Sunny Hostin Reveals the Side Effect That Made Her Quit Ozempic
The View co-host turned to the weight-loss injection after gaining 40 pounds.
Sunny Hostin is speaking out about her experience using prescription weight-loss injections. On The View: Behind The Table podcast, the co-host revealed she jumped on the Ozempic bandwagon after gaining 40 pounds during quarantine. However, like many other Ozempic patients, Hostin's side effects became intolerable—to the point where she had no choice but to ditch Ozempic and switch medications altogether.
RELATED: Ex-Ozempic Patient Shares the Side Effect That Won't Go Away.
Nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting are the most common side effects people experience when taking Ozempic. In more advanced cases, semaglutide users may also develop stomach paralysis, gallbladder issues, and gastrointestinal diseases.
Although constipation isn't deemed unusual by doctors, it's harder to manage and can spiral into something worse if left untreated. For instance, Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jennifer Fessler was hospitalized due to semaglutide-induced constipation, while Amy Schumer said she quit Ozempic because the side effect "isn't livable."
As for Hostin, she was originally prescribed Ozempic to help kickstart her weight-loss journey, but a nasty bout of constipation landed the daytime talk show host back at her doctor's office.
"I tried Ozempic first…I had terrible constipation," Hostin recalled while appearing on the March 19 episode of The View: Behind The Table.
The View co-host said she didn't want to disclose any "TMI" details, but reiterated that the constipation was horrible enough that she consulted her doctor. Hostin's worsening constipation coupled with her lack of weight-loss progress prompted her doctor to take Hostin off Ozempic entirely.
"It did nothing. It was like I was taking a placebo for some reason…so I went back to the doctor at the same weight. I was like, 'This doesn't work!'" she recalled.
RELATED: Jillian Michaels' Big Ozempic Warning: It Makes You a "Prisoner for Life."
Under her doctor's discretion, Hostin switched to Mounjaro, which is similar to Ozempic in that it's a prescription weight-loss injection, but its active ingredient is tirzepatide, not semaglutide. The difference between the medications was night and day, said Hostin, who began reaping Mounjaro's benefits within the first month.
"I was just able to lose weight and eat normally as opposed to engorging myself, which I had gotten used to," Hostin said. She also stopped experiencing "food noise."
For Hostin, Mounjaro was her golden ticket to living a healthier life and getting back to "what I looked like before the pandemic."
"I had gone up four sizes," she said on the podcast. "We were home for 18 months. I became a mixologist. I drank a lot of margaritas, a lot of sidecars. I love to cook anyway, I baked a lot of bread."
Hostin first opened up about her weight-loss journey on Tuesday's episode of The View. In a vulnerable moment, the co-host candidly touched on the shame that comes with weight gain and how it began to take a toll on her physical health, too.
"There is shame when you've gained weight…I had never experienced that kind of shame before," she said. "I found that my cholesterol went up to 200…and I use Mounjaro and my cholesterol is 140 now."
She concluded, "I feel better, I think I look better, and that's what this is about for people."
Hostin's The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg also shared that she turned to Mounjaro to help lose weight.
"I just always felt like me. And then I saw me and I thought, 'Oh! That's a lot of me!' " Goldberg explained.
Back on the podcast, Hostin praised drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro for their weight-loss magic. "I think these medications are changing lives and saving lives," she said.
Best Life offers the most up-to-date information from top experts, new research, and health agencies, but our content is not meant to be a substitute for professional guidance. When it comes to the medication you're taking or any other health questions you have, always consult your healthcare provider directly.
