Ozempic (semaglutide) injection 0.5 mg or 1 mg is an injectable prescription medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes that along with diet and exercise may improve blood sugar.
What is Ozempic
- Ozempic is not recommended as the first choice of medicine for treating diabetes.
- It is not known if Ozempic can be used in people who have had pancreatitis.
- Ozempic is not a substitute for insulin and is not for use in people with type 1 diabetes or people with diabetic ketoacidosis.
- It is not known if Ozempic is safe and effective for use in children under 18 years of age.
Using the Ozempic® pen
Take Ozempic® once a week, on the same day, exactly as prescribed by your health care provider.
You can take Ozempic® with or without food.
- You may change the day of the week you use Ozempic® as long as your last dose was taken 2 or more days before.
- If you miss a dose of Ozempic®, take the missed dose as soon as possible within 5 days after the missed dose. If more than 5 days have passed, skip the missed dose and take your next dose on the regularly scheduled day.
- Using the pen, Ozempic® is injected under the skin of your abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Do not inject into a muscle or vein.
- Change (rotate) your injection site with each injection. Do not use the same site for each injection. If you choose to inject in the same area, always use a different spot in that area.
Important Safety Information
Do not share your Ozempic pen with other people, even if the needle has been changed. You may give other people a serious infection, or get a serious infection from them.
Ozempic side effects
- Possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rodents, Ozempic® and medicines that work like Ozempic caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Ozempic® will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people.
- Do not use Ozempic if you or any of your family have ever had MTC, or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
Do not use Ozempic if:
- you or any of your family have ever had MTC or if you have MEN 2.
- you are allergic to semaglutide or any of the ingredients in Ozempic.
Before using Ozempic, tell your health care provider if you have any other medical conditions, including if you:
- have or have had problems with your pancreas or kidneys.
- have a history of diabetic retinopathy.
- are pregnant or breastfeeding or plan to become pregnant or breastfeed. It is not known if Ozempic will harm your unborn baby or passes into your breast milk. You should stop using Ozempic 2 months before you plan to become pregnant.
Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbal supplements, and other medicines to treat diabetes, including insulin or sulfonylureas.
What are the possible side effects of Ozempic
- inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using Ozempic and call your health care provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without vomiting. You may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back.
- changes in vision. Tell your health care provider if you have changes in vision during treatment with Ozempic®.
- low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Your risk for getting low blood sugar may be higher if you use Ozempic® with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include: dizziness or lightheadedness, blurred vision, anxiety, irritability or mood changes, sweating, slurred speech, hunger, confusion or drowsiness, shakiness, weakness, headache, fast heartbeat, and feeling jittery.
- kidney problems (kidney failure). In people who have kidney problems, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration), which may cause kidney problems to get worse. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration.
- serious allergic reactions. Stop using Ozempic® and get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including itching, rash, or difficulty breathing.
The most common side effects of Ozempic may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach (abdominal) pain, and constipation.
Recommended Dosage
- Start OZEMPIC with a 0.25 mg subcutaneous injection once weekly for 4 weeks. The 0.25 mg dose is intended for treatment initiation and is not effective for glycemic control.
- After 4 weeks on the 0.25 mg dose, increase the dosage to 0.5 mg once weekly.
- If additional glycemic control is needed after at least 4 weeks on the 0.5 mg dose, the dosage may be increased to 1 mg once weekly. The maximum recommended dosage is 1 mg once weekly.
- Administer OZEMPIC once weekly, on the same day each week, at any time of the day, with or without meals.
- The day of weekly administration can be changed if necessary as long as the time between two doses is at least 2 days (>48 hours).
- If a dose is missed, administer OZEMPIC as soon as possible within 5 days after the missed dose. If more than 5 days have passed, skip the missed dose and administer the next dose on the regularly scheduled day. In each case, patients can then resume their regular once weekly dosing schedule.
References:
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/9728/smpc
https://www.ozempic.com/about.html
https://www.novo-pi.com/ozempic.pdf#guide
https://www.ozempic.com/about.html
https://www.novocare.com/ozempic/savings-card.html
https://www.ozempicpro.com
https://reference.medscape.com/drug/ozempic-semaglutide-1000174#0