The “Hollywood drug” Ozempic, intended for treatment of Type 2 diabetes, has gained publicity on social media platforms as well as endorsement from celebrities due to its impact on weight loss. However, the possible misuse of the drug could lead to some startling health complications.
Ozempic and its sister drug — Wegovy — contain an active ingredient called semaglutide, which is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Semaglutide helps lower blood sugar which is beneficial for those suffering from diabetes. It also slows gastric emptying, meaning food stays in the stomach for longer periods of time, decreasing appetite and promoting weight loss.
Wegovy is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for weight loss, while Ozempic is approved for diabetes. Despite this, the contents of both drugs are the same, leading people to seek Ozempic prescriptions when Wegovy is not available.
Due to the similar profiles of both drugs, some medical professionals have stated that taking Ozempic for weight loss is a safe practice. Konstantinos Spaniolas, a general surgeon at Stony Brook Hospital, shared his thoughts about the safety of Ozempic.
“The safety profile of these medications is overall high,” Spaniolas said. “We have good evidence that over the course of a year, there are no serious side effects with these medications. Some common side effects like nausea and vomiting and headaches and gastrointestinal disturbances could happen, but those are not life-altering.”
Though there is no clear evidence at this time that long-term side effects from Ozempic exist, there are speculations that some might not be uncovered yet. Some have suggested that the medication induces suicidal thoughts, and a recent study from the European Medicines Agency investigated the possibility of the drug causing thyroid cancer. Spaniolas shared his thoughts on the study, but made it clear that there is no confirmation of any life-altering effects yet.
“That hasn’t really been substantiated by others,” Spaniolas said. “Although everyone is keeping an eye out for it right now […] as the scientific evidence is out for a year or so, for that duration of treatment, these medications are quite safe.”
This was backed by Annemarie Ng, a nutritionist at Stony Brook University, who spoke about the uncertainty of the long-term effects of the drug.
“Ozempic and Wegovy are relatively ‘new’ in the medication world,” Ng said. “While they are considered long-term or life-long treatments, they have not been around long enough to really understand any type of long-term side effects.”
Many have taken to social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to share their experiences taking Ozempic and Wegovy, displaying shocking transformations and promoting usage of the drugs. On TikTok, #Ozempic has been viewed over 1.2 billion times, leaving many eager to get their hands on the medication. Many celebrities have also been outspoken about their use of Ozempic for weight loss including Amy Schumer, Elon Musk and Tracy Morgan.
The rise in popularity of Ozempic on social media has caught the attention of young people — college students in particular. Many are influenced by the content they see online and want to try it for themselves, but medical professionals have encouraged students to try healthier methods. Ng gave her input about the rise in Ozempic use among young people.
“I personally have not recommended Ozempic as a form of weight loss for the patients that I see,” Ng said. “My population of patients are undergraduate and graduate students and I believe there are other methods of weight loss to try before going on medication, especially in a relatively young population.”
Another result of the rise of Ozempic use is a shortage of the drug, leaving people who use it as a diabetes medication to be left stranded. Marilyn Moran-Henson, a 74-year-old Type 2 diabetic, shared how she was forced to switch medications when Ozempic was no longer available to her.
“I had six shots of it, but then I had to wait, and you can’t wait — you’re supposed to take it once a week,” Moran-Henson said.
Amanda Distefano, a Graduate M.S. Program Coordinator at Stony Brook University took Ozempic for weight loss from April 2022 to Feb. 2023. In that 10 month period, Distefano lost 61.4 pounds but also suffered some daunting side effects. She experienced intense waves of nausea as well as food aversion, keeping her from eating “squishy” foods like eggs and sushi.
Distefano also said that her blood sugar levels would fluctuate in the heat as a result of Ozempic. She shared a story of when her blood sugar plummeted while outside on a summer day, causing her to require medical attention.
“As soon as we got inside the gates, I immediately started getting lightheaded [and I] felt like I was going to throw up and I started panicking,” Distefano said. “I tried to sit down and my fiance was trying to find my dad and EMS had to come over. I basically experienced heat stroke within five minutes […] so being outside was kind of hard during the summer the first year I was on it.”
Despite the multiple side effects that many have experienced, people are still eager to get their hands on the medication and are going to extreme lengths to do so. Some are buying it second-hand at inflated prices without a doctor’s prescription while others are using laxatives as “budget Ozempic,” which has led to a nationwide shortage in the medication.
Many are worried that Ozempic and Wegovy may decrease the likelihood of people losing weight naturally through exercise and dieting; concerns are growing as the popularity of the drugs increases by the day.
“We, as a culture, continue to search for that ‘magic bullet’ for weight loss and Ozempic appeals to many people in this regard,” Ng said. “Ozempic is not a magic bullet, and it is important to understand that dietary and lifestyle changes still need to be made to achieve any type of long-term weight loss.”
