Ozempic continues to make waves as a weight-loss wonder drug, with a health clinic in Nevada offering it as a weight-loss medication to people asking for it.
On Friday, Fox5 Vegas learned that Health Xpress, a medical center in Henderson, is prescribing the drug to people who want help with their weight loss journey.
“Ozempic is an anti-diabetic drug that’s used for weight management and long-term weight management,” Cristina Kulback, a provider at the facility, told the outlet.
According to her, about 50 people came to her asking for Ozempic specifically amid all the media attention given to the diabetes drug for its guaranteed weight-loss effect.
“It helps the body with caloric burning and helps the body burn stored fat,” Kulback added.
Ozempic may not be approved for weight loss by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but it is approved as a prescription medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults.
The drug helps improve blood sugar levels and lower hemoglobin A1C, reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes.
But Ozempic has gained popularity for its remarkable side effect of weight loss. Not only is it making rounds on social media, but Hollywood celebrities are also paying top dollar to secure doses for their body transformation, causing a shortage of refills for diabetes patients.
Ozempic, which is injected once a week, has already gained a reputation for being “the skinny pen” among its users.
Cristy O’Connell, the owner and one of the nurse practitioners at Health Xpress, experienced first-hand how the drug facilitates quick weight loss.
“I took Ozempic for about a month, I lost almost 10 pounds in about 3 weeks,” she told Fox5 Vegas before admitting that she introduced the drug to her patients three weeks ago after seeing the results.
But experts warn of the possible downside to the fad.
Roseman University’s associate dean professor of pharmacy, Leiana Oswald, pointed out to the news program that people should know Ozempic isn’t a magic potion.
“They need to have failed diet and exercise alone before going on to the medication,” Oswald said. “There is a space for any weight loss drug to be added on to a patient who is overweight or obese, especially those with comorbid highly beneficial a cool TikTok craze can get a lot of people in the hospital and get them sick.”
Oswald went on to explain that Ozempic has side effects that could be a problem for many people, especially first-time users.
“Nausea, upset stomach, increased gas, vomiting for some, especially for those who overeat while on the medication because they get this trigger in their brain that they’re really full,” she said.
There’s also the dreaded “Ozempic face” — a side effect of the drug that distorts the face after abrupt weight loss.
New-York based dermatologist Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, who coined the term, said it’s become quite common among patients in their 40s and 50s using Ozempic for weight loss.