Ozempic user blames awkward side effect for ruining date as experts explain how to combat it

An Ozempic user was left mortified after experiencing some unfortunate Ozempic side effects during a date.

The GLP-1 medication has been approved to treat Type-2 diabetes since 2017, but its active ingredient, semaglutide, can suppress appetite and help people shed quite a few pounds.

That’s why Ozempic-like medications, including its cousins Wegovy and Mounjaro, have exploded in popularity, with around 15.5 million Americans - six percent of the population - now on the meds.

Like with any medication, people might experience side effects while taking the injectable drug, ranging in severity.

But one Ozempic user's stomach issues were so bad, they drove her date away.

So, they took to where else but Reddit for advice. Taking to the R/Ozempic community, they put it bluntly: "My farting ruined my date, he literally left.

"Okay, TMI maybe, but I started Ozempic recently and now I cannot stop farting. Like, it’s getting embarrassing."

They added: "I mentioned it at the pharmacy and they said these meds slow your stomach down and mess with appetite signals, so gas and nausea can happen at first. Apparently, it should get better as my body adjusts or if the dose changes. Anyone else dealing with this? Does it actually go away?"

Others had similar symptoms, as one said: "It’s way worse at night when I lay down. My poor husband."

"I’ve noticed some more frequent burps and toots, but nothing excessive enough that caused enough dissonance in my normal bodily functions to raise any sort of concern," somebody else shared.

Fortunately, the side effect eventually cleared up for the majority of users on the thread.

"Mine eventually went away, maybe like after a month or so?" another Ozempic user weighed in.

Others advised eating taking both prebiotic and probiotic, eating 'tiny tiny meals' and making sure they're getting enough fiber and water.

Mild gastrointestinal issues are a well-documented side effect of Ozempic.

The experts at Healthline weighed in on how best to deal with 'gas,' which can also manifest for some as burping as opposed to farting.

"In most cases, gas and burping are considered mild side effects. But if they bother you or don’t go away during your Ozempic treatment, talk with your doctor," they began.

"They may suggest diet changes or an over-the-counter medication, such as Gas-X (simethicone), to help relieve gas and burping.

"If your burping is related to acid reflux or indigestion, your doctor may suggest an OTC antacid, such as Pepcid (famotidine) or Tums (calcium carbonate tablets)."

But the experts advised users to contact their doctors immediately should they experience gas and burping along with vomiting or severe pain in your back or abdomen. "These could be symptoms of pancreatitis, which is a serious side effect of Ozempic," Heathline warns.

A Novo Nordisk spokesperson told UNILAD: "Patient safety is of the utmost importance to Novo Nordisk. We continuously collect safety data on our marketed GLP-1RA 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.

"The most common adverse events are gastrointestinal events including nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting. Most events were transient, and mild or moderate in severity and resolved without permanent treatment discontinuation.

"GLP-1 RAs are a well-established class of medicines, which have demonstrated safety in clinical trials. In the STEP trials, semaglutide 2.4mg was generally well-tolerated both in adults with obesity, or overweight with comorbidities, and without type 2 diabetes (STEP 1, 3 and 4), and in adults with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity (STEP 2).

"We recommend that any patient experiencing side effects while taking GLP-1 receptor agonists including Wegovy®▼or Ozempic® (semaglutide injection) report them to their healthcare provider and via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/."