Search for articles or Rx savings
Key takeaways
Ozempic, a Type 2 diabetes medication, has noticeable weight loss effects and reduces cardiovascular risks and kidney disease progression in diabetic patients.
Blood sugar management and weight loss results may take four to eight weeks or longer.
While Ozempic can be effective long-term, discontinuation may lead to weight regain and a reversal of improved health parameters
Ozempic (semaglutide) is one of the most popular prescription drugs for treating Type 2 diabetes on the market. It was initially approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 to manage blood sugar for people with Type 2 diabetes. Since then, it has also been approved for two additional uses: to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease and to lower the risk of worsening kidney disease and cardiovascular death in adults with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. But it’s Ozempic’s weight loss side effects that have put it under the spotlight and why healthcare providers may prescribe it off-label for weight management.
Although it’s very effective, Ozempic is not an overnight miracle drug. Some of its effects may take weeks, even months, until noticeable improvements in blood sugar or weight are seen. In this article, learn how long Ozempic takes to work and how it can help you achieve your blood sugar or weight loss goals.
Save up to 80% on Ozempic with SingleCare
Different pharmacies offer different prices for the same medication. SingleCare helps find the best price for you.
How fast does Ozempic work?
It may take four to eight weeks for the full effects of Ozempic to kick in, or sometimes longer. Ozempic (semaglutide) is a once-weekly subcutaneous injectable medication that helps manage blood glucose levels and reduces heart disease and stroke risk. In your first month, you’ll start on a low dose of 0.25 mg while your body gets used to the medication. During this period, you may not experience any noticeable changes in your glucose levels. This is perfectly normal. The medication needs time to reach a steady level in your system. You might not even see full effectiveness until you titrate up to the maximum dose of 2 mg. Everyone is different.
Monitoring your blood sugar readings and HbA1C levels is one of the most recommended ways to track your progress on Ozempic, says Alex Foxman, MD, internist and medical director of the Beverly Hills Institute in Beverly Hills, California. When the numbers begin to decrease, it means the medication is working.
How long does it take to lose weight on Ozempic?
While you may start to see lower blood sugar levels after four to five weeks of taking the lower doses of Ozempic, weight loss may take some time.
“I sometimes see patients start to lose weight as early as two to three weeks after starting the initial dose of Ozempic; however, substantial weight loss usually occurs at the higher doses,” says Soma Mandal, MD, an internist at Summit Health in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.
One study found that patients noted a 5.9% total body weight loss after three months on semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic) and 10.9% after six months. At that point, patients were taking doses from 1.7 mg to 2.4 mg, with the study’s primary goal to observe their weight loss. It’s important to note that 2.4 mg is the maximum dose for Wegovy, the brand name of semaglutide that is approved for weight loss. The maximum dose of Ozempic is 2 mg.
Another program, the Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity (STEP) program, was conducted to study the impact of semaglutide injections on people with overweight or obesity who did not have diabetes. After taking a 2.4 mg dose of semaglutide for 68 weeks (about 16 months), patient results showed a weight loss of 14.9% from baseline.
Although you may not notice the numbers on the scale moving right after you start taking Ozempic, you may begin feeling its effects. Ozempic mimics a hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), that helps decrease your appetite and slows gastric emptying, or the rate at which food leaves the stomach. Many patients report feeling a loss of food cravings within their first month on Ozempic at just 0.25 mg per week.
RELATED: How to get Ozempic prescribed for weight loss
Can Ozempic be taken long-term?
Ozempic is traditionally prescribed as a long-term medication for the management of Type 2 diabetes. Still, Dr. Mandal says its suitability for long-term use can depend on a few factors. “The patient’s overall health and any associated side effects patients may experience” are the deciding factors when a healthcare provider considers a patient’s future with Ozempic.
If Ozempic works for you, your healthcare provider may indefinitely keep you on a maintenance dose. Consistent, weekly injections will positively affect your weight, keep your blood sugar controlled, and reduce your risk for cardiovascular diseases.
Can you regain weight after stopping Ozempic?
Although Ozempic is meant to be taken long-term, some people will need to discontinue use—and it is possible to regain weight after you stop taking Ozempic. If you are taking Ozempic to manage Type 2 diabetes or other health conditions, you may face additional complications when you stop your weekly injections.
In an extension of the 68-week STEP program, patients reported regaining 11.6% of their lost weight after treatment withdrawal by week 120. With this regain, the overall net loss over 120 weeks was reported to be only 5.6%. Any heart health or Type 2 diabetes improvements were reversed by the end of the 120 weeks. In addition, appetite will return once the medication wears off.
“Obesity is a chronic disease and requires chronic management, just like hypertension, diabetes, or hypercholesterolemia,” Dr. Foxman says. If you are taking Ozempic for weight management and plan to stop using it, you need a plan to keep the weight off that involves continuing the lifestyle changes, reduced-calorie diet, and exercise routine you started when you began taking Ozempic.
If you discontinued use because of the side effects of Ozempic, you can also try another weight loss medication, such as:
- Saxenda (liraglutide)
- Zepbound (tirzepatide)
- Adipex (phentermine)
- Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate)
- Alli (orlistat)
Like Ozempic, other medications can be prescribed off-label for weight loss. They include:
Seek medical advice from your prescribing healthcare provider on which medication could be a good fit for you.
RELATED: Could one of these prescription weight-loss pills be right for you?
The bottom line
If you’re wondering, “How fast do you lose weight on Ozempic?” remember that it is a diabetes medication, and you need to be patient with it. You will not see miraculous results by the end of the first week. However, if you stick to a weekly schedule, make lifestyle changes, and track your progress, you will likely start seeing your desired results with Ozempic in four to eight weeks of treatment.
Lea este artículo en español aquí.
- Weight loss outcomes associated with semaglutide treatment for patients with overweight or obesity, JAMA Network Open (2022)
- Gastrointestinal adverse events associated with semaglutide: A pharmacovigilance study based on FDA adverse event reporting system, Frontiers in Public Health (2022)
- Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity, The New England Journal of Medicine (2021)
- Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension, Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism (2022)
- TOzempic diet plan: Foods to eat & avoid while taking Ozempic, Nourish (2023)
- Compare and contrast the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RAs), StatPearls (2024)
- Ozempic for weight loss: Does it work, and what do experts recommend?, UC Davis Health (2023)
- What is Ozempic?, Novo Nordisk (2023)