Lee explained that symptoms from this medication change can last anywhere from weeks to months; this timeline is because the body’s physiological baseline function has to be kicked back in to perform the duties it used to do before taking the drug.

Here’s what happens to the body when you stop taking Ozempic, as well as how to best prepare for the medication change should you and your healthcare provider decide it’s the best decision for you.

What Happens When You Stop Taking Ozempic

When you go from being on Ozempic to not taking the drug, a few main side effects can occur.

Since Ozempic works by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone released during digestion and delaying gastric emptying time, one of the first things you may notice is that you get hungry faster.

“Without the medication, your gastric empty time will return to baseline which results in food being metabolized quicker and can be a trigger for you to feel hungrier faster or even requiring more food volumes to reach satiety,” said Lee.

According to Lee, stopping Ozempic can include any or all of the following:

No, You Can’t Just Stop Ozempic When You’ve Reached Your Goal Weight

Whether you are taking Ozempic for type 2 diabetes or off-label for weight reduction, experts say there are many reasons why someone may stop taking Ozempic. 

“They feel that they can just take themselves off when they reach their goal weight when in reality, that could relate to weight regain because the effects of appetite suppression goes away with disruption of use,” she said.

Lee explained that it’s important for people to realize that the medication is intended to be used long-term.

“Using Ozempic, Wegovy, and semaglutide short-term will definitely solve your short-term issues,” she said. “One may consider a lower maintenance dose and there should be a dietary eating plan in place.”

A 2022 clinical trial followed participants for 52 weeks after they stopped taking the medication.

Participants who took semaglutide for 68 weeks lost significant amounts of weight, but when the medication was stopped and lifestyle changes were stopped, at 120 weeks (52 weeks later) patients were found to have regained two-thirds of the weight they had lost.

Moreover, they experienced similar changes in cardiometabolic variables, such as blood glucose. 

However, many were able to maintain a loss of 5% of their initial body weight, which is still an important change that provides health benefits, said Lee. 

How to Prepare Yourself to Stop Taking Ozempic

While certain symptoms of going off Ozempic may seem daunting, Lee clarified that not everyone will experience these side effects.

That’s why it’s important that patients follow up with their providers after stopping the medication so they can be monitored for changes in their blood pressure, blood sugar, and other lab values, she said.

There are some ways to prepare yourself for the change.

Lee suggests having a dietary program in place and cognitive support to override the potential hunger, cravings, and increased appetite that you may experience.

“Enroll in a nutrition education program while you are on Ozempic for diet reasons,” she said. “And if you are a client with diabetes, have an alternative medication that can help control the sugars.”

She also recommends the following strategy:

• Reinforce the importance of maintaining lifestyle changes that support controlling blood sugar, losing weight, and maintaining healthy habits.
• Use a food tracker or journal to track eating.
• Consider making more frequent visits with your healthcare provider to focus on nutrition and lifestyle adjustments.
• Look into whether it would be appropriate to consider an alternate anti-obesity medication.