It is never advised to binge drink, especially while taking diabetes medications that may cause low blood sugar like Ozempic. However, when in moderation (1 drink per day for women and no more than 2 drinks per day for men), drinking alcohol is okay for most people who take Ozempic.
Ozempic can cause nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and upset stomach, which may be worse if it's combined with alcohol. There's also a potential risk of serious side effects, including pancreatitis and kidney damage. You may not need to avoid alcohol entirely with Ozempic.
Side effects of alcohol can also increase, including dizziness, nausea and headaches. For these reasons, it's important to avoid alcohol while taking Ozempic or any other medication. Patients who experience these symptoms must immediately seek medical attention.
Alcohol can negatively affect your blood glucose levels while taking Ozempic, causing them to drop too low (hypoglycemia). If your diabetes is well controlled, it's generally considered okay to drink moderately. That means fewer than two drinks per day for men, and fewer than one drink per day for women.
So how much (if anything) is safe to drink if you are on Ozempic or metformin? “Generally speaking, it's advisable to limit all alcohol while on these medications. But if you are planning on drinking, limiting yourself to 1 to 2 drinks at most would be the safest thing to do,” says Singh.
Alcohol. Alcohol consumption is not recommended while taking Ozempic as it can increase your risk of developing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or dehydration. If you do choose to drink alcohol while on this medication, it is recommended that you limit yourself to one drink per day.
If you're taking Ozempic, try to limit or avoid these foods. Some foods to avoid include greasy and fatty foods, foods that are high in sugar, ultra-processed carbohydrates, and alcohol.
Ozempic leads to an average weight loss of 3-7% of total body weight when used for over a year along with lifestyle changes. Some people may lose more weight, some less. The injectable drug should be stopped if you do not achieve at least 5% weight loss after 12-16 weeks on the maximum dose (1 mg weekly).
Ozempic and its sister medication, Wegovy — approved for weight loss for people who are obese or overweight with weight-related medical conditions — are considered long-term or lifelong treatments.
On average, a user can lose about 3 to 5% of their body weight after using Ozempic for a month regularly. This equates to about 4 to 6 pounds on average. Using a higher potency of the drug may result in more weight loss, but it isn't recommended that you start taking it right away.
As we have already established, there is no evidence to suggest alcohol cannot be consumed while you are taking Ozempic. However, if you're worried about missing your dose time because alcohol has made you forgetful, it's better to take Ozempic at a time before you plan on drinking alcohol.
Still, Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications will be most effective for weight loss and blood sugar control when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Generally, eating healthy foods and avoiding foods high in sugar, calories, and unhealthy fats while taking Ozempic helps.
A 2022 study found that most individuals gain weight back a year after stopping the medication.
Ozempic is to be injected subcutaneously in the abdomen, in the thigh or in the upper arm. The injection site can be changed without dose adjustment. Ozempic should not be administered intravenously or intramuscularly. Ozempic is to be administered once weekly at any time of the day, with or without meals.
How long does Ozempic (semaglutide) stay in your system? Ozempic® stays in your system for a little over a month when taken at the highest dose of 2 mg.
Missing a dose of Ozempic
If you've missed a dose of Ozempic, inject your missed dose as soon as you remember within five days of the date you were supposed to take it. Continue your dosing schedule as usual. If it's been more than five days, skip that dose and inject your next dose per your regular schedule.
If Ozempic wasn't mainstream before, it definitely is now – Jimmy Kimmel joking about A-listers using the drug during the 2023 Oscars proved as much. Elon Musk and Amy Schumer have admitted to taking the weight-loss drug while other celebrities, such as Khloé Kardashian and RHOBH star Kyle Richards, have denied it.
Everyone is different and will start the Juniper Weight Reset Programme at their own stage of their weight loss journey. Once you begin using Ozempic, some people can find it takes several weeks to see any weight loss, yet others may see some weight loss within a week or 2.
Study 1: Patients using Ozempic 0.5 mg dose lost on average 8 lb (3.6 kg), those using 1 mg dose lost 10 lb (4.5 kg), and those taking placebo (an inactive treatment) lost 3 lb (1.4 kg). Study 2: Patients using the Ozempic 1 mg dose lost on average 12 lb (5.5 kg), and those using the 2 mg dose lost 14 lb (6.3 kg).
The most common side effect with Ozempic is nausea and occurs in about 15% to 20% of people. Others include vomiting (5% to 9%), diarrhea (8%), stomach-area pain (6% to 7%), and constipation (3% to 7%).
Patients trying to lose weight with either drug should work with a dietitian for a guided meal plan, but in general, they should aim to eat 1,200 to 1,800 calories a day depending on their initial weight, Rubin says.