Woman says Ozempic made her eat more food because she vomited so much: 'It ruined my life'

• A woman said she ate more on Ozempic because food was the "only thing" that settled her nausea.
• The woman told The Guardian that Ozempic, which she bought online, "ruined" her life.

A woman who took the buzzy weight loss drug semaglutide said she ended up eating more because it made her "throw up her guts," and the only thing that settled her stomach was food.

The 26-year-old from the UK, named only Rachel in an interview with The Guardian, said Ozempic, a brand name for semaglutide, "ruined" her life.

Semaglutide slows down digestion and boosts satiety by sending hormone-like signals to the brain, telling it that you're full once you've eaten. The drugs Ozempic and Wegovy both contain semaglutide, but are dosed differently.

Th US Food and Drug Administration approved Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes in 2017 and Wegovy as a weight-loss treatment — alongside exercise and healthy eating — in June 2021 for certain people with other health conditions.

However, the drugs have become a popular quick fix weight loss tactic, in part due to their rumored use by celebrities and hype on social media.

Semaglutide made 'me throw my guts up'

Sarah, who had a body mass index of around 37, said that she struggled to lose weight her "entire life," and bought the drug from an online pharmacy after she couldn't get it from her family doctor.

However, she stopped using it after five months after struggling with a number of side effects, including waking up every day feeling sick, which she said would often cause her to vomit "first thing."

"All it did is make me throw my guts up but had zero effect on my appetite. In fact, food was the only thing that would settle the nausea so I ended up eating more than normal," she told The Guardian.

The once-weekly injections also caused pain and bruises, and for a few days after injecting she experienced intense exhaustion, which made it difficult to get out of bed.

According to Ozempic manufacturer NovoNordisk, the most common side effects of the drug are: nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, and constipation. People with nausea can try swapping greasy foods for bland foods like crackers, or watery foods, like soup, the product information states. Eating slowly and going outdoors may also help, it states.

NovoNordisk told Insider the drug is licensed in the UK for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, not weight management, and while it acknowledges that licensed prescribers can choose to prescribe treatments outside of their intended purpose or approved use, it "does not endorse this in any way."

It said it continuously collects and analyzes data on the use of its authorized medicines and follows international standards for reporting an analyzing any adverse events.

"We work closely with the MHRA to ensure that healthcare professionals have a thorough and full understanding of the safety profile of our medicines," it said, referring to the UK's agency that is responsible for ensuring medicines work and are safe.

Specialists recently told Insider that side effects like mild diarrhea and nausea can usually be managed by using a smaller dose to start with and gradually increasing it over time. That process is usually managed by a doctor. Other reported side effects include: a change in taste, muscle loss, and weight regain if the person stops using the drug.

Before trying the drug, Rachel said that she used to think that there was "nothing worse in the world than feeling like you hate your body."

"But I know for a fact now there is, and it's feeling sick every day," she said.