Ozempic
Let’s talk about Ozempic for a minute.
For my long-term fans and supporters, you know I generally don’t discuss issues relating to health care unless I have direct, personal experience with it. I’m a patient advocate, not a product spokesperson. In this case, I am making a small exception to that rule. Although I have never been prescribed Ozempic (at least not yet), I recently received a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis which Ozempic is designed to treat. My doctor has expressed interest in prescribing it for me but is sure my current health insurance would not cover it at this point in my diabetic journey. For the time being he prescribed Metformin. Patient advocacy works best when I’m transparent with you the reader.
In case you are one of the lucky few that have not heard about Ozempic, let’s begin by discussing the science behind it. According to Drugwatch (Drugwatch Website), Ozempic’s active ingredient is semaglutide. Semeglutide, which mimics the GLP-1 hormone that is released in the gastrointestinal tract in response to eating, works for weight loss. Ozempic, in simple terms, helps patients like me feel full so I will eat more proportionally healthy meals instead of going back for 2nds and 3rds and 4ths like we all do during Thanksgiving for example. Because of our desire for 2nds, 3rds, and 4ths, the United States is not known for eating healthy proportions. That said, Ozempic isn’t FDA-approved to treat weight issues, but some doctors have been prescribing it for off-label uses such as weight loss in people without Type 2 diabetes (Drugwatch).
Off label use of a drug is common practice in our healthcare system, however, it is important to remember a reduced supply which drives up the price will put patients’ health, like mine, into jeopardy because we will no longer have access to Ozempic to manage our Type 2 diabetes. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to break my rule regarding discussing Ozempic with you. There are other drugs available for weight loss, Ozempic should be utilized by Type 2 diabetics and not social media celebrities for weight loss “likes”.
One of the reason’s I’m using Drugwatch’s website as a source of information is because they also provide instructions on how Ozempic works in my body. Since Ozempic is a medication I’ll need sometime soon, I found this info useful in my continued quest to become an empowered Type 2 diabetic patient.
I did not know that Ozempic is a once-a-week injection that works in the pancreas, liver, and stomach to reduce blood sugar. According to Novo Nordisk, Ozempic is designed to respond when your blood sugar rises by working with the body’s natural processes to lower sugar levels.
Ozempic works in one of three ways:
When your blood sugar is high, Ozempic helps the pancreas make more insulin.
Ozempic slows the food leaving the stomach.
Ozempic prevents the liver from creating too much glucose and releasing it into the blood.
Dosages for Ozempic include 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg. My doctor will adjust the dose depending on my need for blood sugar control (How Ozempic Works).
Like every medication, there is a potential for side effects when taking Ozempic. The most common Ozempic side effects include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the drug’s prescribing information. Among all patients taking Ozempic, nausea was the most reported side effect.
Common Ozempic side effects include:
Abdominal pain (7.3%)
Constipation (5%)
Diarrhea (8.5%)
Nausea (15.8%)
Vomiting (5%)
More information about possible side-effects can be found here: Ozempic Side Effects
It is not easy being an engaged or empowered patient. Medical information is changing faster than a New York minute. Patient advocacy is very much an active verb, a never-ending learning process. As a newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes patient, I’m thankful that Drugwatch reached out to me regarding Ozempic. Thank you! Your website and how you present information is easy to understand and follow. It is also informative and will help make me a more empowered patient and director of my medical team.
For even more information regarding Ozempic, please check out:
https://www.drugwatch.com/drugs/ozempic/
https://www.drugwatch.com/drugs/ozempic/side-effects/
Thank you again Drugwatch!
