‘I suffered from nausea, dizziness and acid reflux’: User reveals side-effects of drug hailed as weight loss miracle

I started using Ozempic three months ago My decision to use the drug to lose weight wasnrsquot impulsive I had tried multiple weight loss supplements including apple cider vinegar a blend of probiotics from various brands physical exercise and various diets but nothing worked for long However when I discovered that there might be a quicker option with Ozempic I decided to take actionI first consulted a wellknown endocrinologist in Mumbai who recommended that I undergo a fullbody checkup before using the drug including tests for my blood pressure cholesterol blood sugar and other markers Everything was normal and I got a green signal to proceedOzempic isnrsquot legally available in India in injectable form which shows much faster results compared to the oral form I managed to contact a medical dealer who came across more like a peddler than a pharmacist He shared that Ozempic is often smuggled in from Turkey or Dubai I sourced authentic doses and had them verified by several doctors in my familyIllustrationUday MohiteThen I began the regimen with the help of doctors in the family starting with the 025 mg dose which was supposed to be injected once weekly for four weeks Yoursquore supposed to use a microneedle around the stomachrsquos fatty area It doesnrsquot hurt much Think of it as the slight prick you feel when testing blood sugar levelsBy the second month it was time to escalate to the 05 mg dose But I made a mistake My eagerness to see quicker results made me skip a step and I leapt straight to the 1 mg dose As I feared it caused side effects like nausea acid reflux and dizziness These symptoms occur anyway when you get started on the medication but they were way more intense when I leapt directly to the 1 mg doseOver time the body gets acclimatised to the drug The maximum dose you can take is 2 mg but that should be over a period of time I know all this because I read up a lot before I began and made sure that I am only reading from legit sourcesPiciStockOzempic definitely affected my diet I went from easily demolishing a medium Dominorsquos cheeseburst pizza to feeling full after just one slice Itrsquos perhaps because Ozempic regulates insulin and suppresses appetite by ldquofoolingrdquo your brain The shift in how much I eat eventually made me reevaluate my eating habits by the third week and I began choosing healthier food in generalFrom a financial point of view itrsquos not cheap Ozempic set me back by Rs 25000 per month But now therersquos also Eli Lillyrsquos newer competitor drug Mounjaro which is more affordable by 2025 per cent and legally available with a prescription It will cost you R16000 roughly But by the time Mounjaro was launched in March I was already committed to Ozempic for two months so I decided to stick with itThe results have been encouraging In just two months I shed 9 kg roughly 7 per cent of my body weight But it doesnrsquot work like a magic wand Skipping doses or indulging in unhealthy habits like the occasional pint or two causes quick rebounds I learned this after gaining back 15 kg during a twoweek lapse when I was travellingOverall Ozempic has caused a lifestyle shift for me Today I start my day with black coffee and protein shakes and follow a onemealaday diet and consistent gym sessions If I donrsquot prioritise nutrition Ozempic can lead to muscle and bone density loss Thatrsquos evident in many celebrities and influencers of late whose faces look sunken Itrsquos called the ldquoOzempic facerdquoIf you want to properly lose weight without many side effects itrsquos more about discipline than it is about the medication itself I plan to use it for just a year and then carry on with the routine it has helped me build9 KGsWeight lost in two monthsRs 25000Monthly cost of the treatmentWhat is itOzempic semaglutide is a medication thatrsquos used to manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes Itrsquos also used as an antiobesity medication for longterm weight management Its huge popularity among Hollywood stars and reportedly among Bollywood stars too led to an ldquoOzempic waverdquo in popular mediaSemaglutide is legally available in India but only in its oral form Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes and weight management not the injectable forms Ozempic WegovyatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params