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Ozempic Side Effects

Ozempic, a popular medication for Type 2 diabetes used off-label for weight loss, commonly causes side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and constipation. Severe side effects of Ozempic include allergic reactions, changes in vision and pancreatitis.

Ozempic carries an FDA boxed warning for the risk of thyroid C-cell tumors.

Latest Ozempic Side Effects Information

As of June 2024, gastrointestinal disorders were the most common Ozempic side effects reported to the FDA. Nausea was the most common side effect reported, followed by constipation second and diarrhea third.

FDA ADVERSE EVENTS REPORTING SYSTEM (FAERS) DATA FOR OZEMPIC SIDE EFFECTS

Total cases reported 17,681

Serious cases (including deaths) 7,851

Deaths 222

Source: FAERS Database

Disclaimer: Reports sent to the FDA don't necessarily mean the drug caused an adverse event. Consult a health care professional before stopping or changing medication.

New FDA Ozempic Warning Updates

On Jan. 11, 2024, the FDA released a safety communication informing the public that the agency hasn’t found a connection between Ozempic or Wegovy and suicidal thoughts.

However, the FDA said that it “cannot definitively rule out that a small risk may exist,” and it continues to investigate the issue.

In addition to suicidal thoughts, the FDA continues to investigate FAERS reports of hair loss linked to Ozempic.

RELATED NEWS

FDA Probes Possible Ozempic Side Effects Including Suicidal Thoughts, Hair Loss

January 4, 2024

Common Ozempic Side Effects

The most common Ozempic side effects include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the drug’s prescribing information. Among all patients taking Ozempic, nausea was the most reported side effect.

“The most common side effects of [Ozempic and other GLP-1] medications are gastrointestinal, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. Patients may also experience fatigue, headaches or dizziness. We can help patients prevent these side effects through appropriate counseling,” Dr. Maria Anton, endocrinologist and educator at Pritikin Longevity Center, told Drugwatch.

In clinical trials aimed at studying the effects of Ozempic on individuals with Type 2 diabetes, researchers engaged a diverse group of participants. This group included 262 individuals who were administered a placebo, 260 participants who received a 0.5 mg dose of Ozempic, and another 261 subjects who were given a 1 mg dose.

Common Ozempic side effects include:

Abdominal pain (7.3%)
Constipation (5%)
Diarrhea (8.5%)
Nausea (15.8%)
Vomiting (5%)

Patients usually experience side effects while gradually increasing the drug’s dosage until reaching the maximum dose, a process known as dose escalation. For instance, 15.8% of individuals taking 0.5 mg doses reported nausea in trials compared to 20.3% of individuals on 1 mg doses.

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Sanders: Why Does Ozempic Cost 10 Times More in US?

Drugmaker's boss agrees to appear at Senate hearing

by Bob Cronin
June 20, 2024

The injectable drug Ozempic is shown in July 2023 in Houston. David J. Phillip photo

Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, the chief executive of Novo Nordisk, agreed in a phone call with Sen. Bernie Sanders to testify before a Senate committee in September. He already knows what Sanders will ask: why Ozempic and Wegovy cost "10 to 15 times" more in the US than in other countries. "This is absurd," Sanders told NBC News on Tuesday. "It is clear that Novo Nordisk is ripping off the American people." Sanders said the company asked that competitors appear at the same time, which he rejected. He wants the spotlight on the maker of the hot-selling weight-loss drugs.

"One at a time," the Vermont Independent said when asked about having Eli Lilly testify about its anti-obesity drug Zepbound and other products, per Axios. "Eli Lilly is also very big, but I think we focus on Novo Nordisk first and then we'll go to the others." The idea is to replicate the success he and the Biden administration had last year in pressuring the makers of insulin and asthma inhalers to hold monthly out-of-pocket costs to $35. Eli Lilly's CEO also promised not to raise the price of insulin at a hearing Sanders held.

The committee has cited the monthly going rate for Wegovy at about $1,300 a month in the US, $186 in Denmark, $137 in Germany, and $92 in the UK—a difference made possible by the US patent system. Novo Nordisk said 80% of American patients with insurance are paying $25 or less per prescription of Ozempic or Wegovy. The company said it has invested billions of dollars in research and production capacity. Congress can't do much other than apply pressure, and a Johns Hopkins professor said shaming drugmakers can only do so much. "Changing the laws is absolutely the right answer," Gerard Anderson said.