What happens when you quit Ozempic? How to deal with side effects

Ozempic continues to gain popularity for its weight-loss benefits and prescription of the injectable drug has soared in the US. So much so that many drug makers in the world are looking to recreate it even as more and more side effects of it have been emerging. While many people have reaped unbelievable benefits in the form of weight loss and reversal of chronic diseases, discontinuing Ozempic or Wegovy can lead to unexpected side effects, including weight gain, which may bring them back to square one.

Why does this happen?

Ozempic works by mimicking the

GLP-1 hormone

which is naturally produced in the body at the time of digestion and delaying gastric emptying time. This process keeps one full and curbs appetite which means you feel satiated with a smaller portion and do not feel hungry repeatedly.
“Without the medication, your gastric empty time will return to baseline which results in food being metabolized quicker and can be a trigger for you to feel hungrier faster or even requiring more food volumes to reach satiety,” said Frances Lee, NP, a nurse practitioner at the weight loss center at Rush University Medical Group.

In a study published in JAMA, around 800 people who received weekly semaglutide injections along with dietary adjustments, a prescribed exercise regime and psychological counselling, lost nearly 11% of their beginning weight over four months. But when a third of these participants were later switched to a placebo injection for another year, they regained 7% of their lost weight.
What’s more heartbreaking is that people may gain back most of their lost weight within 3-6 months. “People put most of it back on in the first three to six months,” Alex Miras, a clinical professor of medicine at Ulster University told BBC.

This may happen because the regions of the brain relating to appetite are still dysregulated, which can lead the person to over-indulge. GLP-1 drugs only mask this dysregulation, and when their effect is removed, their food cravings soon return.
Another study from Wiley done in 2022 found that after one year of going off these weight loss drugs, people regained approximately two-third of their prior weight loss on average.

Healthy lifestyle changes to prevent weight regain post going off Ozempic

Regular exercise: Doing regular exercise can help deal with the ‘withdrawal’ symptoms of weight loss drugs and can also prevent one from regaining the lost weight.
Drinking plenty of water: Staying hydrated can keep you full and prevent hunger pangs. It may also help you burn calories.
Eat fibre-rich foods: Make healthy changes in your diet and consume protein and fibre-rich foods to mimic effects of Ozempic.
It is important to consult your dietitian or doctor before going off Ozempic for a smooth transition.