What happens to your body when you stop taking Ozempic

Injectable GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are designed for long-term use to manage diabetes and obesity. These drugs work by regulating appetite and slowing digestion, helping people to eat less and feeling full longer. But once someone stops taking the medication, the weight generally returns.

Many patients stop taking medication in a year

Almost two thirds of people on weight loss medicines plan to stop within one year, according to a very well -published survey last year.

A recent study in Jama Network Open analyzed the files of around 125,000 patients who started a GLP-1 medication. He found that 46.5% of patients with type 2 and 64.8% diabetes without the condition stopped taking the medication within one year. Many of them restarted medication in the year following the stop, often due to the withdrawal of the weight.

What’s going on when you stop taking GLP-1?

Emily Duman, 35, mother of four-year-old twins at Augusta, GA, had tried three GLP-1 drugs different out of AMM to manage polycystic ovary syndrome (SOPK) under the direction of her doctor. She remained on Ozempic because it also helped her lose weight.

Duman lost 15 pounds, but found the weight after stopping the medication to continue a pregnancy. (Ozempic is not recommended during pregnancy.)

Last year, Duman took over Ozempic and has since lost 62 pounds. “This time, I plan to stay on a maintenance dose, as well as a regular exercise and a healthy diet, to keep the weight,” she said.

A review published in the review Obesity Analyze hundreds of studies and followed 2,372 participants who had been prescribed with GLP-1 medicines and lifestyle interventions, such as nutrition and exercise.

On average, people who have taken semaglutide (sold like Ozempic or Wegovy) or shooting (sold under the name of Mounjaro or Zepbound) found 53 to 63% of the weight after stopping the drug, despite the continuation of lifestyle changes.

GLP-1 drugs are intended to manage chronic diseases

One of the main reasons why patients descend from Wegovy or Zepbound may be that their doctors have not explained that drugs are intended for life use, said Selvi Rajagopal, MD, MPH, obesity specialist at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.

GLP-1s are prescribed to manage chronic conditions, said Rajagopal, similar to how high blood pressure or high cholesterol are treated. “When someone’s cholesterol improves because of the medication he takes, we do not stop it once we have controlled blood pressure,” she said.

Obesity is motivated by a combination of genetic, hormonal and environmental factors, including access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities.

“The drug part deals with abnormal signaling in the body around hunger signals. And taking the drug also allows people to add healthy lifestyle opportunities so that it really goes against the treatment plan to simply stop the medication,” said Rajagopal.

What if you want to stop taking Ozempic or Wegovy

If someone wants or should stop taking the medication due to costs or side effects, it is a conversation to have with a doctor, said Rajagopal. This is also why it is important to build healthy habits – such as regular exercise and nutritional diet – with regard to the drug.

If the injectables do not suit you, there are weight loss drugs that are more affordable, although they work more slowly. “You can try a weight loss medication that helps to some extent, while waiting for new drugs that could be better for you to come on the market,” said Rajagopal.

People who stop taking GLP-1 drugs can adopt specific strategies to maintain weight loss, according to Brian Wojeck, MD, endocrinologist at the Yale School of Medicine.

These include at least 300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week, and “not just walking on a flat surface,” he said. A healthy and lasting diet, stress management and good sleep can also influence weight loss.