Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Bloomberg
Topics: Health, Ozempic, Social Media, YouTube
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Health, Ozempic, Social Media, YouTube
Warning: Discussion of weight loss and weight loss drugs which some readers may find upsetting.
A doctor has warned of the 'multitude of factors' which could risk any long-term results if someone decides to stop taking Ozempic.
Ozempic - classed as a GLP-1 RA medication - is typically used for people diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. However, the use of it as a drug for weight loss has since increased - given its side effect of weight loss.
Other appetite-suppressant drugs, including Semaglutide (Wegovy), Tirzepatide (Zepbound), and Liraglutide (Saxenda), are approved by the FDA for weight loss purposes; however, Ozempic is not.
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This hasn't stopped multiple celebrities having previously admitted to having used it for weight loss purposes and people who want to lose weight from purchasing the drug anyway.
And there are multiple concerns surrounding the drug, with a doctor warning about what could happen when you decide to stop taking it.
During an appearance on Good Morning America in 2023, Dr Jen Ashton explained: "It's not one size fits all. Individual effects will tend to vary. Overweight and obesity are complex chronic disorders that are caused by a multitude of factors.
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"Behavior is one of them. environment, genetics and even other medications that may be associated with weight gain are a big part of the picture.
"So if you removed one of those variables, in this case a medication that has been helpful in achieving weight loss, it is possible, if not likely, that the person will regain some or all or even more of the weight that they've lost."
The doctor noted that this 'depends on how much was lost in the first place' alongside the person as an individual and their personal specific factors.
And there are some other specific symptoms you may experience after coming off the drug, too.
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Robert Kushner, MD, a professor and the director of the Center for Lifestyle Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, spoke to Everyday Health about what happens to our bodies when we come off Ozempic.
He reflected how coming off the drug can lead to not only weight gain, alongside weight gain in the face - a reversal of the so-called 'Ozempic face' - but also a rise in blood sugar levels and a return of your appetite.
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Advanced aesthetics specialist Dr Emma Cunningham also told The Sun that coming off the drug can make you more prone to sunburn, changes in mood and energy levels, and can impact your nails, hair, and even breath.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone, contact National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). You can reach them on their free hotline at 1(888)-375-7767, which is open Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm CST.