Ozempic Side Effects and How to Lose Weight Without Them

Ozempic® and other weight-loss injections have changed the conversation about obesity. At the same time, they come with the potential for side effects that range from annoying to life-threatening.

The “silver bullet” may not be as beautiful as it seems. In this post we’ll dive deep into the potential side effects of Ozempic and how medically supervised weight loss could help you drop the pounds without these complications.

1. What Are Ozempic and Similar Weight-Loss Injectables?

Ozempic® (semaglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist originally approved for type 2 diabetes; its sister drug Wegovy® uses the same molecule at higher doses specifically for obesity.

Other medications in this family include:

• Semaglutide (Wegovy®) – weekly injection for chronic weight management
• Tirzepatide (Mounjaro® for diabetes, Zepbound® for obesity) – a dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist. According to clinical trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine, it often leads to even greater weight loss than semaglutide.

How these weight loss drugs work (simplified):

• Mimic gut hormones (GLP-1 ± GIP) that signal fullness to the brain
• Slow stomach emptying, so you feel satisfied longer
• Help stabilize blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity

Large randomized trials show average weight loss of ~15% of an individual’s body weight with semaglutide and up to ~20% with Tirzepatide, along with improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes risk.

The benefits are real—but so are the side effects.

2. Common Side Effects of Ozempic, Wegovy, and Tirzepatide

The most common side effects are gastrointestinal and tend to appear when people start the medication or increase the dose:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Abdominal pain or bloating
• Belching, gas, heartburn
• Fatigue, headache, dizziness

In real-world studies and medication guides, these side effects are usually described as mild to moderate and often improve over time, especially with slow dose escalation and careful eating habits (smaller, lower-fat meals).

3. Reported Side Effects of Continued Use

• Saggy Skin — Quickly losing large amounts of weight nearly always results in sagging skin. In the case of Ozempic users, this extreme change has left some individuals “self-conscious, avoiding gyms, public pools and other places,” reported the New York Times.
• Facial Aging — As the weight comes off, it also commonly deflates “key areas of the face,” a New York Times article reported. This causes the individual to appear older than they actually are.
• Hair Loss – In June of 2025, the New York Post reported that both hair stylists and medical experts confirmed, “thinning and shedding, and a lot of hair coming out very easily when being washed,” among Ozempic users. 

4. Serious or Less Common Risks

More serious (but less frequent) risks reported with GLP-1/GIP drugs include:

• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) – severe abdominal pain, often with vomiting
• Gallbladder disease – gallstones, cholecystitis, especially when rapid weight loss occurs
• Kidney injury – usually related to dehydration from prolonged vomiting/diarrhea
• Worsening diabetic retinopathy in some patients with diabetes and rapid glucose improvement
• Thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents – this has not been proven in humans, but it led to a boxed warning and contraindication in patients with certain rare thyroid cancers or MEN2 syndromes
• Hypoglycemia when used with other diabetes medications that lower blood sugar (e.g., insulin, sulfonylureas)

Regulators in several countries also track mood changes and suicidal ideation with GLP-1 drugs. Recent safety reviews have not established a clear causal link, but agencies recommend patients and clinicians watch for new or worsening depression or suicidality.

Weight Regain When You Stop

One important long-term consideration: when Tirzepatide was stopped in a randomized trial, participants regained a significant amount of lost weight, whereas those who continued treatment maintained or furthered their weight loss.

This has been a consistent trend for all those taking similar GLP injectables. In most instances, if you want to keep the weight off, you will be taking the injection for the rest of your life, similar to blood-pressure or cholesterol medicines.

Medically Supervised Weight Loss Provides Sustainable Progress Without the Trade-Offs

At the end of the day, safe, sustainable weight loss isn’t just about seeing the number on the scale go down — it’s about finding a way to keep that progress going for the long haul, without suffering potential side effects. There’s no single blueprint that works for everyone. But research has uncovered some consistent habits among people who successfully maintain a healthy weight.

A 2020 study published in Obesity highlighted several key behaviors. Along with balanced nutrition and regular physical activity, long-term success often comes down to ongoing self-monitoring and compassionate, non-punitive coping strategies. These habits include:

• Weighing Daily
• Acknowledging a Lapse & Getting Back on Track
• Making Healthy, Low-Calorie Foods Easy, Accessible & Visible
• A Strong Support System
• Daily Food Goals (including a daily calorie intake and food diary)

Our approach to weight loss is not a one-size-fits-all injection or plan. We believe each patient is unique, which is why we partner directly with each patient to identify the underlying cause of their weight gain and develop a personalized plan to treat it. And, we offer ongoing professional support and guidance to make achieving that plan possible.