LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Ozempic, a prescription medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, is getting lots of attention on social media for one of its side effects: weight loss.
Erika Luren, a nurse and weight loss expert in Las Vegas, told ABC 13 the trend has gotten so popular that the phone at her office doesn’t stop ringing with people inquiring about the medication.
"I've had calls to the clinic, actually people from out of state to call and ask if I had the medication available. They say they can't find it in their state and ask if they can travel here to get it. So yeah, there are people definitely looking for it and can't find it,” Luren said.
The hype around Ozempic has now caused a shortage of the drug for people who actually need it.
According to Luren, Ozempic is a type of semaglutide that helps to control insulin and glucose levels. The medication targets an area in the brain that sends the signal of feeling full or not.
"A lot of the diabetics who were on it lost about 15% of their body weight. People started to notice they were losing a lot of weight and now everybody wants to be on it. We live in a nation where we have a lot of overweight and obese people and they started gravitating towards it,” Luren said.
However, she explained people that start Ozempic have a hard time getting off of it.
“If they stop using it, they can potentially regain the weight they’ve lost and even more than that. On top of it all, it’s not an inexpensive method. Out of pocket with insurance it costs about $1500 a month. With no insurance, it’s even more,” Luren said.
