Drugs designed to treat diabetes have become one of the hottest and most controversial weight loss fads.
But some who hopped on the Ozempic train are starting to regret it, claiming they gained back more weight than they lost when they stopped taking it.
Ozempic and Wigovy are drugs called semaglutide, designed for people with type 2 diabetes, to help the pancreas release the right amount of insulin when blood sugar levels are high.
However, both have become widely used as weight loss drugs.
messenger We spoke to several dieters who have regained weight, like Artemis Bayandor, who started taking Wegovy in August 2021 and lost 15 pounds in six months.
A 41-year-old mother noticed that she felt full quickly with small meals. But her health insurance doesn't cover it and she has to pay $1,400 out of pocket each month, so she has to stop taking the drug because her manufacturer's Wegovy coupon has been suspended. It didn't happen.
Within just a month, she had gained all of her weight back and was 10 pounds heavier than when she started taking Wegovy.
“I started gaining weight like never before,” she shared, adding that her weight was 245, the highest she'd ever weighed. And I've never been like that. I'm very hungry. The feeling was crazy. ”
“It was awful, it's still awful,” she added. Bayandor currently weighs 246 pounds and has not been able to lose weight since quitting Wegobee.
These days, both Ozempic and Wegovy are widely used for weight loss, but only Wegovy is approved for weight loss. food and drug administrationespecially individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or 27 or higher for those with weight-related health conditions.
This drug works by mimicking GLP-1, a natural hormone that slows the passage of food through the stomach, making you feel fuller for longer.
however, 2022 survey They found that people taking semaglutide regained two-thirds of the weight they previously lost after one year of discontinuation.a more recent research A paper published in December 2023 found similar results with tirzepatide, the main ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound.
“It's not surprising that some people regain weight when they stop taking their medications,” said Melanie Jay, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Obesity Program at New York University Langone. told the messenger.
Because obesity is a chronic disease, patients prescribed these drugs need to continue taking the drugs indefinitely to lose weight, in addition to making lifestyle changes, Jay explained.
“When we treat other chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, we wouldn't be surprised if people stopped taking their medications and their blood pressure rose,” Jay says. “These drugs are not a cure for obesity; they are really effective treatments.”
Dr. Supriya Rao, a gastroenterologist and obesity medicine specialist at Integrative Gastroenterology Consultants in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, echoed Jay's opinion, explaining to the Messenger that the drug's effects wear off once you stop taking it. .
Taking these medications is “not like a diet that you start and stop,” she stressed. “Working for the long term is what you need to do.”
In addition to the high cost, some people stop taking these weight loss drugs due to extreme side effects.
CNN reported Several dieters have been diagnosed with severe gastroparesis, a condition in which the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine slows or stops, which doctors believe was likely caused by taking Ozempic.
Some people rush to the bathroom and wake up with dirty sheets, while others join the “s–-t the bed club'' and wake up covered in their own poop.
Users of the drug also claim to have strange dreams about Hollywood stars.
People are taking to social media to join the cast of The Golden Girls, prepare for a museum heist with Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, hold Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson's baby, and more. They then share strange sleep fantasies, including blending their families together.
Jewelers report that the size of fingers and wrists known as “Ozempik fingers” is shrinking and women are rushing to downsize rings and bracelets, compared to last year. This is a shocking 150%. Another nasty side effect is “Ozempic burp”, specifically “sulfur burpIt smells like rotten eggs.
Some people say their buttocks have become flat “like a pancake.” This includes someone who reportedly previously underwent a Brazilian butt lift.
