Ozempic encourages weight loss by mimicking the hormone GLP-1, which helps control blood sugar, lessens hunger, and makes you feel more full. “Ozempic, known generically as semaglutide, was approved in 2017 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in adults with type 2 diabetes,” says UC Davis Health. “Ozempic is a weekly injection that helps lower blood sugar by helping the pancreas make more insulin. It is not approved for weight loss, but some physicians prescribe it to be used for weight loss. When using Ozempic to treat diabetes, weight loss is a common side effect. It is designed to be taken long-term.” But what happens when you no longer need Ozempic or simply stop taking it because of side effects such as GI issues and nausea? Here are 15 ways your body reacts when you stop taking Ozempic.
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Weight Gain
ShutterstockYou might find yourself gaining weight again after stopping Ozempic. "They are chronic medications," Dr. Domenica Rubino, director of the Washington Center for Weight Management & Research in Arlington, Virginia, tells NBC News. "Which means you basically take them just like you take blood pressure medicine or diabetes medicine."
Increased Hunger
ShutterstockSome people might find they are more hungry than before they started taking the drug. "When you're at that max weight loss, your body's hunger hormones are the highest," Holly Lofton, director of the weight management program at NYU Langone Health, tells NBC News. "So if you lose 50 pounds and regain 25, your hunger is the highest when you've lost the 50. And even when you regain the 25, it doesn't go back to baseline; your hunger is higher than prior to losing weight.”
Pregnancy Symptoms
ShutterstockWomen who stop taking Ozempic cold turkey after getting pregnant may experience intense side effects like hunger. “Pregnant women, in particular, may experience these symptoms more intensely due to hormonal changes that occur with pregnancy and blood sugar swings,” Dr. Sahar Takkouche, a bariatrician and associate professor of medicine with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells USA Today. "Ideally, I recommend a gradual taper off of these medications when clinically feasible."
Not Feeling Full
Shutterstock/LittlePigPowerPeople who stop taking Ozempic may not feel as “full” anymore. “These drugs are a synthetic version of natural gut hormones that are secreted after you eat to make you feel full,” Andrea Coviello, MD, medical director of the UNC Health Medical Weight Program, tells UNC Health Talk. “The synthetic versions have a longer half-life, so they stay in your system longer. This has an amplified effect on your metabolism and appetite regulation.”
Cravings Come Back
ShutterstockFood cravings may return after stopping Ozempic. “You will still have the natural gut hormones in your system, but they won’t last as long,” Dr. Coviello says. “After stopping the drugs, people experience a return of cravings and hunger, and most people in clinical trials gain back 50 percent of weight lost in 12 to 18 months.”
Losing Muscle Mass
ShutterstockSome people lose the urge to exercise after stopping the drug, which can impact lean muscle mass. “You need to find exercise you can commit to doing for the long term,” Dr. Coviello says. “Walking daily has significant benefits and can improve your overall health.”
Weight Plateau
Pixel-Shot / ShutterstockWeight loss can plateau after stopping Ozempic or other weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy. “It’s important to note that if you start taking either of these drugs for weight loss, your body may get used to it, establishing a new normal,” says UC Davis Health. “This can cause your weight to plateau. Research has shown that if you stop taking Ozempic (or Wegovy), it's likely that you will gain back the weight you lost.”
No More Ozempic Face
Prostock-studio / ShutterstockIt’s not all bad news—stopping Ozempic might prevent ‘Ozempic Face’. “The buzzy term, coined by a New York dermatologist, describes the gaunt or hollow look of sagging facial skin that can appear when people lose excess fat in their cheeks or neck,” Al Aly, MD, tells UT Southwestern Medical Center. “For patients who lose 50-100 pounds, there is often a significant deflation in many parts of the body, leading to an unappealing change in appearance. Extra skin gathers on the body, including the belly, buttocks, back, chest, breasts, legs, and arms.”
Slowed-Down Metabolism
ShutterstockSome people might experience a slowed-down metabolism after stopping ozempic. "This is also due to the phenomenon called metabolic adaptation, where the body tries to regain the weight it lost by slowing down the metabolic rate, increasing the hunger hormone, and decreasing satiety," Dr. Daniela Gamboa tells Fox News Digital.
Abdominal Fat
ShutterstockThere’s a danger that the fat regained from stopping Ozempic could accumulate around the waist. "Weight regain is usually accompanied by accumulation of fat and less muscle," Alex Miras, clinical professor of medicine at Ulster University, tells the BBC. "So you end up going back to a higher fat mass and a lower muscle mass. That's not good from a metabolic perspective because having more muscle is good for reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease.”
Less Willpower
progressman/ShutterstockStopping Ozempic can make it easier for people to fall back into unhealthy habits. "This medication has led to significant amounts of weight loss, but when it stops, patients have reported gaining up to two-thirds of that weight back," Dr. Darien Sutton, an ABC News medical contributor and board-certified emergency medicine physician, tells Good Morning America. "We ask the question, do we need to change the dose? Does it need to be tapered, or do people need to stay on it indefinitely to get that benefit?"
Insulin Sensitivity
ShutterstockInsulin sensitivity could go up when stopping Ozempic. “It is likely that a person will be more sensitive to increases and decreases in insulin levels when eating, leading to a greater likelihood of fat accumulation over time,” says Mehdi K. Mazaheri, MD.
No More GI Issues
ShutterstockOzempic famously causes stomach issues like nausea, constipation and diarrhea. By stopping the drug, those side effects should go away.
Craving Tobacco and Alcohol
Arina P Habich/ShutterstockThere have been reports that people lose the urge to smoke or drink alcohol on Ozempic, so stopping the drug could bring those cravings back. “We believe that at least one of the mechanisms of how these drugs reduce alcohol drinking is by reducing the rewarding effects of alcohol, such as those related to a neurotransmitter in our brain, which is dopamine,” Dr. Lorenzo Leggio tells CNN. “So these medications are likely to make alcohol less rewarding.”
Elevated Blood Sugar
ShutterstockOzempic is a diabetes drug, so stopping it could cause elevated blood sugar levels. “It works by increasing insulin levels in your body, which decreases your blood sugar (glucose),” says the Cleveland Clinic. “It also reduces the amount of sugar released into the blood and slows down your digestion.”
