What Happens When You Stop Taking Ozempic for Weight Loss?

When you stop taking Ozempic® for weight loss, you might see many of the symptoms of obesity creeping back into your life. You could notice your appetite returning to baseline levels. Increased hunger and food cravings can lead to weight gain. 

But, semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy®) has a long half-life. Which means it could take several weeks for the medication to leave your system. Missing a dose or stopping your weight loss treatment shouldn’t cause any withdrawal symptoms, but you should always discuss medication changes with a doctor. 

Stopping Ozempic could lead to unwanted weight gain and affect blood sugar levels. Below, learn more about how weight loss medications work, and what happens when you miss a dose or decide to stop Ozempic altogether.

If you’re wondering if you can stop taking Ozempic or Wegovy®, the answer is — it depends. If you’re taking Wegovy for weight loss and you don’t have type 2 diabetes, it’s probably okay for you to stop taking it. (But you should consult a healthcare provider within two weeks). 

People with type 2 diabetes should never attempt to stop Ozempic without consulting their healthcare provider. This could lead to dangerously high blood sugar levels. 

Just be aware that your weight loss goals may suffer minor setbacks when you miss a dose of Ozempic. One potential problem of stopping the medication and starting it again is that most people develop a tolerance to side effects like nausea and diarrhea. If you go off the drug for a while, some of those side effects may come back.  

There are many reasons why you might want to stop taking Ozempic for weight loss. Here are a few examples of when you might stop taking Ozempic: 

Severe Side Effects

Some people experience more severe side effects than others. For example, you could be experiencing nausea and vomiting that makes it difficult to eat a healthy diet. 

If you’re having severe, ongoing gastrointestinal issues, it may be time to take a break and consult a doctor about Ozempic alternatives or about decreasing your dose.   

Ozempic Vacations

Some people take breaks from weight loss medications so that they can indulge a little during vacation or around the holidays. We get it. Sometimes it pays to have a large appetite. (We’re looking at you Thanksgiving!)

One way to help minimize weight gain during your break from Ozempic is to focus on making healthy food choices. Food cravings that you haven’t experienced in a while may throw you at first, but if you can be mindful of calories and carbs, you may be able to navigate that family reunion or birthday weekend without worrying too much about the scale.

Ozempic Shortages 

Of course, there are times when stopping Ozempic is a necessity. When there has been a drug shortage, people taking Ozempic have had to either go without the medication for certain periods or skip doses occasionally to extend their supply. 

Goal Weight

Some people think they can stop taking GLP-1 weight loss drugs as soon as they reach their goal weight. Unfortunately, they don’t work that way. These medications are intended to be taken long-term.  

For example, people with high blood pressure don’t stop taking their blood pressure medications when they get their blood pressure under control. Their blood pressure is normal because of the medications, so stopping them means their blood pressure will soon rise again. 

Similarly, losing weight and keeping your blood sugar under control may require you to continue taking Ozempic for a long time, perhaps the rest of your life.

Pregnancy

And if you’re planning to become pregnant, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends clearing your body of GLP-1s before conception. The NIH notes that while some people may have the medication out of their system within a month or so, you should plan to stop the drug at least eight weeks before trying to become pregnant. 

But, if you have type 2 diabetes, you’ll need to work with your doctor to find alternative ways to manage your blood sugar.

Surgery 

The American Society of Anesthesiologists also suggests pausing GLP-1s before any surgery involving general anesthesia, particularly for people who have side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Individuals experiencing those symptoms should delay their surgery, if possible. 

If no such symptoms are present, and medication use has been paused, then surgery and anesthesia should proceed as planned, the organization says.

It’s common for people to start regaining weight after they stop Ozempic for weight loss. 

In one 2022 study conducted by drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk, people with obesity who took semaglutide for 68 weeks and then stopped regained around two-thirds of the weight they’d lost.

Another study on high-dose semaglutide found that weight regain is a common consequence of stopping semaglutide. Researchers suggest that long-term use of the drug may be necessary to maintain weight loss.

If you do want to stop taking Ozempic for weight loss, it’s important to ask yourself why. It may be worth consulting a doctor about alternatives or switching to a lower, maintenance dose. 

That said, it’s worth noting that plenty of people have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off without the use of weight-loss drugs. This requires an ongoing commitment to a healthy diet, regular exercise, and other lifestyle factors that support your efforts. 

Generally speaking, obesity is a disease that can require a lifetime of care and treatment.

If stopping and restarting Ozempic is something you’re considering, you should talk with your healthcare provider first. This advice also applies if you want to go off the drug permanently. It’s good to know how best to manage a return of symptoms or other health concerns moving forward.

A 2023 report on GLP-1s suggests that when resuming the medication after an extended time of non-use, you should start at a lower dose to reduce some of those side effects.

If you go off Ozempic for two weeks or more, you should talk with your doctor about how to restart safely. The longer you are off Ozempic, the more likely it is that you’ll experience a return of side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, or constipation — problems that may have first bothered you until your body developed a tolerance for the drug. 

If you’re coming off GLP-1s for good, you may be advised to enroll in a nutrition program that can help you manage food cravings and blood sugar levels. This may help minimize weight regain. A registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator can help you develop meal plans and make other changes to support your efforts.

Stopping Ozempic may mean you turn to other prescription medications, such as metformin, to help you lose weight and keep your blood sugar levels in check.

Ozempic is one brand name of the drug semaglutide, which is part of a class of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists (GLP-1s). Ozempic was designed and FDA-approved to help lower blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic is sometimes prescribed off-label to treat obesity and excess weight. 

Ozempic mimics the effects of naturally occurring GLP-1 hormones, which are made in the small intestine. 

GLP-1 hormones are involved with several processes in the body, including:

• Triggering the pancreas to produce more insulin, a hormone that helps your body use glucose for energy.

• Interfering with the production of glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar levels.

• Slowing digestion, so less sugar enters the bloodstream after you eat.

• Affecting the part of the brain that processes satiety (feeling full after eating), so you feel fuller sooner and have fewer food cravings between meals.

It can take a few weeks for Ozempic to produce noticeable weight loss and improved blood sugar levels. By six to eight weeks, however, changes are usually obvious.

Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists work a little differently than metformin, a widely prescribed medication for people with type 2 diabetes. However, Ozempic and metformin can both help reduce blood sugar levels and help with weight loss.

Most people without diabetes can safely stop taking Ozempic for weight loss, but it’s always best to consult with a healthcare provider first.  Here are some things to be aware of if you’re ready to skip this week’s injection (or stop taking it permanently):

• Before coming off semaglutide, get reliable medical advice from your healthcare team regarding blood sugar control and dealing with food cravings.

• Your blood sugar levels may climb quickly, so be prepared to manage your diet, exercise daily, and monitor your blood sugar regularly, if necessary.

• Expect food cravings and hunger to return. Be prepared with healthy snacks and meal plans that promote satiety without adding too many calories.

• If you want to go back on Ozempic or other weight loss drugs, talk with your healthcare providers about what to expect and how you can minimize any new onset of side effects.