fbpx
Free Consultation(303) 750-9454

Ozempic Weight Loss Treatment

Ozempic® contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient in Wegovy®. The main difference between the two is the indication – Ozempic is indicated for diabetes, whereas Wegovy® is indicated for chronic weight management. Many people use Ozempic® or semaglutide in lieu of Wegovy® mainly for price reasons. However, the use of Ozempic® for weight loss is “off-label” and therefore will not be covered by insurance. That being the case, there are several cost-effective ways to obtain Ozempic® and semaglutide.

When added to our weight loss programs, Ozempic® helps you lose weight by enhancing satiety, so you aren’t thinking about food all the time. Weight loss causes a drop in satisfaction hormones including glp-1. By replacing this with Ozempic®, your weight will stay off because you won’t have so much food noise kicking in after losing the weight!

How does Ozempic® work?

  • Weight Loss: in clinical studies, Wegovy® (same active ingredient, semaglutide, as Ozempic®) helped individuals lose an average of 15-16% of their body weight, or 35 pounds, after 1 year of treatment. One out of 3 people lost 20% or more, or 47 pounds.
  • Satiety: People taking semaglutide feel more satisfied before, during and after meals. They get less hungry and fill up much more quickly. People on Ozempic® for weight loss tell us that they fill up quickly at restaurants, and take home half of their meal!  Semaglutide mimics a hormone called GLP-1. This hormone is naturally released in response to eating a meal, signaling the end of the meal. With Ozempic®, the body is always exposed to higher levels of these hormones.
  • Behavior modification: With the appetite controlled, people on Ozempic® for weight loss able to work with our staff to improve the quality of their nutrition and physical activity for long-term weight loss success.
  • Heart Protection: Wegovy® has been shown to lower the recurrent risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event by 20%

Ozempic weight loss weekly injections

Ozempic® is a self-administered weight loss injection that you can do yourself at home once a week. Unlike Wegovy®, Ozempic® is in a multi-dose pen, allowing 4 doses from each pen. We can also use the pen for more than 4 injections by counting clicks – our staff can guide you on this (off-label).

See below for a video of how the pens work.

Am I a candidate for Ozempic®?

You should meet all of the following criterion for Ozempic®:

  1. Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes.
  2. OR, if using for weight management, BMI 30 or more, or 27 or more with a related health problem like high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
  3. Age 18 or over
  4. No personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2.
  5. No history of pancreatitis or gastroparesis
  6. The use of Ozempic® for weight loss is off-label.

How much does Ozempic® cost?

  1. Ozempic® is not covered by insurance for purposes of losing weight.
  2. Retail pharmacies charge ~$900 / month for Ozempic®.
  3. We are happy to provide a printed prescription. It is available out of Canadian pharmacies as well for substantially less.
  4. Check prices at places like Insulin Outlet. Prices are around $450-$650 / month, depending on dose.
  5. Alternatively, you may consider the use of compounded semaglutide.

Choosing the best medication for you is a complex decision. Our providers can work with you to find the most cost-effective strategy, and to help choose the best medication, and if you have coverage, advocate for you to get it covered!

 

Ozempic FAQ

Insurance coverage: ~$25-$75 / month –> but only if you have coverage for Ozempic AND have type 2 diabetes.

Cash price:  ~$900 / month

Canada price:  ~$450 / month (up to 1 mg weekly)

Ozempic® comes in a multi-dose pen. You dial in the dose, put on a fresh needle each time, and inject yourself  in the abdomen, upper arm, or upper thigh. You may feel a tiny prick.

The injections are done once a week.

Most side effects are mild to moderate. They may include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, dyspepsia, dizziness, abdominal distention, eructation (burping), hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes, flatulence, gastroenteritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and nasopharyngitis.

Rare but more serious problems include a potential risk for medullary thyroid carcinoma, pancreatitis, gallstones, hypoglycemia, acute kidney injury, hypersensitivity reactions, diabetic retinopathy complications in patients with type 2 diabetes, and heart rate increases.

 

If the missed dose will be done more than 48 hours before the next regularly scheduled dose, then administer as soon as possible. If less than 48 hours before the next regularly scheduled dose, you may wait and resume on your regularly scheduled day. If you miss more than 2 doses, talk with your provider about possibly resuming at a lower dose to lower the chance of side effects.

Ozempic® doesn’t take the weight off by itself – it helps control your appetite so you can eat a lower calorie food plan without feeling hungry. However, if you don’t eat a healthy diet and get regular physical activity, a lot of the weight lost will be muscle. For this reason, it is important to review your eating plan and physical activity plan with your CNC staff. Further, we recommend monitoring body composition on our seca medical body composition analyzer so we can track your fat vs. lean loss.

  1. We recommend starting your GLP-1 on a Sunday or Monday evening. Then, if there are side effects, you can call us at the office at (303) 750-9454 to assist you.
  2. Avoid eating out the first couple days after your first shot at each new dose..
  3. Avoid high-fat or high-carb foods the first couple days after your first shot at each new dose.
  4. Careful with Alcohol – it may seem a lot stronger than you remember.
  5. To avoid nausea, eat something immediately when you wake up, even if you are nauseous. We’ve found a protein drink can really settle down the stomach. Even a glass of water can help reduce or prevent nausea.
  6. Eat frequent small meals throughout the day the first couple days after the injection. Choose small amounts of proteins and vegetables.
  7. If the injection site hurts, it could be from injecting the medication while it is cold – consider allowing your medication to come to room temperature before the injection.
  8. See a provider or dietitian at CNC each month to customize your plan, figure out your best dose, and help you maximize your results.
  9. Do not stop your GLP-1 medication without discussing this with your CNC provider – obesity is a chronic health problem, and we usually use these medications long-term.

Are you ready to experience the transformative weight loss power of Ozempic®?

Say “Goodbye!” to food noise, once and for all!

Call now to see if Ozempic® is right for you!

*Weight Loss medications are not appropriate for all individuals and will be prescribed only if deemed an appropriate treatment option by Dr. Lazarus, Heather Thomas, PA-C or Jamie Shriver, PA-C. The purchase of prescription medications from us is completely optional – programs do not include the cost of medication. We stock many medications, but you are welcome to request a written prescription or have our providers e-prescribe to the pharmacy of your choice.

Home Phone