I Take Ozempic for My Diabetes: Here’s What My Experience Has Been Like

I lost 30 pounds on the lowest Ozempic dose in one year, but the side effects I experienced were brutal.

In 2020, I was diagnosed with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults after being misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes for several years. As a complement to my mealtime insulin and long-acting insulin injections, my endocrinologist suggested I try semaglutide (Ozempic).

I was experiencing insulin resistance from polycystic ovary syndrome on top of some diabetes burnout from a new diagnosis. My endocrinologist thought that Ozempic could help reduce diabetes burnout and get my blood sugars to a healthy range.

He was right. While Ozempic did wonders for my blood sugars, weight loss, and appetite, my experience taking Ozempic was a little bit of a roller coaster.

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A process of trial and error

I started Ozempic on the lowest therapeutic dose, .25 milligrams (mg). People usually start here to help them get used to the effects of the medication, and doctors recommend gradually increasing as side effects reduce.

For my first couple of weeks, I didn’t feel many side effects. I noticed lower blood sugar numbers, and drinking water would keep me fuller than normal.

After my third week on Ozempic, I started experiencing some nausea. I also lost a few pounds without really trying.

After 2 months, I moved to the .5-mg dose, one step up from my original dose. That’s where things got shaky for me.

After increasing my dose to the next level, I started to get more frequent notifications on my Apple Watch that my heart rate was higher than normal. I’d also have issues waking up in the middle of the night with my heart beating really quickly and feeling shortness of breath.

I brought this up to my doctor, and for a few visits, he chalked it up to anxiety. But after more complaints from me, he referred me to a cardiologist, who diagnosed me with sinus tachycardia.

After sharing those results with my endo, we decided to stop the medication. It had been a year since I started, and I was down 20 pounds. My A1C level had also gone from 9% to under 7%. I was bummed I had to quit Ozempic because it was working well for me.

But I gave it about 6 months and asked my doctor if I could try again. He agreed because it had such a significant impact on my numbers, and we knew what side effects to look for. So, in February of 2022, I started Ozempic again, this time at the .5-mg dose.

I feel great, and I haven’t had any of the side effects — not even tachycardia or nausea. Trying it again for the second time seems to be working better for me.

Ozempic’s rise in popularity

Since I started taking Ozempic in 2020, the drug has become unusually popular for weight loss. If you search social media for trends like the #OzempicChallenge or scour the news for Ozempic, you might see something interesting — and alarming.

Ozempic is FDA approved for use in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but like any medication, doctors can prescribe a drug off-label for use in patients they deem it safe for.

Ozempic has now been highly promoted for its effects on weight loss and not necessarily for what it can do for blood sugar.

This has developed into plastic surgeons and medical spas marketing Ozempic as “The Skinny Shot.” There are even websites whose sole purpose is to prescribe these GLP-1 agonists alongside weight loss programs.

While everyone has autonomy over their bodies, it’s difficult to watch this happen. It’s resulting in a shortage for people who need this treatment, but selling it that way isn’t setting folks up for success.

From my experience, Ozempic isn’t a magic shot. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into managing your condition and seeing results. In addition to using a GLP-1 agonist, it’s still important to teach lifestyle education, too.

Many places promoting Ozempic for weight loss aren’t necessarily teaching crucial steps like what exercise can do for your body or how to build the healthiest, most satisfying meals. These tips could help people maintain their weight loss overall.

The Ozempic shortage

Ozempic is now in short supply — partially from an increase in demand for people living with diabetes or obesity but also from those using the drug purely for vanity weight loss.

As a person living with diabetes, it’s difficult to know that I may not have the access to a medication that I need because people are choosing to use it for a superficial purpose.

While weight loss is an outcome of Ozempic, many of us use the once-weekly treatment specifically for blood sugar management. When we don’t have access to a medication that helps us regulate our blood sugars, we increase our risk for diabetes complications.

It’s important that we don’t end up needing to skip doses because of pharmacy shortages or bounce back and forth to other options that may not work efficiently for our bodies.

What to do if you can’t get Ozempic right now

If you’re impacted by the shortage, talk with your healthcare provider about your best course of action. It’s possible that you may be able to switch medications while you wait for Ozempic to come back in stock.

Some healthcare providers might also have samples on hand so that you can continue to take your injections without interruption.

The bottom line

Ozempic was worth trying, and I saw a significant improvement in my health because of it, even though some of my side effects were scary. Because of its popularity, it might be tough to get an Ozempic prescription filled right now, but talk with your doctor if it’s something that you think might help your diabetes management.