Ozempic is injected under the skin into fatty tissue once a week. Choose a different injection site each week to avoid skin irritation.
Use a new pen and needle each time you inject. This is important to prevent skin infections and bruising from reused needles. It also helps ensure that you get the full dose of medicine.
Dosage
Ozempic is an injectable medication that is used to treat type 2 diabetes. It is typically injected once weekly into the skin (subcutaneously) on your stomach (abdomen), thigh, or upper arm.
Semaglutide is an active ingredient in Ozempic, which helps to improve blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. It is typically given in a dose of 0.5 to 2 mg once weekly.
If you are a new user, your doctor may start you on a low dose to make sure you get used to the medicine. This will help minimize the side effects you might experience, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation.
A typical starting dose is 0.25 milligrams (mg) once a week for the first four weeks. Your doctor can then increase your dose to a 0.5 to 1 mg once a week depending on your response to the medicine.
Injection site
Injections are a safe and simple way to administer Ozempic. However, if you don’t inject it correctly, you could experience side effects or have an allergic reaction.
To make the process easier, your healthcare provider should review proper injection techniques with you. You should also know where to inject the drug and how to store it properly.
For instance, it’s best to choose an area on your body that has some fatty tissue – the back of your thighs, abdomen, or upper arms.
It’s also important to avoid injecting into the same spot week after week, because overusing one site can cause lumps to form under the skin that irritate the area and reduce its effectiveness (CADTH, 2019).
When you’re ready to give yourself an injection, start by preparing your injection site using an alcohol swab. Clean the injection site thoroughly with the swab and let it dry before inserting your needle.
Injecting with a new pen
Ozempic is part of a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists. It’s available in a pen injector and is used to treat type 2 diabetes by improving blood sugar levels along with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
To use an Ozempic pen, follow the steps in the manufacturer’s Instructions for Use. It’s important to check the flow of the pen before you inject each dose.
Hold the pen with the needle pointing up and depress the plunger button on the back of the pen. This will reset the dose selector dial to zero and allow you to see if a drop of liquid appears at the top of the needle.
After you’ve checked the flow, inject your dose of Ozempic at the site your doctor recommends. The best injection sites are on the stomach, thigh, or upper arm. Rotate between these sites to minimize skin irritation.
Injecting with a new needle
If you are new to using injectable medicines, it is important to know how to administer them correctly. This will ensure that you are not harmed or get the wrong dose of medication.
Ozempic is a medicine that can help people with Type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels and lower their risk of serious cardiovascular problems. It is available as a pen that can be self-injected once a week.
You should use a new needle every time you inject ozempic. This is important because reusable needles can become blocked or contaminated and can lead to infections and other risks.
Choose an injection site (the stomach area, thigh, or back of the upper arm). Clean the skin with an alcohol swab and wipe it dry before inserting the needle.