Semaglutide (brands Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus) is a once-a-week injection that may help you lose weight. It can also help you control your blood sugar level.
The medication is a type of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), which is found in the body and helps regulate the appetite and food intake. However, health experts warn that it could increase the risk of miscarriage and birth defects in pregnant individuals.
How long do I need to take semaglutide before I can get pregnant?
You should not get pregnant on semaglutide until at least 2 months after you have stopped taking the drug. This is because it takes that long for the medication to clear out of your body.
Ozempic (semaglutide injection) is used in adults to control blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of a stroke, heart attack or death. It is also used to help people lose weight who have type 2 diabetes or obesity.
OB-GYNs recommend that you tell your doctor if you are trying to conceive or are pregnant, whether you are on the medicine or not. The medication can affect fetal health and lead to a condition called intrauterine growth restriction, explains Kashani.
The active ingredient in Rybelsus (semaglutide injection) has been shown to cause thyroid C-cell tumors in animals, although it’s not known if the medication causes these tumors in humans. Call your doctor if you have any signs of a thyroid tumor, such as a lump or swelling in your neck, trouble swallowing, hoarseness, or shortness of breath.
Can I get pregnant while taking semaglutide?
Semaglutide is a drug that’s used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. It’s an agonist of a hormone called GLP-1 that promotes feelings of fullness and reduces hunger and appetite.
You take semaglutide by injection under the skin, once a week, with or without food. Don’t inject into the same body area more than twice in a row and always use the same day to administer your injections.
Doctors say that it’s important to discontinue treatment at least two months before you plan to get pregnant. That’s so the medication has time to leave your body.
It’s also important to note that if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, your doctor should tell you that you can’t take these medications. That’s because studies have shown that they can cause serious problems for a fetus, including low birth weight and premature delivery.
However, experts believe that this information isn’t prominently displayed on the drug labels for these products or on their side-of-package warnings, making it difficult for health care providers to understand the potential risks. They’re also worried that people who are prescribed the drugs for off-label use may not be as aware of these risks.
Can I get pregnant on semaglutide?
Semaglutide is a prescription drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. It works by slowing the rate at which food moves out of your stomach into your small intestine. This can lead to weight loss and reduced appetite.
The medicine is also used to treat overweight patients with type 2 diabetes who aren’t able to control their blood sugar by taking medicines like insulin or sulfonylureas. It’s injected under the skin (subcutaneously) once weekly.
Depending on your doctor’s instructions, you may start with a low dose and increase it every 4 weeks. This can help you get used to the medicine and avoid side effects.
But it’s not yet known whether semaglutide can make it easier for women of childbearing age to get pregnant. Studies in rodents, rabbits, and monkeys have found that semaglutide can cause higher rates of miscarriage and birth defects. It can also damage a baby’s developing skeleton.
Can I get pregnant while breastfeeding on semaglutide?
A person who wants to get pregnant should not use Ozempic or other semaglutide drugs, but the medications can be helpful in helping people lower their blood sugar levels and get to a healthy weight.
No information is available about the clinical use of semaglutide during breastfeeding, but because it is a peptide molecule with a molecular weight of 4113 daltons and is over 99% protein bound, absorption by an infant would be unlikely because the drug is probably destroyed in the infant’s gastrointestinal tract.
The FDA recommends that men and women stop using semaglutide at least 2 months before they plan to become pregnant or try to conceive. This will give the body a chance to rid itself of the medication and allow for better pregnancy outcomes, experts say.