Topics: Ozempic, Health, World News
One Ozempic user has taken to the internet for advice after noticing a drastic change to the eyes alongside the expected weight loss.
While the GLP-1 medication has been approved to treat Type-2 diabetes since 2017, it isn't technically licensed as a weight loss treatment by the FDA. However, its active ingredient, semaglutide, can suppress appetite and help people shed quite a few pounds.
As a result, Ozempic and its similar GLP-1 counterparts like Wegovy and Mounjaro have soared in popularity, with an estimated 15.5 million US adults, around six percent of the population, turning to the medication.
Yet for its seemingly welcome side effect of managing weight, its less-welcome ramifications have been well-documented, including nausea, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, gas and even changes to the skin, teeth and sex life.
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Many have reported that the drug has impacted their genitals, from women losing 'fat pads' in the vulva to men experiencing some growth to their manhood in a phenomenon that's now dubbed 'Ozempic penis.'
Meanwhile, others have complained that their libido in the bedroom has completely tanked since taking on the medication.
Now, one user has described another change they've noticed, this time on an area that is not so private - the face.
Taking to Reddit, a man shared a before and after photograph of Keeping up with the Kardashians star, Scott Disick, who hit headlines last year for his gaunt appearance after apparently shedding a lot of weight.
In an episode of The Kardashians, the reality TV star's fridge could be seen stocked with Mounjaro, though he said at the time: "I'm not embarrassed that I took it."
Meanwhile, the Ozempic user compared themselves to Disick, writing that he's celebrated some 'moderate' weight loss of 15kg (more than 33 pounds) over the course of six months but is suffering some drastic changes to his eyes.
"My eyes look sunken and hollow," the Redditor wrote, adding that his face 'rapidly aged' and looks 'like that dude', as in Disick.
While many in the comments chimed the gaunt look is a sign of 'Ozempic face', others said it's normal for collagen in the face to decrease as we age and said they didn't believe the GLP-1 medication could cause sunken eyes.
"I wouldn't blame Ozempic for this one," said another.
Yet according to Drugs.com, 'Ozempic face' is common, and refers to the noticeable changes to the face seen after 'significant and fast weight loss' that comes from medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
"Ozempic Face is a term that describes gaunt and hallowed cheekbones, increased lines and wrinkles around the face, sunken eyes, dark circles around the eyes, and sagging skin around the jaw bone and neck," the site adds.
It can also cause people to appear older than they actually are due to the fact GLP-1 drugs affects body composition as research shows lean muscle mass makes up a whopping 25 percent to 40 percent of overall weight lost on the drugs.
Dr Patrick Byrne, president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery recently said to The New York Post that the drugs create a 'far more dramatic and rapid weight loss than one typically sees.'
"Changes in the face seem to be more enhanced because of it," he added.
However, it's not just Ozempic that can cause hollowed eyes and a gaunt appearance can occur more generally from major dietary changes or other drastic weight loss caused by surgery or starvation.
When contacted for comment, Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic, said in a statement: "Patient safety is of the utmost importance to Novo Nordisk, and we recommend patients take these medications for their approved indications and under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
"We continuously collect safety data on our marketed GLP-1 medicines and work closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety. As part of this work, we continue to monitor reports of adverse drug reactions through routine pharmacovigilance.
"We recommend that any patient experiencing side effects while taking GLP-1 RA medicines, including Wegovy and Ozempic (semaglutide injection), report them to their healthcare provider and via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/."
