How TikTok Trends May Impact Shortage of Type 2 Diabetes Drug Ozempic – Healthline
- The Food and Medication Administration is reporting shortages of the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic.
- The news comes after the medication has gone viral for leading to weight loss.
- Experts say some people are taking the drug off-label to lose weight.
The prescription drug Ozempic, used to treat patients with type 2 diabetes, has gone viral on the particular social media platform TikTok because of its weight-loss side effect. Because the results are so dramatic, there has been a rise in patients who do not have type 2 diabetes seeking typically the medication off-label to take it with regard to its weight-loss effects, which has resulted in a shortage from the medication for people with kind 2 diabetic who need it for other reasons.
The shortage of the medication is starting to become a serious problem regarding patients that need this to help manage their type 2 diabetes, leading them to have to turn to other avenues that may be less effective.
Ozempic is an injectable medicine that is taken on a weekly basis for the treatment of type two diabetes . It is used to manage blood sugar levels in adults, along with lifestyle improvements in diet and exercise.
“Ozempic belongs to the GLP-1 RA treatment family, which helps patients in three ways, ” said Martha Garcia-Stout , PharmD, JD, a lecturer within the College of Health Professions and Sciences at the University of Central Florida. “It helps by slowing stomach emptying, which delays the absorption of nutrients, preventing the glucose spike after meals; increasing the level of circulating insulin by stimulating the production of more insulin; plus reducing this release associated with additional sugar from often the liver into the bloodstream. ”
As part of the treatment intended for type a couple of diabetes, Ozempic helps regulate digestion in addition to appetite, causing someone in order to feel full so that they eat fewer calories.
Ozempic can increase the amount of insulin in your body so your blood sugars doesn’t spike, it can slow the movement of food through your stomach and can lower the amount of sugars in your blood stream.
One result of using Ozempic is usually weight loss. It has eliminated viral upon TikTok together with hashtags #Ozempic and #OzempicWeightLoss, which both reveal videos that possess had millions of viewers tuned in to see your dramatic bodyweight loss transformations among those who are taking the drugs, many regarding whom do not have got type 2 diabetes.
“Ozempic is a very potent glucose-lowering prescription medication and it is one of the exact most effective glucose medicines we have. But it also has some really important benefits about weight loss, which is usually important for people with sort 2 diabetes, ” said Dr. Kathleen Dungan , a specialist in endocrinology, diabetes and even metabolism in The Ohio State College Wexner Medical Center.
As a new result, Ozempic is being prescribed off-label, which refers to getting an FDA-approved drug for a non-FDA-approved use.
“Non-diabetic people who are looking to lose weight are requesting prescriptions to get Ozempic from their doctors to also achieve the same significant weight reduction and appetite suppressive effects, ” stated Garcia-Stout.
It’s certainly creating a problem pertaining to diabetics that are in need of getting the medications that they need. In fact , the Food & Drug Administration offers it listed on the website as “ Currently in Shortage . ”
“It’s becoming some sort of big issue because individuals have to be their own advocate, ” mentioned Dungan. “They have to be able to notify their particular provider if they are unable to obtain the prescription There is not an automatic substitution. A provider will have to write for any substation, but there may not always be one depending on the dose the particular patient will be on. ”
In addition, the substation may not be covered on that patient’s insurance plan together with there might be restrictions that prevent them through switching.
“If a patient is not a real advocate meant for themselves and they don’t transition to something else, then they can be from risk for their blood sugars getting out of control, which could lead to events like hospitalization, ” Dungan added.
Ozempic has a sister drug, Wegovy, which actually has been approved for weight loss inside people using obesity. The particular drug contains the same active ingredient that is usually in Ozempic — semaglutide. Wegovy, like Ozempic, is definitely also found in shortage.
“Wegovy uses exactly the same molecule, but is dosed differently and has a different FDA regulation and guidance, ” explained Dungan.
While Ozempic and additionally Wegovy contain the same active ingredient, one is Medical grade for losing weight, not to mention the other is not really. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer involving both drugs, says typically the two are not interchangeable.
According for you to the Novo Nordisk website , “Although Wegovy and also Ozempic each contain semaglutide, they are different products with different indications, dosages, titration schedules, etc. The products are not necessarily interchangeable. Other FDA-approved medications for chronic weight management are available. ”
In addition, Ozempic has side effects that may be uncomfortable, including:
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Serious side results can include:
- Nausea
- Pancreatitis
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Hypoglycemia
- Gallbladder disease
- Allergic reaction
“Patients could speak having their doctor about switching to an alternative GLP-1 RA product, ” said Garcia-Stout. “This may possibly include making use of other semaglutide products. Patients can furthermore look to some other members connected with the GLP-1 RA drug family, such as the injectable alternatives of dulaglutide (Trulicity), exenatide (Bydureon), or liraglutide (Victoza), as well as this oral alternatives of lixisenatide (Adlyxin) as well as oral exenatide (Byetta). ”