According to clinical trials looking at the effects of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, people lose an average of around 5% of body weight between weeks 6-12 of taking the drug. But to get the most benefit out of semaglutide, scientific research suggests that you need to be taking it for at least a year.

Ozempic is a once-a-week injectable drug. As for how to inject Ozempic? It’s actually simple. The drug comes in a prefilled pen that is injected under the skin. The question of where to place the injection is largely up to you: You can use it on your abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Prior to your first use, you should store Ozempic in the fridge. After you’ve used it, you can store your pen for 56 days at room temperature between 59 and 86 degrees F or in the refrigerator between 36 and 46 degrees F. Don’t freeze Ozempic — and be sure to keep the cap on the pen when you’re not using it.

It’s not recommended if you’re pregnant, under 18 years old, or have a history of diabetic retinopathy or problems with your pancreas or kidneys. People with a family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome 2 (MEN 2) also shouldn’t get on semaglutide.

The most common side effects of Ozempic and similar medications are nausea and diarrhea, and sometimes vomiting and constipation. “Some of the side effects we see are related to the fact that you have gone from this hormone that naturally breaks down and is gone an hour after you eat to something that lasts all week,” Dr. Coviello says. “It slows gut motility [movement], not just for that time frame after you ate and you’re digesting, but all week long. Some of the satiety or bloating effects you get are because that’s how the natural hormone works, but you now have a version of that natural hormone that hangs around a lot longer.”
In other words, because digestion is slowed, you have more food sitting in your stomach for a longer time. “That’s why some people feel mild nausea and more commonly have constipation,” Dr. Coviello says. “It tends to go away as you adjust to the medicine and go slowly up on the dose over time (months).”