The drugs promote the production of a gut hormone that has receptors on the brain, which could be one explanation for the vivid dreams, according to Caroline Apovian, MD, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-director of a weight loss center at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston.
Examples of Ozempic dreams
“While its exact mechanism of action behind the GLP agonists and vivid dreams is unknown, Novo Nordisk has received multiple reports of bizarre dreams from patients taking semaglutide, and these reports are commonly shared on support groups and social media.”
Difficulty falling asleep is not a known side effect of an Ozempic prescription, so if that is what is causing your fatigue you may want to consider other reasons why that is happening. Keep in mind that as time goes on and your body adjusts to the medication, you may notice that side effects from Ozempic improve.
In rare cases, the use of Ozempic may cause anxiety and mood swings, irritability, shakiness, and confusion. However, when you take other medications along with Ozempic, it may escalate anxiety or mood change.
Ozempic, Wegovy and all those crazy, vivid dreams: Is there a connection? Many people taking Ozempic for weight loss or Wegovy for diabetes management have reported vivid, intense dreams and nightmares as a side effect of the semaglutide medications.
Many people taking popular weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy are reporting an unexpected side effect: having bizarre and vivid dreams, The Wall Street Journal reported April 18.
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%).
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. But they usually subside after a few weeks of using the medication.
Ozempic contains semaglutide, which mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1; when people take the drug, higher levels of that hormone flood the receptors in our brain that regulate our eating behaviors, Dr. Hwang said, changing how our neurons transmit signals to the rest of our body.
Does Ozempic affect hormones? Ozempic does affect your hormones, mainly by mimicking the natural hormone produced by your gut called GLP-1.
You should inject Ozempic once a week — on the same day of the week, every week. It doesn't make a big difference whether you take it in the morning or at night. It's possible to change the day of the week you inject Ozempic. The general rule is to avoid injecting it with less than 2 days in between shots.
Patients speak out over side effect claim that Ozempic poses risk of "stomach paralysis", and investigations into the prescription drug are showing possible signs of suicidal thoughts in users.
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.
Serious side effects are rare, and may include pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), diabetic retinopathy (vision damage), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), kidney problems, or an allergic reaction. In general, side effects are most common when you start using Ozempic and as you increase your dose.
Ozempic can cause nausea and vomiting if taken after eating foods high in fat or sugar. It is recommended that you take Ozempic before meals, rather than after, to minimise any potential side effects from eating high-fat or high-sugar foods.
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.
The Relationship Between Diet and Weight Loss on Ozempic
While Ozempic can help control your appetite and blood sugar levels, it's not a magic pill that will automatically make the weight fall off. Eating a balanced diet low in calories, fat, and sugar is essential when using Ozempic for weight loss.
It's used to lower blood glucose (sugar) levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes. The starting dose of Ozempic is 0.25 mg injected once weekly for 4 weeks. Then, your dose is moved up to 0.5 mg once weekly.
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.
For people with type 2 diabetes who take Ozempic to manage their blood sugar, halting treatment may cause blood sugar to rebound to around pre-medication levels, says Beverly Tchang, MD, an endocrinologist and an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.
Your lost weight will probably pile back on
If you stop taking Ozempic, the weight you lost will likely return, fast.
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.