lifestyle changes, it is likely you would need to be on these medications indefinitely to maintain weight loss,” Low Wang said.
In terms of side effects, please tell us more about the risk of retinopathy
People who have uncontrolled diabetes can get retinopathy, a complication that involves damage to blood vessels in the eyes, and can result in vision loss or blindness.
During the clinical trials for Ozempic, a small percentage of study volunteers developed new or worsening retinopathy.
“There was an almost three-fold increase in the rate of people getting retinopathy when they were placed on Ozempic (semaglutide) as compared to those who were not receiving Ozempic,” Low Wang said. “This was the relative risk, not absolute risk, but it is still concerning. However, it occurred in a small percentage of people.”
People who have retinopathy should talk with their health care providers before starting Ozempic or Wegovy. And patients also should have a thorough eye exam and regular follow-up eye exams.
Are there any other rare side effects if you take Wegovy or Ozempic?
People may be at increased risk for pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas often caused by gall stones, alcohol use or high triglycerides.
“We generally do not use this class of medicines if someone has a history of pancreatitis,” Low Wang said.
If you have a history of MEN2 (multiple endocrine neoplasia 2) or medullary thyroid cancer, you should not take Ozempic or Wegovy.
Do some people quit taking the medications because they feel lousy?
Yes. Low Wang said it’s common for patients to stop taking the medications because they don’t like the adverse effects.
“About one in five people might stop because they are experiencing bad side effects,” she said.
“I encourage some patients to stay at the lower dose level for a longer period of time to see if they can tolerate it better and still get some benefit from the medication. Or if they don’t tolerate this medication, we might try a different one,” Low Wang said.
What about Ozempic face? Some people complain of losing too much fat in their face and looking gaunt or old.
Low Wang said she’s not hearing that concern from her patients. But she understands why some people could feel that way.
“It’s probably because of the degree of weight loss. It can be pretty quick and dramatic,” she said.