Ozempic® is more effective than Saxenda® at supporting weight loss and blood sugar reductions. Ozempic® seems to lead to fewer side effects and is better tolerated than Saxenda®. However, individuals will vary in their response to medications, so choose the right one for you.
So What's the Difference Between Ozempic and Saxenda? The key difference between these two types of weight loss injection is that Ozempic is injected once a week, whereas Saxenda must be administered daily. Ozempic (Semaglutide) acts for longer, which is why it doesn't need to be taken so often.
No. Doctors do not recommend you take both medications at the same time. Both Saxenda and Ozempic work to regulate your blood sugar levels and doubling up on this type of medication can lead to complications if your blood sugar drops too low.
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).
Wegovy® is a more effective drug than Saxenda®. As demonstrated above, semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy®) leads to more clinically significant weight loss and blood sugar reductions than liraglutide (the active ingredient in Saxenda®).
So, on average, with the recommended starting Ozempic dose of 0.25 mg, a 500 to 1000 calorie reduced diet, and exercise 3 times a week, you can expect to lose 3-5 pounds in the first month of treatment, which works out to about 3% of body weight for most overweight or obese individuals.
The injectable medication acts just like this natural hormone to make you feel fuller for longer and reduces your cravings for more food. Enhancing the way your body regulates blood sugar levels and the storage of fat can help patients lose weight.
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.
In general, more weight loss and better blood glucose control are seen with higher Ozempic doses. During a 40-week study, people receiving the 1 mg Ozempic dose lost an average of 13 lbs. And people receiving the 2 mg Ozempic dose lost an average of 15 lbs.
Some individuals may actually gain more weight after stopping an obesity drug than they initially lost, Conde-Knape added. Studies have similarly shown weight rebound in people who stop taking Ozempic.
You Will Regain Weight
“Ozempic should always be taken along with making healthy lifestyle changes in diet and physical activity,” Kushner says. “These changes should be continued even after stopping the medication and can help maintain some of the health benefits seen with body weight and blood sugar control.”
Teresa Shepherd said she lost 90 pounds while taking an off-brand version of the drug Ozempic for around eight months. Shepherd, who lives in Florida, told "Good Morning America" she has been able to maintain her weight loss two months after stopping the medication.
Several factors could be at play if you're taking Saxenda and not losing weight, including: Diet—Saxenda is approved in conjunction with a low-calorie diet, so if you haven't adjusted your diet accordingly, that could work against the weight loss you might otherwise be achieving.
Obesity is NOT a 90 day disease
To date, 3 good studies on anti-obesity medications (Belviq, Saxenda and Wegovy) have demonstrated rapid regain once the medication has stopped.
Common Side Effects of Ozempic
“The most common side effects are gastrointestinal in nature: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation.” While the majority of people who take Ozempic will most likely experience these symptoms at some point during their treatment, they should subside over time, continues Dr. McGowan.
How Long Can You Stay on Ozempic (semaglutide)? 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.
Research has proven that higher doses of Ozempic — 2.4 milligrams of semaglutide — are very effective for reducing weight in people with obesity. In one landmark study, people with obesity who used the drug in combination with lifestyle interventions lost about 15% percent of their body weight in 68 weeks.
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.
Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) can cause side effects that some people are unable to tolerate. Following dosing guidelines can help manage these side effects. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are the most common semaglutide side effects.
In Australia, this means you will need to speak with your doctor and have a prescription written up before you can start taking Ozempic. While the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved Ozempic for diabetes management, it has not yet been approved for weight management.
“Ozempic face” is a term for common side effects of the type 2 diabetes medication semaglutide (Ozempic). It can cause sagging and aging of facial skin. A doctor may recommend lifestyle modifications or facial fillers to treat these effects.
The most common side effects of Saxenda® in adults include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, injection site reaction, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), headache, tiredness (fatigue), dizziness, stomach pain, and change in enzyme (lipase) levels in your blood.
It's similar to GLP-1, which is a hormone that your body makes to control appetite. Saxenda (liraglutide) works by acting like GLP-1 in your body. It helps with weight loss by slowing down your gut, thus causing you to feel less hungry.
There may be several reasons why you feel that Saxenda is not working. It takes time for Saxenda to work. If you have only been taking Saxenda for a short period of time, it may be too soon for it to have an effect. You will need to take Saxenda for 5 weeks to reach the full daily dose.