Ozempic is one of three medications available in Canada that contain the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide. It is injected under the skin and has been shown to help with weight loss, blood sugar control, and lowering the risk of heart disease.
Those who are taking Ozempic or Wegovy, or the oral medication Rybelsus, must be prepared to commit to the medication long-term. Medications like these only work if they are used as part of an overall treatment plan, including diet and exercise.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes. It works by slowing down how fast your body uses sugar, which helps keep blood sugar levels in check. It also reduces heart-related risks in people with diabetes and heart disease.
You can take Ozempic on its own or with other medications for diabetes, including insulin and sulfonylureas. However, you should always tell your doctor about any other medications or supplements you are taking before starting this medication. This helps them monitor your blood sugar levels and adjust the doses of your other medications accordingly.
If you experience nausea while taking Ozempic, talk to your doctor about it right away. They may recommend over-the-counter or prescription medications to help ease your nausea. They might also suggest you avoid foods that can trigger your nausea.
Another possible side effect of Buy Ozempic Online is gallbladder problems, such as cholecystitis and cholelithiasis. These conditions occur when the gallbladder is inflamed or has stone-like deposits inside it. You should call your doctor right away if you develop symptoms that might include pain in the upper stomach (abdomen), fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), or clay-colored stools.
It can also cause low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) if taken with other medicines that lower your blood sugar, such as sulfonylureas or insulin. Symptoms of low blood sugar might include dizziness or lightheadedness, thirst, shakiness, headache, confusion or drowsiness, blurred vision, and hunger.
You should not take this medication if you have an allergy to any of the ingredients in it or if you have a history of thyroid cancer or another endocrine condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. It is also not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
How Does Ozempic Work?
Ozempic works by controlling your appetite and reducing the amount of food you eat. This helps lower your body weight and reduces your blood sugar levels. It also slows down the rate of stomach emptying, allowing you to feel full for longer. The drug can also lower your risk for kidney disease, heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems.
One of the main side effects of Ozempic is nausea, but it’s important to take the medication according to your doctor’s instructions and monitor yourself for other symptoms. If your nausea doesn’t go away or becomes severe, call your doctor right away. You can also try taking over-the-counter or prescription nausea medications with your doctor’s approval. However, don’t take any that contain acetaminophen or naproxen, which can cause serious liver damage if used together with Ozempic.
The drug can affect the nerves that control your stomach and intestines, which can sometimes cause them to stop working properly. This can lead to a condition known as gastroparesis. People with this condition can’t eat normally, which leads to malnutrition and other serious health issues. It can also cause pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation of the pancreas that requires immediate medical attention.
People who use Ozempic may also develop gallbladder problems, including cholecystitis and cholelithiasis. These conditions occur when the gallbladder creates too much cholesterol to be able to control it. When this happens, the excess cholesterol builds up in the gallbladder until it forms hard deposits called gallstones. The gallbladder can then become inflamed or blocked with the gallstones, which can lead to a serious condition called cholecystitis.
People who use Ozempic can also have high blood sugar, a condition known as hyperglycemia, which can be life-threatening. You should tell your doctor if you have any signs of high blood sugar, such as blurred vision, dry mouth, flushed skin, fruit-like breath odor, increased urination, difficulty breathing or unquenchable thirst.
What Are the Side Effects of Ozempic?
A prescription injection, Ozempic contains the active drug semaglutide and is FDA-approved to treat diabetes. But it’s also prescribed off-label to help people lose weight and lower their risk of heart problems, such as stroke and heart attacks. Semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists. It can cause a number of side effects, but they usually aren’t serious and go away over time. Mild side effects can include nausea, constipation, and diarrhea.
Ozempic is injected into the abdomen, thigh or upper arm. Your doctor will show you where to inject it and will tell you how often you need to do it. Always take your dose on the same day each week. It’s important to use it regularly to get the most benefit.
Gastrointestinal problems are the most common side effects of Ozempic. Almost 1 in 5 people taking the drug in clinical trials had this problem. It’s caused by the slowed digestion that Ozempic causes, and it happens more when you first start using the drug or increase your dose. Nausea is the most common GI problem, and it may be worse on an empty stomach. Drinking lots of water can help.
Diarrhea is another common Ozempic side effect, and it can last for about a week. It’s usually mild to moderate and goes away once you stop taking the medication. Constipation is less common, but it happened to about 1 in 20 people in the Ozempic for diabetes trials. This problem can be helped by drinking 91 to 125 ounces of fluid a day and eating fiber-rich foods. You can also try over-the-counter laxatives.
Ozempic can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially when it’s used with a sulfonylurea (glipizide, glimepiride, rosiglitazone) or insulin. If you have symptoms of low blood sugar, such as dizziness, headache, fast heartbeat, drowsiness or weakness, call your doctor right away. Rarely, Ozempic can cause thyroid tumors or a type of cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma. This is more likely to happen in females and older adults.
What Should I Expect from Ozempic?
For most people, mild side effects from Ozempic go away on their own within a few days or a couple of weeks. But if they don’t, talk to your doctor. They may be able to give you another medicine that will help. Or they can adjust your dosage.
If you have a severe allergy to Ozempic, call your doctor right away. Symptoms of this type of reaction can include swelling under the skin in your face, hands, feet, or genitals. It can also cause trouble breathing. If you think you’re having a life-threatening allergic reaction, call 911 or your local emergency number.
Some studies suggest that Ozempic can dampen your brain’s reward responses, which might alter how you feel about food. That might make it harder to keep up with your weight loss goals, and it could affect the quality of your relationships and your sense of well-being. It’s a risk that doctors are monitoring closely.
Ozempic might raise your blood sugar and triglyceride levels, so it’s important to check your blood sugar and triglycerides regularly. The medication can also interfere with how your body uOzempic – Your Reliable Weight Loss Providerses insulin. So it’s best to avoid eating foods high in fat and sugar and to exercise regularly.
In tests on mice, this drug raised the chance of thyroid tumors. It’s not known if this will happen in humans, but if you have a family history of medullary thyroid cancer or a rare endocrine condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, your doctor might not recommend this medicine for you.
Lastly, this medication might cause an intestinal blockage (an ileus) in some people. In September 2023, the FDA updated the Ozempic label to emphasize this possible side effect. It’s also been reported in patients taking other GLP-1/GIP medications, including Wegovy, Rybelsus, Mounjaro, and Zepbound.
Some people stop using this drug because they can’t deal with nausea, which can be severe. Others have reflux after they get the injection, and that can be painful. The good news is that there are ways to manage both of these problems, like adjusting your diet and using over-the-counter medicines for nausea or reflux.