It became fashionable among celebrities and famous people and quickly spread on social networks: Ozempico, the trendy drug originally indicated for diabetes, but which is also suggested to fight obesity and lose weight. Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and even Elon Musk have all admitted to taking it.

Ozempic is an injectable drug that appears to be twice as effective as other prescription obesity treatments. It is used for weight loss in the United States and has now spread to other countries.

“As I look around this room, I can’t help but wonder: ‘Should I take Ozempic?’said Jimmy Kimmel in front of the audience at the 2023 Oscars, hinting that many celebrities could show off a spectacular figure at the gala thanks to this drug.

Ozempic is the brand name of a drug that has semaglutide as an active ingredient, a substance indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

The drug is injected and is able to mimic the hormone GLP-1 which regulates areas of the brain responsible for appetite and food intake. Therefore, this drug causes a feeling of satiety, therefore the patient has less desire to eat.

In the United States, it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in early June 2021 for “chronic weight control” in adults who are clinically obese, i.e., with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. In Argentina, it’s only approved for people with diabetes.

Research had previously shown that, when combined with diet and increased physical activity, the 2.4 mg weekly dose of semaglutide resulted in an average weight loss of 15.2% at 104 weeks, compared with 2.6 % in the placebo group. That research was conducted by the scientific journal The New England Journal of Medicine. A total of 1,961 adults with a high body mass index participated in the tests. No serious side effects occurred.

What happens when you stop taking it

Dr. Andrew Kraftson, associate clinical professor in Michigan Medicine’s division of metabolism, endocrinology and diabetes, noted that some patients become hungrier after forgetting to take just one dose of the drug and that after weeks or months of not taking it, many gain weight.

A 2022 study funded by Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Ozempic and Wegovy, looked at people who had taken semaglutide once a week for 68 weeks and then stopped taking it. After one year, the participants regained two-thirds of the weight they lost.

Drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy contain semaglutide, which regulates blood sugar and insulin. It reduces appetite and makes the stomach empty more slowly, so the person feels full faster.

The drugs act on the brain, blunting hunger signals and making people indifferent or even actively rejecting food.

So, if a person has been using one of these medicines for diabetes or weight control and suddenly stops, they can have consequences such as the rebound effect. Some people who stop taking the drug report increased appetite and even an increase in their premedication appetite.

On the other hand, some people who stop taking Ozempic find that the drug was causing side effects such as a headache, stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhea.

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With qualifying health insurance, it can be purchased in the United States for less than $24. But in Hollywood, some people pay out-of-pocket for it up to $1,400 a month. The lawsuit caused pharmacies to be overwhelmed and made it difficult for people who really needed it to get their prescription on time