Ozempic: What are side effects of much-touted 'weight loss' drug?

Ozempic mimics the natural hormone GLP-1 by sending signals to a person's brain that they are full

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Web Desk
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Representational image. — Unsplash
Representational image. — Unsplash

As people seek to lose weight and take medications to help them shed a few pounds, it is necessary to know about the side effects of the drugs that a person is taking.

Ozempic has become a thing on social media as people are taking the drug after it was either rumoured or confirmed that influencers and celebrities were taking it to control their weight.

The drug mimics the natural hormone GLP-1 by sending signals to a person's brain that they are full — even if they aren't.

People are searching for the side effects of the drug. So here they are (according to the website of Ozempic).

  • Nausea
  • Stomach (abdominal) pain
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting

In case a person experiences nausea, here's what they can do:

  • Eat bland, low-fat foods, like crackers, toast, and rice
  • Eat foods that contain water, like soups and gelatin
  • Avoid fried, greasy, or sweet foods
  • Avoid lying down after you eat
  • Go outdoors for fresh air
  • Eat more slowly
  • Drink clear or ice-cold drinks

The medicine's prescription reads that in rodents, semaglutide (ozempic) causes thyroid C-cell tumors.

"It is unknown whether ozempic causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma, in humans as the human relevance of semaglutide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined."