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.
A person can stay on Ozempic® so long as they are tolerating the medication and it is deemed appropriate by their treating provider. There is no specific time frame when someone should stop taking Ozempic as it is a medication that is intended for chronic (long-term) use.
If you stop taking Ozempic, the weight you lost will likely return, fast. People who ceased use of semaglutide gained back, on average, a full two-thirds of the weight they had lost on the drug within one year, according to an August 2022 study, the Wall Street Journal reports.
You start feeling those usual hunger pangs again, and consequently, you may start eating more to satisfy that hunger. An increase in your consumption can lead to the regaining of weight that was lost. A 2022 study found that most individuals gain weight back a year after stopping the medication.
“GLP-1 medications [like Ozempic] are designed to be taken long-term,” explains Dr. McGowan. “They are chronic medications for the treatment of chronic conditions (both diabetes and obesity).”
Side Effects: Diabetes treatments that are used to lose weight, like Ozempic, can reduce people's desire to drink alcohol and their obsessive thinking about food. The drugs carry serious risks including malnutrition and facial aging; going off the drugs can also take a toll.
You may need a higher dosage of Ozempic
(With time, these side effects lessen or go away as your body gets used to Ozempic.) The same holds true for Ozempic's weight loss results. People taking higher doses of Ozempic tend to lose more weight.
Key Takeaways. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, can be a powerful medication for treating diabetes and obesity. Semaglutide must be taken consistently to see long-term weight loss effects. As soon as someone stops taking the drug, their body fat and former appetite tend to return.
It is a once-weekly injection using a prefilled Ozempic pen. If you take too much Ozempic, you could develop severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Ozempic is only intended and approved for people with type 2 diabetes. You should not take it solely for weight loss. Doing so may prevent patients who require the medication for blood sugar management from getting it. Interrupting their treatment with Ozempic creates serious health risks.
Store your pen in use for 56 days at room temperature between 59ºF to 86ºF (15ºC to 30ºC) or in a refrigerator between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). The Ozempic® pen you are using should be disposed of (thrown away) after 56 days, even if it still has Ozempic® left in it. Write the disposal date on your calendar.
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.
"This medication has led to significant amounts of weight loss, but when it stops, patients have reported gaining up to two-thirds of that weight back," Sutton said, citing published research.
High fat foods or sugary foods
Ozempic can cause nausea and vomiting if taken after eating foods high in fat or sugar.
Treatment with Ozempic demonstrated meaningful weight loss for up to 2 years compared to a placebo or other diabetes treatments.
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.
Other serious side effects of Ozempic include thyroid tumors, pancreatitis, changes in vision, hypoglycemia, gallbladder issues, kidney failure and cancer. The most severe complications Shah sees in her patients are pancreatitis and gallbladder issues — either can lead to hospitalization.
Closely related to fried, greasy foods and snacks, highly saturated fats (including trans fats) are known to exacerbate GI issues. Every day staples like whole milk, heavy cream, full-fat cheese, butter, ice cream and most red meats may cause additional gastrointestinal distress for someone on Ozempic.
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.
Activity that uses 1,500 to 2,000 calories per week is recommended for maintaining weight loss. Adults should try to get at least 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous level physical activity at least 3 to 4 times per week. Diet and exercise are vital strategies for losing and maintaining weight.
Possible Long-term Effects of Semaglutide
Most of the well-known long-term effects happen in rare cases. In reference to the study, only about 10% of the 1,951 participants in a 68-week period experienced these long-term disorders. The most common long-term effect is gastrointestinal disorder.
Celebrity cosmetic dermatologist Simon Ourian, friend and doctor of the Kardashians, told The Hollywood Reporter he's seeing patients come in with saggy skin and "deflated" butts after losing weight too quickly from the popular new drug Ozempic. (No member of the Kardashian family has publically said they use Ozempic.)
The active ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide, which works by inducing satiety. This feeling of being satisfied or “full”, suppresses appetite. This is why it works for weight loss. Semaglutide also helps the pancreas produce insulin, which is how it helps manage type 2 diabetes.
But the popularity of Ozempic, or semaglutide, isn't because of rising rates of diabetes. Instead, it's because of its weight loss benefits, doctors say. At a higher dose, semaglutide is used for weight loss. Ozempic manufacturer Novo Nordisk sells that higher dose under a different brand name: Wegovy.
Typical Ozempic dosing schedule: Month 1: 0.25 mg injected once weekly for 4 weeks. Month 2: 0.5 mg injected once weekly for 4 weeks. Month 3: 1 mg injected once weekly for 4 weeks (optional)