Some patients taking Ozempic (semaglutide) are considering skipping doses to indulge during the winter holidays, but a short break in the regimen can spur health issues, according to a UCLA physician.
Mopelola Adeyemo, MD, is a clinical nutrition expert at Los Angeles-based UCLA Health, and in a Dec. 13 post from the health system, she said pausing Ozempic doses can result in prolonged side effects.
Common side effects for the weekly injection are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation, which usually resolve. If a dose is skipped, these symptoms might reappear — and the longer the break, the greater the risk of these side effects.
Disrupting the regimen would pose more issues for people taking the drug for Type 2 diabetes compared to weight loss, she said.
"For people taking Ozempic for Type 2 diabetes, pausing the medication may cause blood sugar to be uncontrolled during these times," Dr. Adeyemo said. "This becomes even more concerning if you stop the medication so that you can overindulge in high-carbohydrate foods during the holidays, which will increase your blood sugar even further. Amongst individuals with diabetes, sugar levels being severely elevated can lead to feeling very ill with severe nausea and vomiting, requiring hospitalization."
If Ozempic is taken off-label for weight loss and an injection is missed, she said patients run the risk of potentially slowing their weight loss goals.
Dr. Adeyemo recommended that patients who pause the treatment to contact their physician if they begin to experience adverse symptoms.