Ozempic is a once-weekly injection that helps control blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. It works by helping your body use insulin better.
It can also help reduce your risk of cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack or stroke. It works best when you follow the diet and exercise your doctor recommends.
1. Subcutaneously
Ozempic is a once-weekly medicine that helps control blood sugar and lowers your risk for heart attack and stroke in people with type 2 diabetes. It works by increasing the amount of the hormone GLP-1 in your body. It can also help you lose weight when you combine it with a low-calorie diet and regular exercise.
The main ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide, which is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It works by stimulating the GLP-1 receptors in your stomach, intestines, and liver. It also increases the effects of a natural hormone called insulin.
It’s used to treat diabetes and to help you lose weight. It’s also sometimes prescribed for off-label uses, such as to help people with weight gain manage their weight in combination with other diabetes medications.
You should use Ozempic as directed by your doctor, and you should not change the injection site without your healthcare provider’s approval. It’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions closely, as the medication may take longer to work if you use it in different ways than you have been.
Your doctor may want you to self-monitor your blood glucose levels while taking Ozempic to help you determine if it is working well for you. Then you can gradually increase your dose to reach the highest dose that will help you achieve your goals.
For adults, the starting dose of Ozempic is 0.25 mg injected once weekly for 4 weeks. After this, your doctor may increase the dose to 0.5 mg once weekly or to 1 or 2 mg once weekly, depending on how well it is working for you.
Ozempic isn’t usually used to treat type 1 diabetes, although it can be prescribed for that condition if your doctor thinks it will help you. It should not be used in children or adolescents under 18 years of age, and it shouldn’t be given to people who have had pancreatitis.
Using Ozempic can slow your digestion and make it take longer for your body to absorb other medicines that you take by mouth, such as insulin. It can also cause serious side effects, so it’s very important to tell your doctor about all the medications you take by mouth.
2. Intramuscularly
Ozempic (semaglutide) is an injectable medicine that works with a diet and exercise program to help manage blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes when other medicines don’t work well enough. It is also used to lower the risk of serious heart problems in people with diabetes and high blood pressure.
It is injected once weekly, on the same day every week, into a spot on your stomach (abdomen), upper arm or thigh. Your doctor will teach you how to inject it. It is important that you don’t use the same site for each injection to avoid skin irritation.
Your doctor will adjust the dose and schedule of ozempic injections according to your response to treatment. If you have trouble losing weight with this medicine, your doctor may try a higher dose.
Before taking ozempic, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. This includes if you have had a history of pancreatitis, diabetic retinopathy (damage to the eyes caused by diabetes), or any other type of kidney disease. It is also important to tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, as ozempic may increase the risk of birth defects in babies born to women who take it.
You may be at greater risk of thyroid tumors, including cancer, when you use ozempic. This is because ozempic slows the emptying of your stomach, which may lead to an increase in thyroid hormone levels in your body. Talk to your doctor about how to monitor your thyroid hormone levels if you have thyroid disease.
In studies with rodents, ozempic and medicines that work like ozempic caused thyroid tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), and other types of thyroid cancer. These tumors are rare, but they can be fatal.
There is a boxed warning on ozempic about this risk. It is also contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC, and in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
It can also slow the body’s ability to absorb some other oral medications, such as insulin. This can cause them to be less effective or not work at all. It is especially important to discuss this with your provider if you are taking ozempic along with other oral medications.
3. Intradermal
Ozempic is a prescription medicine that helps you control your blood sugar levels. It comes in the form of a prefilled pen that you inject yourself weekly, with or without meals. It is made of semaglutide, which is a drug that belongs to the group of medicines called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 agonists).
The most common injection site for Ozempic is your stomach (abdomen), but it can also be injected in your thigh or upper arm. It is usually a single injection every week, but you can change the day you inject it or increase your dose if necessary.
Your health care provider should teach you how to inject Ozempic correctly and explain all of the instructions for using it. They should also tell you about any side effects and how to avoid them.
Before you start injecting, make sure that your skin is clean and dry. Use an alcohol pad to swab the area where you will inject and allow it to air dry for a few minutes. This will help reduce swelling and irritation.
Place the needle in the center of the dose button, and then press and hold it down until the dose counter shows 0. The 0 must line up with the pointer. If you hear a click or see a stream of medicine come out of the tip, keep the needle in your skin and slowly count to 6.
You should not remove the needle earlier than this because you may not get the full dose. If this happens, you will need to re-inject. This can be very painful, so you should do it carefully.
After you have injected your Ozempic, let it dry for at least 10 seconds before you remove the needle. If you notice any redness or discomfort at the injection site, use a gauze pad or cotton ball to press lightly.
Injection site reactions are very rare. In placebo-controlled trials, only 0.2% of people taking Ozempic experienced injection site reactions.
Symptoms include pain in the injection site, nausea or vomiting, and a feeling that you aren’t hungry. If these symptoms last or are severe, contact your doctor right away.
4. Intracardiac
Ozempic is used to treat type 2 diabetes (condition where the body does not use insulin normally and blood sugar levels are high). It comes in a pen that you inject subcutaneously. It works by helping the pancreas to release the right amount of insulin when blood sugar levels are high. It also helps to move sugar from the blood into the body tissues where it is used for energy.
Your doctor may start you on a low dose of Ozempic and then increase the dose after 4 weeks. You will have injections once a week at the same time each week.
You should use the Novo Nordisk disposable needles that come with the pen. These needles are made to be safe for people with diabetes. It is important to keep the needles clean and free from debris or dirt. It is also important to change the needles before each injection.
Before each injection, look at the liquid medicine in your pen and make sure it is clear, colorless, and free of particles. If it is not, do not use the medication.
When you are ready to inject, hold down the dose button until 0 appears on the dosing indicator. If it does not, you have not injected the full dose of OZEMPIC and will need to repeat the process until 0 shows up again.
To inject, insert the needle into your skin between your ribs. When the needle is fully inserted, remove it. If a small amount of blood appears at the injection site, press lightly with a gauze pad or cotton ball.
Your doctor can demonstrate how to use the Ozempic pen, or you can watch a video on the manufacturer’s website. After the first time you use the medicine, you should have someone show you how to use it.
Then, always carry an extra pen and new needles with you. They can be used if you lose or damage the pen.
Ozempic is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. It acts by selectively activating the GLP-1 receptor, which can help to lower blood glucose. This is done by causing the pancreas to release more of the hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1. In addition, it can slow the rate at which food moves through the stomach and reduce appetite. This can help to decrease weight and may improve overall health.