Image courtesy of Auckland Weight Loss Surgery.
Ozempic is a newly popular drug that can transform your body drastically within just a few weeks. Those results are certainly exciting to look forward to, but when looking at positive results, you should always check the drawbacks just to make sure that you make the right choice. Ozempic can potentially cause several digestive system related side effects, and the gallbladder is an often overlooked part of that. It can potentially be impacted by Ozempic the same way your stomach can, but how would it do that? You will first have to find out what it is the gallbladder does, and we have all that information for you right here.
What Is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a weight loss and diabetes drug that works by replacing the malfunctioning natural hormones in the body. It affects the hormones that regulate insulin, as well as hormones and functions that bring about fat loss. By regulating insulin, it works to control the body’s blood glucose levels, and also works as a major appetite suppressant. Ozempic prompts the pancreas to produce insulin and sends signals to the brain that induce feelings of fullness. This is how it leads to major benefits for people with diabetes and for people with high BMIs.
The active ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide. You can get the popular brand name version known as Ozempic, the off label version called semaglutide, or versions under different brand names. Semaglutide also exists as Wegvoy, Rybelsus, and Saxenda. Each version comes with its own dosage and prices, and the one you ultimately go with depends on what works for you overall. There are particular advantages that you can get with Ozempic in particular, and those can be physical or financial. The dosage levels given for Ozempic can also affect the severity of the side effects that you experience, and it can potentially be better or worse than other options. Though that is something that is also affected by your body chemistry.
How Does Ozempic Work?
Ozempic has an intense impact on weight loss and gets used more and more for this reason. It makes people drop weight more rapidly than any other weight loss drug on the market, and it also regulates the blood sugar of people with diabetes really well. So how does Ozempic do this?
Its active ingredient is known as a GLP-1 receptor agonist. A GLP-1 receptor agonist is a substance used as a replacement for the GLP-1 hormone that is missing in the body. Without Ozempic, in a healthy body, GLP-1 is released into the intestines as soon as you eat, and it helps control your body’s blood sugar levels by prompting the release of insulin. But when someone is struggling with type II diabetes, the GLP-1 in their body doesn’t function the way it should. GLP-1 receptor agonists will enter your system and do what the natural GLP-1 in the body isn’t doing.
And on top of all of that, semaglutide also works to reduce the appetite. One way that it does this is by inducing a feeling of fullness in the stomach. It forces the hormone levels in the body to rise and then to travel up to the brain to give it the fullness signal. That way, you feel a lot fuller a lot sooner than normal. Ozempic also slows down the digestion process, which is another way that it makes you feel full for longer. Since the food you eat will be in your system for a whole lot longer, it will take more time than usual for you to feel hunger again.
Who Qualifies For Ozempic?
Getting an Ozempic prescription requires a doctor’s appointment. This isn’t the type of drug that you can buy off the shelves, and you even need to fit a certain criteria to get it. So what kind of people qualify to take Ozempic?
People with Type II Diabetes
People who have type II diabetes are a prime candidate for Ozempic. Ozempic mimics a substance in the body that prompts the production of insulin, which can have their systems functioning almost the way they did pre-diabetes. In this case it would be a bonus if you also had weight to lose.
People with A BMI of Over 30
Another way to qualify for an Ozempic prescription is to have a BMI over 30. With a BMI that high, Ozempic would bring you down to a healthier weight, and a lot faster than many other methods you could try. This is something that can prevent even more invasive weight loss measures that may be recommended at this stage, like gastric bypass surgery.
People with A BMI of Over 27 With Weight Related Illnesses
Another stipulation for an Ozempic prescription is to have a BMI of 27 and up as long as it comes with weight related illnesses attached. A BMI of over 27 is considered overweight, but not by too much, so weight related illnesses will push you over the edge towards a prescription. Some of those weight related illnesses can include high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, or sleep apnea. You can also provide proof that an illness that isn’t typically weight related was caused by your weight.
What Is the Cost of Ozempic?
Ozempic is a drug that is known to be expensive, and it isn’t always covered by insurance. It can cost nearly a thousand dollars per month, which is one reason it is known to be popular amongst celebrities. And while it isn’t always covered, it is in some cases. That can depend on the type of insurance you have as well as what you intend to use it for.
What Insurance Covers Ozempic?
Kaiser Permanente covers Ozempic for diabetes and for weight loss with some stipulations. You have to be 18 or older, be following a diet and exercise program, and have a BMI of over 30 or over 27 with comorbidities. Atena covers Ozempic for people in New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, and Kentucky. In Pennsylvania and Florida, it is even covered for kids. And while Atena will cover Ozempic for people in these states, there is a stipulation that it must be used alongside diet and exercise.
Blue Cross Blue Shield covers Ozempic under certain circumstances. They will just need your medical information from your primary care provider to determine if you fit the medical requirements for Ozempic coverage. That can include people with type II diabetes or people with a risk of cardiovascular illness due to excess weight. Medicare Part D on the other hand covers Ozempic, but only when used for type II diabetes. Since Ozempic isn’t FDA approved for weight loss purposes, Medicaid counts using it for weight loss as an off label use, and doesn't cover medication that is used off label.
Ozempic’s Dosage
If you are prescribed Ozempic, your doctor will start you off with a low dose and raise it over time based on your needs. The highest amount of Ozempic you can be prescribed per week is 2 mg, but to start, you will likely be prescribed a dose of 0.25 mg per week. This is done to give your body time to properly adjust to the medication over time without overwhelming it. Every four to five weeks, your dosage will be increased until you are taking the right amount for you. Most Ozempic users don’t need to go past 0.5 mg per week, but your body could always mesh best with a different dosage. Ozempic’s side effects can also change based on the dosage as well.
What Are Ozempic’s Side Effects?
Ozempic can cause one or many side effects, and all of them range from mild to severe. A large percentage of users will experience one or more of them. Some of these symptoms will go away with time and some could be there to stay. It is up to you to decide if Ozempic’s side effects are worth it for you.
Ozempic is more likely to have an effect on your digestive system than anything else, and these symptoms aren’t likely to last. Some Ozempic users experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation for the first few months of using it. Ozempic’s digestive symptoms mostly take place in the beginning of treatment or when upping your dosage, so it most likely won’t be chronic. Once your body gets a hang of Ozempic, unpleasant digestive symptoms, like diarrhea, should go away.
What Is the Gallbladder?
The gallbladder is an organ in the body that stores and releases bile. It is a small sac that is located right below the liver in the upper part of the abdomen, and it releases bile into the upper end of the small intestine. Bile is a fluid that helps digest fat, which makes the gallbladder an important part of the weight loss process. Bile is a mixture of cholesterol, bile salts, and bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellowish substance that the body creates when it breaks down red blood cells. This bile is released in response to the presence of food, and especially in response to the fats in food.
Here’s How It Works
Your gallbladder starts off full of bile like a full water balloon. But as soon as you start eating, your brain sends it signals to squeeze out the bile. And once it squeezes it out, it enters the first part of the small intestine where it will meet with the food and play its part of the digestive process. It mixes with the food that needs to be digested and helps the intestines break down the fat in the food. And once it is emptied, it looks like a deflated balloon until it fills back up with bile again.
How Does Ozempic Affect the Gallbladder?
Ozempic can contribute to a particular set of side effects, and some of those effects can involve the gallbladder. Because the gallbladder plays an important part in the body’s weight loss process, Ozempic can wind up having an effect on it and its functions as it regulates your body’s weight.
There are a few common disorders that can affect the gallbladder, and the most common is gallstones. Gallstones are a pebble-like material that forms from the bile in your pancreas when things aren’t functioning in the best way, and they are a potential side effect of using Ozempic. Gallstones won’t cause any long term effects, but they can cause nausea, pain, and inflammation. And if it’s bad enough, you could need surgery to get rid of the gallbladder entirely. But how likely is Ozempic to cause this affliction?
Ozempic has the potential to cause gallstones because of rapid weight loss. Rapid weight loss can lead to an imbalance in the substances that make up bile. The cholesterol levels in the bile will increase, leading the gallbladder to empty itself less often, which can ultimately contribute to the formation of gallstones. The risk of developing gallstones due to Ozempic use is considered to be extremely low, but is still something that you should look out for when you’re on Ozempic, especially if you have a history of gallbladder diseases in your family.
Ozempic can contribute to a range of side effects that can present as mild or severe, and gallstones are a very rare potential that can be either or. And while the chance of getting gallstones from Ozempic use is incredibly low, it is still useful to look out for the potential!
