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It's not every medication that you can take with alcohol, and Ozempic could just be one of them. Some medications require you to stay away from alcohol entirely, while some allow you to drink, although there can be consequences. And even though the consequences might not be severe, it can always be uncomfortable to deal with the side effects that come with taking medication.
Ozempic is a powerful weight loss drug that will bring about incredible results over time, and you need to know what could potentially hinder those results as you go through your treatment. Should you drink alcohol while you take Ozempic or should you not? The choice may ultimately be up to you, but you should know a few things before you decide.
What Is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a diabetes and weight loss drug that has been approved by the FDA since 2017. It started out as a diabetes drug but quickly gained popularity for its drastic effects on weight. Ozempic regulates blood sugar and helps people with high BMIs lose weight at the same time. It comes as a once weekly injection in pen form that you take by yourself at home. The doctor that prescribes it to you will also give you a demonstration before you have to go and take it on your own so that you are well prepared.
Ozempic is the brand name of a drug known as semaglutide. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic, and it causes the pancreas to produce more insulin when it is used. So it pretty much makes the body of someone with type II diabetes function more closely to the way that it did before. Though as Ozempic is working on fixing the body’s insulin response, it will also suppress the appetite, which brings about major weight loss for the user. People who take Ozempic will often switch from having to worry about eating too much to making sure they are eating enough.
You can now find Ozempic pictured in magazines and TV ads all over. It is also known to be quite popular among celebrities, and from there, poured out to the public to reach the average person with weight loss goals. Ozempic’s effects are undeniable, but there can be some side effects that can put a damper on some of the food items you enjoy, and that includes alcohol.
Ozempic’s Side Effects
Ozempic is known to come with a range of side effects that can be anywhere from mild to severe. Some of these side effects are rare, and some are very common, even affecting the majority of Ozempic users. The most common side effects users experience tend to involve digestive issues, and those most commonly include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation. These symptoms most commonly happen at the start of treatment, and end as your body adjusts to the medication. You are also more likely to experience these stomach related symptoms each time your doctor raises your dosage as well.
Ozempic can also cause skin related side effects like stretchy skin, and that comes on as a result of the rapid weight loss that comes with using Ozempic. Sagging skin is one of the biggest effects that come from losing a large amount of weight really quickly, and that can depend on how much weight you have to lose in the first place, as well as how quickly you lose it. The places where you lose the most weight also have a higher chance of turning into loose skin once your weight loss journey is over. This kind of symptom is known as “Ozempic face” in some cases.
Another side effect that Ozempic can potentially cause is malnutrition, although that isn’t a very likely effect, it is still a small possibility that you should look out for. Though this symptom isn’t likely, if it were to come on, it can be reversed if you then make sure to get the nutrients you need in smaller quantities. Malnutrition is something that can lead to fatigue, as well, and that can be avoided by closely monitoring your nutrient intake. A lack of nutrients can cause fatigue, and that can be avoided by keeping close track of everything you eat, even keeping a meal plan if you need to.
Ozempic and Alcohol
If you are on Ozempic, it is completely okay for you to drink alcohol. There are no reactions between the medication and the alcohol itself, though alcohol could manage to exacerbate some of the side effects that Ozempic already causes. Ozempic side effects can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and general stomach upset, and some of these can be caused by too much alcohol on its own, so when paired with Ozempic, the results can potentially be more intense.
Alcohol is known for causing nausea and vomiting when consumed in large quantities, and Ozempic can already cause these effects on its own when taken in regular quantities. When you combine these two substances, you might end up having a double dose of nausea , which can be much worse than one on its own. If you already get nauseous just from eating while taking Ozempic, it isn’t a good idea to add alcohol to the mix. Alcohol can take the nausea to a higher level or simply make you vomit instead of just making you feel nauseous.
Ozempic is also known for causing dizziness and low blood sugar, symptoms that can be worsened from drinking alcohol. Low blood sugar on Ozempic isn’t likely, but if you don’t get enough food in your system, Ozempic’s ability to lower the blood sugar can cause that. A rare but potentially serious side effect from Ozempic can be thyroid cancer. You will be most at risk for this side effect if your family has a history of thyroid cancer, but if they don’t, the risk is unlikely but still good to watch out for.
So while alcohol is not prohibited when you take Ozempic, it can be best not to participate, or at least not to overindulge with using it. Alcohol can also heighten other potential side effects of Ozempic, and these side effects can include dizziness and fatigue. Too much alcohol can sometimes cause dizziness, so if you are feeling dizzy from taking Ozempic, drinking alcohol could make it worse. You can completely avoid drinking alcohol if you are dealing with any of these side effects, or you can change the way you drink alcohol to lessen the chance of alcohol causing or worsening Ozempic symptoms.
How to Comfortably Drink Alcohol When You’re On Ozempic
You can choose to give up alcohol while you take Ozempic, but you don’t actually have to if that is not what you want to do. You can always drink and experiment to find out the types of drinks that don’t cause any of your symptoms to worsen, and you can start with the tips below. You can enjoy alcoholic beverages while you take Ozempic, but just make sure to enjoy them in moderation and pay attention to what works. There are a few important tips that you should follow when you are drinking alcohol while using Ozempic, and some of them are:
Make Sure You Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated when you drink alcohol can help you avoid the negative symptoms that come with a hangover, so staying hydrated when you drink and take Ozempic can help prevent the worsening of stomach related symptoms. Staying hydrated without alcohol or Ozempic in the mix can already help your stomach feel comfortable and ward headaches away, so it is even more imperative to stay hydrated when you drink, and especially when you drink and take Ozempic.
Choose Light Options
One way to stave off the way that alcohol can exacerbate your stomach related symptoms is to drink light alcoholic options. Don’t drink the heavier alcoholic beverages as much, but focus on the light ones to keep your stomach comfortable. Light alcoholic beverages will have less of an effect on you and be less likely to cause nausea, headaches, vomiting, or diarrhea. Heavier alcoholic drinks with a higher concentration of alcohol in them are more likely to affect you strongly and make Ozempic’s symptoms worse.
Avoid Sugary Mixed Drinks
Something that can make the effects of alcohol worse is mixing it with ultra sugary drinks. Anything that is loaded with sugar can exacerbate Ozempic’s side effects like stomach aches and nausea, so make sure that you limit the amount of sugar that you enjoy in your drinks. Go with low sugar options that won’t overwhelm your system and potentially cause a stomach ache later on.
Choose Low Calorie Options
One thing that many people don’t think about when they drink alcohol is the calorie content. If your drink is high in calories, it can ruin the calorie deficit that you achieved with Ozempic. Liquid calories can take a toll, especially because they take up less space in your stomach than solid food, but leave you less full, so you don’t realize when you’re over your calorie limit as well. Liquid calories can really creep up on you, and if you don’t pay enough attention to how many you’re taking in through drinks, you may not see the kind of progress that you would like.
If you are on Ozempic and have an extra desire to control your carb intake, try Dr. Emil’s Carb control complex. It is made with the type of ingredients that help along the weight loss process as well as control your carb intake and regulate your blood sugar. Ozempic will already regulate your appetite in general, but if carb intake is something you are concerned about, this supplement can help.
If you need a supplement that will help heal your gut as you face the side effects of Ozempic, Dr. Emil’s Multi Collagen Plus can do the trick. This supplement offers 5 different types of collagen to repair the gut, and they band together to produce positive results. Everywhere from the gut lining to the gut microbiome can be improved by consistently supplementing collagen. It can also help dissipate the worst of the stomach related symptoms that come with it over time.
Alcohol and Ozempic are substances that don’t necessarily mix well, but also don’t automatically cause a reaction when mixed together. You can certainly enjoy both if you please, just keep in mind that alcohol can worsen the adverse side effects that can come with Ozempic, so be mindful when you do enjoy both, and make sure not to overdo it.
