Ozempic and Fortamet, Glucophage, and Glucophage XR belong to different drug classes. Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist and Fortamet is an oral diabetes medicine.
While metformin is a more common first-choice medication for Type 2 diabetes, weight loss is more likely with Ozempic. Ozempic can also lower your risk of heart attack and stroke if you have diabetes and heart disease. And it has been shown to have potential benefits for the kidneys.
Combining metformin and Ozempic may enhance the effectiveness of both drugs. You can take Ozempic and metformin together or separately. When taken together, the side effects are usually the same as those experienced when taking these medications on their own.
Ozempic is often given when metformin—which is first in line to be prescribed— doesn't work for someone with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Healthcare professionals also prescribe metformin and Ozempic off-label to treat overweight and obesity as part of a holistic approach to weight care.
If you're having trouble accessing Ozempic, your healthcare provider may recommend an alternative that works in a similar way. For Type 2 diabetes, this may include Rybelsus, Trulicity, or Mounjaro. If you're taking Ozempic off-label for weight loss, Wegovy and Saxenda are two FDA-approved options.
Popular Ozempic alternatives for blood sugar control include Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Trulicity (dulaglutide), and Rybelsus (semaglutide). If you're looking for Ozempic alternatives with the goal of losing weight, Wegovy (semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide) might be an option for you.
Mounjaro is a more effective drug than Ozempic. As demonstrated above, tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Mounjaro) leads to more clinically significant weight loss and blood sugar reductions than semaglutide (the active ingredient in 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.
If you don't have diabetes, taking Ozempic for weight loss is considered an off-label use. Wegovy, a higher-dose version of Ozempic, is approved to help people manage their weight. This includes adults and adolescents ages 12 and older who meet certain body mass index (BMI) criteria.
You may need a higher dosage of Ozempic
The same holds true for Ozempic's weight loss results. People taking higher doses of Ozempic tend to lose more weight. In the landmark study we cited above, people lost 7% of their body weight, on average, within a year and a half of taking 1mg of semaglutide.
Metformin and Ozempic® (semaglutide) are safe to take together and are often prescribed together for type 2 diabetes and weight management. Talk to your Calibrate doctor if you have any questions or concerns about taking Ozempic® with other prescription drugs, supplements, or over-the-counter medications.
Metformin may also reduce weight by decreasing the amount of visceral fat in the liver and muscle tissue. Visceral fat is stored within the abdominal cavity, which contains several internal organs, including the liver, stomach, and intestines.
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.
The most common side effects of Ozempic, according to the drug's website, are nausea, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, told CBS News that the drugs "are a well-established class of medicines, which have demonstrated long-term safety in clinical trials.
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%).
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.
Ozempic is also used off-label for weight loss. In particular, it can help reduce the amount of belly fat. This is because Ozempic works by making you feel fuller for longer, which can help you resist overeating by controlling cravings and hunger.
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.
There's no “best” place to inject Ozempic. You can choose between three injection sites — under the skin on your stomach, thigh, or upper arm. Reach out to your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you have any questions about how or where to inject Ozempic.
Ozempic is approved for diabetes management, but some doctors prescribe it to be used off-label (which is when a medication is used to treat a condition other than its FDA-approved criteria) for weight loss, too. “Typically, I prescribe Ozempic for diabetes and have more often prescribed Wegovy for weight loss,” Dr.
Will Ozempic or Wegovy reduce belly fat? The answer appears to be yes. That Novo Nordisk-funded study of almost 2,000 overweight or obese adults without diabetes also found their visceral fat — the type that accumulates in the belly — was reduced from baseline with semaglutide, along with their total fat mass.