Published on
Updated
Reading 3 mins.
in collaboration with
Alexandra Murcier (Liberal dietitian-nutritionist)
Medical validation:
November 16, 2022
The Ozempic has gone viral on the TikTok social network. Diverted from its use, this anti-diabetic is touted to help lose weight. Result: risks for those who use it without being diabetic and possible stock-outs for patients who need it.
It is a tragedy for all diabetic patients. The injectable drug Ozempic which is buzzing on TikTok is the subject of many shortages around the world, particularly in Australia and the United States, where it is bought by people without diabetes to “lose weight”.
The drug went viral within months
The drug Ozempic, made by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, is an injectable diabetes medicine indicated for adults with type 2 diabetes. Very useful for controlling blood sugar levels, it stimulates the release of insulin when blood glucose levels is high.
The problem ? For several months, Hollywood stars have been using it to lose weight. Once injected into the stomach, thigh or arm, the treatment would indeed increase the feeling of satiety – and consequently the quantities of food ingested – for the modest sum of $950 per month.
A trend, which quickly went viral on TikTok. In a video posted last May on the network, a 46-year-old entrepreneur detailed how the drug helped him lose “thirty pounds in nine months“, he who had a body mass index of 37 (severe obesity).
Women also seem to be particularly fond of the drug, as evidenced by videos of them poking their bellies with a pen. Some have even posted spectacular “before/after” videos, showing their new transformed silhouettes.
“Does it hurt ? Yes ! Is it worth it ? Yes !”, Explains a tiktokeuse, confiding in having lost “almost 10 kilos in 12 weeks“thanks to the medicine.
A risk of shortage for patients who really need it
Faced with the sudden increase in demand, the FDA had to add Ozempic (and Wegovy, another injectable weight loss solution) to its list of drugs “at risk of shortage”.
For his part, Dr. Jason Brett, executive director of medical affairs at Novo, assured that the pharmaceutical giant does not promote the drug for cosmetic purposes. People using it must meet “FDA approved” criteria and indications.
This does not prevent Internet users from rushing into existing Ozempic stocks – and directly affecting the daily lives of diabetics. Without this injection, patients must turn to other drug treatments…often less effective.
Faced with the urgency of the situation, the American Diabetes Association was worried, as the Daily Mail points out.
Diarrhea, vomiting… significant side effects
In people without diabetes, the side effects of the drug should not be overlooked.
The moderator of a Facebook group supporting Ozempic users, interviewed by the daily Le Devoir, indicates that she had to compose “with severe fatigue and olfactory dysregulation that led her to stop treatment“.
“VSIt is not an easy method. It’s not nothing, to take that.”
Among the adverse effects observed, we commonly find disorders of the digestive system such as diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea.
In this context, Alexandra Murcier recommends not to test this dangerous practice.
“Taking medication without a doctor’s advice is anything but a good idea. Not only are its long-term side effects unknown, but the rapid weight loss induced by Ozempic cannot work over time. Obese people must first resolve their eating disorders, otherwise they risk regaining weight very quickly“, warns the expert.