What is Ozempic? Uses, Benefits, and Side Effects

Did you know that thirty-seven million Americans have type 2 diabetes? If you struggle with this disease, you know how annoying it can be to constantly monitor your blood glucose levels.

Unfortunately, it’s necessary because high blood sugar can significantly damage your blood vessels. The fantastic news is that there might be a new way to manage your blood sugar levels when you live with diabetes.

The secret could lie in a new medication called Ozempic. But what is Ozempic? And how do you know if this diabetes medication is right for you? Simple: by reading this guide. In it, we’ll break down everything you need to know, from uses to side effects.

What Is Ozempic?

Ozempic is a specific type of medication used to assist people with type 2 diabetes. How does it help? Ozempic does two things that assist this group. First, it can help people with type 2 diabetes better manage their blood sugar levels.

Moreover, it can also lower the overall risk of heart attacks and stroke for people with diabetes. Ozempic comes in a pre-filled pen that contains several doses of liquid medication. To take it, you will need to inject this drug under your skin.

What Is Ozempic Used For?

We mentioned that individuals with type 2 diabetes use Ozempic so they can better manage their blood sugar levels. However, Ozempic has some other uses as well. Specifically, it can be used for:

Weight Loss
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetic Coma (in DM Type II)
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (in DM Type II)
Cardiovascular Risk Reduction

That being said, there are also some things that Ozempic cannot be used for. For example, the medication doesn’t work with type 1 diabetes. What’s more, it also doesn’t work well for people who have pancreatitis.

How Does Ozempic Work?

The primary active drug found in Ozempic is Semaglutide. Semaglutide has been revolutionary in recent years because it mimics the naturally occurring hormone in our body known as glucagon-like peptide 1 (aka GLP-1).

The pancreas is responsible for producing glucagon-like peptide 1 for two reasons. First, it promotes the production of insulin from the body. Second, it decreases the production of glucagon. So how does this help people with type 2 diabetes?

People with this condition have bodies that are naturally resistant to insulin. Increasing the production allows the body to manage its blood sugar levels more carefully and naturally.

This ensures that your blood sugar levels won’t get too high since insulin lowers your blood sugar levels. Moreover, the medication slows down food movement through your digestive tract. This ensures that you won’t get a massive spike in blood sugar all of a sudden.

Lastly, Ozempic lowers the amount of sugar currently found in your bloodstream. Contact your doctor if you want to learn more about how Ozempic affects your body.

Can Ozempic Be Used for Weight Loss?

Ozempic hasn’t been approved by the FDA for weight loss. That being said, you’re more likely to lose weight while on medication. Why? It has to do with Semaglutide mimicking glucagon-like peptide once again.

See, glucagon-like peptide 1 has another vital purpose. It regulates our appetite. That means when it’s released; it tells our brain to stop eating. So when you take Ozempic, it will likely decrease your overall appetite.

This, in turn, can lead to weight loss down the line. However, we don’t recommend taking Ozempic for weight loss. Instead, if you want to lose weight, consider taking Wegovy. This brand of medication also contains Semaglutide.

The difference is that it was specifically designed for obese people that require weight management. Using Ozempic for weight loss instead of diabetes blood sugar control can take the medication away from those needing it.

How Do You Take Ozempic?

As we mentioned before, Ozempic comes in an injectable pen that you must inject yourself with. Your doctor will likely walk you through how to take the medication during your first visit. However, we’ll go over it here in case you forget anything.

First, wash your hands thoroughly with soap before you begin.

Once you’re clean, gather all the supplies you’ll need. Make sure you change the needle on the pen every time you inject the medicine. It would help if you also inspected the liquid to ensure it’s clear and contains no colors.

After that, check to make sure that the dose in the pen is the correct amount. After that, choose an injection site. This can be either your thigh, lower belly, or upper arm. Otherwise, you can cause irritation and bruising to the area.

Clean the injection site before sliding the needle in. Use an alcohol pad for this. If you don’t have one then soap and water will do. Once you’re ready, inject the medication. Then rewash your hands.

Once you finish taking the drug, record the date when you took the dose. That way, you don’t forget when to take your next one. Also, make sure never to share your needle with anyone. This can quickly spread viruses and diseases.

What Are the Benefits of Ozempic?

There are a lot of different benefits that come with taking Ozempic. First, you only need to take the medication once per week. This makes it great for individuals who often forget to take their daily medication.

What’s more, it’s already if you miss the injection date by a day or two. As long as your two doses are at least forty-eight hours apart, then you’re fine. Next, Ozempic can save your life.

It can manage your blood sugar levels and prevent life-threatening conditions like heart attacks. Lastly, once an Ozempic pen is opened, it doesn’t need to be stored in a cold setting. This gives you more flexibility with how you use it and keeps it.

What Are the Drawbacks of Ozempic?

Unfortunately, Ozempic isn’t perfect. First, it requires you to inject a needle pen under your skin. Now, for some people, this is not a big deal. However, for people with phobias of needles, it can make the weekly injection an event to dread.

Next, if you take other diabetes medications and insulin on top of your Ozempic, it can lead to complications. Specifically, it can dramatically lower your blood sugar levels. The medication also can’t treat all forms of diabetes.

As we mentioned before, people with type 1 diabetes will not benefit from it. As such, a huge demographic can’t benefit from it. Lastly, there’s no generic version of Ozempic.

This makes the medication quite expensive. What’s worse, there’s a social media craze surrounding it for its weight loss properties. As such, the high demand has caused the price to skyrocket even higher for the people that need it to treat their diabetes.

Ozempic Side Effects

Like almost all prescription medications, Ozempic comes with some side effects. These side effects can vary from mild to severe. While the mild side effects are usually nothing to worry about, you should keep an eye open for serious ones.

Mild Side Effects

The good news is that Ozempic has a relatively short list of mild side effects. These include things like:

Constipation
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Stomach pain

If you want more details about these side effects, you can check out the full Ozempic prescription label through this resource.

The fantastic news is that most of these side effects tend to fade away on their own after a few days have passed. However, if you find that they persist, then discuss them with your doctor.

Serious Side Effects

There are serious side effects associated with the use of Ozempic. The good news is that they’re scarce. However, it’s still important to be aware of them. Serious side effects of the medication include:

Nausea
Inflammation within your pancreas (also known as pancreatitis)
Damage occurring in your eyes from diabetes (also known as diabetic retinopathy)
Low blood sugar levels (also known as hypoglycemia)
Gallbladder disease, which results in gallstones and inflammation surrounding your gallbladder
Allergic reaction

If you see any of these side effects, you should cease taking the medication and go to the emergency room. If you can’t travel, call 911.

It’s also important to note that Ozempic has a boxed thyroid cancer warning. A boxed warning is the FDA’s most significant safety precaution when it comes to labeling a new medication.

The good news is that the instances of thyroid cancer were only recorded in animals, not humans. Still, if your family has a history of thyroid cancer, you should avoid this medication at all costs.

Ozempic Dosage

Ozempic comes in four different dosage levels. These include the following:

2 mg/1.5 mL
2 mg/3 mL
4 mg/3 mL
8 mg/3 mL

Each one of these doses is marked by a different color on the injection pen. So how much medication should you be taking? Your doctor will likely start you off on the lowest possible dose. Then, after four weeks, you will meet again to check on your progress.

If the low dose works for you, you’ll likely stick with it. However, if you do not see any improvement, the doctor will up the dosage.

One Ozempic pen comes with multiple doses in it. As such, make sure you keep the pen until you run out. Then, you can throw it out in a safe receptacle.

Is There a Good Alternative to Ozempic?

There are alternative medications to Ozempic. For example, Saxenda belongs to the same group of medications as Ozempic. As such, it can provide many similar benefits with the same side effects. The only problem is that they contain different active ingredients.

Ozempic contains Semaglutide, while Saxenda contains liraglutide. Plus, that’s not even mentioning that there’s not much of a price difference between the two.

The fantastic news is that you can still have access to the medical power of the drug Semaglutide without having to pay a ton of money for Ozempic. The secret? Peptide injections are offered by us here at Prime IV Hydration & Wellness.

We offer a variety of peptide injections, including Semaglutide. You get the same benefits as when you take Ozempic, but it’s much more affordable. Plus, you can take advantage of our other IV treatments when you visit us.

Think Semaglutide is right for you? Get access to this treatment through one of our many locations found here.

Considerations Before Taking Ozempic

People with certain health conditions should not be taking Ozempic. We’ve already mentioned that if your family has a history of thyroid cancer, then you should avoid the substance. The same goes for if you have any of the following:

Pancreas problems
Kidney problems
Damage occurring in your eyes from diabetes (also known as diabetic retinopathy)
Your pregnant, or you’re trying to become pregnant
You’re breastfeeding

What’s more, Ozempic can interact with other medications and supplements. As such, you should make sure to disclose everything you’re currently taking to your doctor.

From there, they can help you decide if the medication is safe when taken in tandem with your other diabetes medication. The good news is that there are no negative food interactions when you take Ozempic.

As such, you can eat whatever you want while on the drug.

Ozempic Frequently Asked Questions

Still, have questions about this medication? In this section, we’ll go over some of the common questions that new patients often ask.

Is Ozempic Used for Weight Loss?

As we mentioned before, Ozempic is not designed for weight loss. It’s made to help manage the blood sugar levels of people struggling with type 2 diabetes.

That being said, if you have type 2 diabetes and you’re also obese, then the medication might be able to help you lose weight by suppressing your appetite.

How Expensive is Ozempic?

The medication can get quite costly. Prices vary depending on where you purchase it from and whether or not you have insurance.

However, generally speaking, you can expect to pay over $1,000 for the drug. Unfortunately, this high price is due to the massive demand for Ozempic. Ideally, the price will go down once demand goes down. Or if a generic version of the drug is eventually released.

Can You Drink Alcohol While One Ozempic?

One or two drinks likely won’t cause any issues while you’re on Ozempic. However, it’s not recommended that you drink heavily.

For one thing, alcohol can affect your blood sugar levels. Plus, it can lead to liver disease and dehydration, which can be very bad for diabetic individuals.

Is Ozempic a Long-Term Medication?

If Ozempic works well with your condition, then yes, the substance is a long-term medication. Your doctor will likely suggest that you remain on it indefinitely.

However, if after a few months, you don’t see any improvement, your doctor will probably take you off of it. This is especially true considering how expensive the drug is.

How Long Until Ozempic Work?

Ozempic begins to work the second you inject it under your skin. That being said, it will likely take a while before the effects of it become noticeable.

For most people, this is around two to three weeks. However, depending on your condition and your body’s reaction to the medication, it could take longer or shorter.

In some cases, the secret to Ozempic working is simply to increase the dosage amount. However, never do this on your own. Always follow your doctor’s directions when taking the medication.

How Do I Store My Ozempic?

Before you first use your injection pen, you should always keep the medication stored at cold temperatures. Your fridge should be fine as long as it’s between 36°F to 46°F. After you use your pen, you don’t need to keep it in your fridge anymore.

As long as the medication is stored at room temperature, then you’re fine. That being said, it’s alright to continue storing the product in your fridge if you want. However, if the product becomes frozen during this process, then make sure to throw it out.

Do You Need to Take Ozempic On the Same Day Each Week?

It’s a good idea to make a routine of taking your Ozempic. Taking it on the same day can help you start doing this. That said, it’s alright if you miss a dose by a few days. Just make sure that you don’t take two doses within forty-eight hours of each other.

What Happens If I Remove the Pen Before the Full Dose Is Given?

If you remove the pen before the dose has been administered, you will see a clear liquid come out of the needlepoint. This means that you haven’t received your full dose of the medication.

Sadly, there’s no way to tell how much medication went in and how much is lost. As such, you should avoid injecting a second dose.

If you aren’t careful, this could potentially lead to an overdose. Instead, contact your doctor as soon as you can and ask for their advice. If they aren’t available, then keep track of your blood sugar levels as closely as you can.

What Happens If I Overdose On Ozempic?

If you overdose on Ozempic, you’re likely to experience at least one of these symptoms: extremely low blood sugar, intense nausea, and vomiting.

If you or someone your know overdose on Ozempic, then contact the Poison Control Center as soon as you can. They’ll walk you through what to do next.

How Prime IV Hydration & Wellness Can Help You

Here at Prime IV Hydration & Wellness, we’re passionate about helping people feel their best. Now, for people with heart disease and diabetes, the best solution is our Semaglutide peptide injections.

However, it’s important to remember that our treatments can help with a wide range of problems. Let’s start with our most popular IV Hydration. This intravenous therapy injects an infusion of minerals and vitamins directly into your bloodstream.

It comes with many benefits, which you can learn about here. Just keep in mind that it’s far from the only IV treatment we offer. We also offer specialized IV mixes that help with things like:

Flu
Fatigue
Seasonal Allergies
Migraine
Joint Pain
Weight Management
Cellulite
Premature Aging
Dry Skin
Wrinkles
Muscle Pain
Exhaustion
Injury Recovery
Muscle Cramping
Competition Prep

You can check out these treatments in more detail by visiting this page here.

Have any questions about Prime IV Hydration & Wellness? Visit our FAQ page to find out if we answered it for you already. If not, then please reach out to us.

The Importance of Protecting Against Heart Disease and Diabetes

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that heart disease is devastating our nation. Recent reports reveal that roughly 82.6 million people struggle with some form of cardiovascular disease.

Heart disease and diabetes not only affect your day-to-day living, but they have the potential to end your life too soon. That’s why it’s so important to invest in potential solutions like Ozempic.

However, remember that Ozempic isn’t the only type of medication out there. It can be both more affordable and easier to get the generic version of it, Semaglutide. However, regardless of what version of it you take, make sure to start as quickly as you can.

The more quickly you start taking it, the sooner you can decide if it’s a medical solution that you want to stick around in your life.