How Safe Is Ozempic?

Ozempic, also known as semaglutide, is a weight loss drug that has been around since 2012. It is primarily used by Type 2 diabetics to help manage and stabilise their weight.

However, in recent years it has become known as a weight loss tool, used by everyone from Kim Kardashian to Oprah Winfrey. Some celebrities may have benefited from this for genuine reasons, for example Remi Bader – A New York Curve Model and Tik Toker, lost some weight on Ozempic, after being deemed pre-diabetic by her Doctor, however admits she put even more weight on after coming off the drug.

This week Lottie Moss admitted to taking Ozempic for two weeks, despite being slim and not needing to lose any weight. She ended up taking twice the recommended dose for someone her size and suffered a seizure. Lottie warns of the dangers of taking Ozempic and admits she’s “never felt sicker in my life.”

The issue with Ozempic is that it is being sold as a `miracle drug` to help anyone regardless of if they are diabetic or not. It can be bought online without a Doctor doing any pre-checks, making it risky business for those who may not be eligible to take it, but have been prescribed it anyway.

So with this in mind, who can take Ozempic? Doctors will prescribe Ozempic if you have a BMI over 27 and above with at least one weight related illness. As Ozempic is only FDA approved for type 2 diabetes they cannot prescribe purely on the basis of weight loss, however some do `off-label` prescribing to patients in private clinics.

Anna Richardson did a documentary called ‘The Truth About The Skinny Jab’ on Channel 4. Anna visited different Medics in their private clinics to see if they would prescribe her Ozempic. All three of the Medics Anna visited were willing to, with one even offering to inject her there and then, despite Anna not being overweight and only telling them she wanted to lose `a few pounds`.

Another issue is fake Ozempic being purchased online causing serious illness and even hospitalisation. On June 19th the WHO issued a global alert on the risks of fake Ozempic, with batches being found in Brazil, the U.S, Northern Ireland and the UK. The effects of fake Ozempic are, comas, low blood sugar, seizures and hypoglycemic shock.

Warning signs of counterfeit Ozempic could be, spelling mistakes on labels, different colours on the boxes, missing drug code numbers, poor quality labels and errors on dose counters and buttons.

Even if you take the real Ozempic there can be side effects, Nausea, diarrhoea and dizziness are common effects of this weight loss drug. Pancreatitis, kidney damage and hypoglycaemia have been named as some of the more serious side effects of it. Amy Schumer opened up about her time taking the drug saying, “I was one of the people that felt sick, I couldn’t play with my son.”

With all this in mind, you have to ask yourself is it worth it?