What Does Ozempic Do to Your Body?

Ozempic is a prescribed medicine for people with type II diabetes; it contains an active ingredient called semaglutide. Ozempic is used along with a healthy diet, other antidiabetic medications, and exercise for better results. It can be used alone or in combination with any other diabetes medicines.

Few studies have reported that Ozempic helps reduce blood sugar levels and aids in weight loss.

Ozempic pills are still under research. As a result, only an Ozempic pen injector is available on the market. It comes as a liquid solution that contains semaglutide as an active ingredient, which belongs to a group of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists.

The FDA approved that in 2017.

Ozempic contains an active substance called semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist that acts similarly to the GLP-1a hormone produced in the intestine by increasing the insulin level produced by the pancreas in response to food intake. This helps regulate blood glucose levels.

Ozempic is either used alone or combined with other diabetes drugs such as:

• Glimepiride
• Dapagliflozin
• Canagliflozin
• Metformin
• Glipizide
• Glyburide

1. Type II diabetes: Ozempic treats type II diabetes, regulating blood sugar levels, diet, and exercise. Ozempic is recommended for adults with type II diabetes and conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, kidney damage, or heart failure.
2. Lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases: This subcutaneous medication reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Hazards include stroke, heart attacks, and deaths due to cardiovascular diseases.
3. Helps in weight loss: This subcutaneous drug reduces the appetite, and many people with type II diabetes who take this drug lose weight. Ozempic is not approved by the FDA for weight management. Some doctors prescribe it off-label for weight management.

Ozempic solution is available as pen injectors.

• It is injected weekly on the belly, thigh, or upper arm.
• Initially, the dose of usage is 0.25 mg once a week. After four weeks, the dose should be increased to 0.5 mg.
• If required, the dose can be increased to 1 mg weekly.
• The dosage is usually based on the severity of the medical condition.
• Carefully follow the medical treatment and diet plans, and exercise accordingly as instructed by your physician.
• Overdose may lead to severe nausea, vomiting, and hypoglycemia.

Side effects of Ozempic may be temporary and last only a few weeks. If these symptoms do not fade away after a few weeks and bother you, immediately consult your doctor.

Here are the common side effects of Ozempic:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Constipation

Serious side effects of Ozempic

In rare conditions, Ozempic causes severe side effects. Serious side effects that are reported include

Hypoglycemia symptoms include:

• Confusion
• Drowsiness
• Headache
• Irritability
• Weakness

Symptoms of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Back pain
• Abdominal pain
• Fever

Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy (eye damage caused by diabetes) include:

• Poor night vision
• Vision loss
• Blurred vision
• The appearance of dark spots

Kidney failure symptoms include:

• Confusion
• Fatigue
• Need for excess urination
• Swelling in the legs and ankles
• Nausea
• Thyroid neoplasms
• Allergies

If there are any severe symptoms, immediately take them to a physician for further opinion.

The following measures should be considered during the usage of Ozempic:

• Do not use Ozempic if you are allergic to semaglutide.
• Avoid using Ozempic if there is any history of medullary thyroid cancer in the family.
• Do not take Ozempic for type I diabetes or diabetic retinopathy
• Avoid using Ozempic if you are allergic to any other medication in the same drug group because it may cause severe allergic reactions.
• Call a doctor if there are any changes in your vision during using Ozempic.
• Avoid Ozempic if you have or had pancreatitis in past.
• Using Ozempic may make the situation even worse in kidney disease, so avoid Ozempic in cases of kidney disease.
• If you have any signs of gallbladder disease, do not use Ozempic, as it may worsen the situation.
• There is no research or proven information on the effect of Ozempic on breastfeeding or pregnant women, so it is better for women who are expecting or planning for pregnancy to avoid Ozempic.
• Do not use different brands of semaglutide at the same time.
• It is not safe to use Ozempic in children and individuals who are younger than 18 years.
• Use medication regularly to get possible benefits. Remember to take medicine every seven days.
• Depending on the severity, Ozempic can be used two times a week by maintaining a gap of two days between the two doses.
• Never share an injection pen with others. It may cause dangerous disease transmission from person to person.