Ozempic Online UK

Ozempic is a once-weekly injection that contains semaglutide. It is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, a medicine that helps control blood sugar.

Ozempic is licensed to treat type 2 diabetes alongside diet and exercise. You can take it on its own when metformin does not suit you, or with other blood-sugar medicines, including insulin.

Semaglutide copies a natural gut hormone called GLP-1. It helps the body release insulin when blood sugar is high.

It also lowers a hormone called glucagon, slows how fast the stomach empties, and helps you feel full.

In the SUSTAIN trials, semaglutide lowered HbA1c (a measure of long-term blood sugar) by up to 1.8 percentage points. People also lost 4-6 kg, more than with placebo or other treatments.

The SUSTAIN-6 heart trial showed a 26% drop in serious heart events (called MACE).

NICE recommends semaglutide for adults with type 2 diabetes when other treatments have not controlled blood sugar well enough. You inject Ozempic under the skin.

It is not for type 1 diabetes or for diabetic ketoacidosis.

Inject Ozempic under the skin once a week. Use the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food. Inject into your abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Choose a different spot each week.

Fit a new disposable needle to the pre-filled pen before each injection. Before you use a pen for the first time, prime it as the patient information leaflet explains.

Do not inject into skin that is sore, bruised, red, or hard. Never inject Ozempic into a vein or a muscle. Keep unused pens in the fridge (2-8°C).

Once you have started a pen, you can keep it at room temperature (up to 30°C) or in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.

If you miss a dose and your next dose is more than 2 days away, inject as soon as you can. If your next dose is sooner than that, skip the missed dose.

Start with 0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks. This starting dose helps your body adjust and is not meant to control your diabetes on its own. After 4 weeks, increase to 0.5 mg once a week.

If your blood sugar needs more control after at least 4 weeks on 0.5 mg, your dose can go up to 1 mg once a week. After at least 4 weeks on 1 mg, the dose may go up again to 2 mg once a week.

You do not need a different dose if you have mild, moderate, or severe kidney problems. There is little experience in end-stage kidney disease, so take care.

You do not need a different dose for liver problems. Increase the dose slowly to reduce stomach and gut side effects.

Side effects are listed by how often they happened in the SUSTAIN trials, using standard SmPC frequency groups.

Very common (≥1/10): Feeling sick (in up to 20% of patients, usually short-lived as the dose goes up), diarrhoea, being sick.

Common (≥1/100 to <1/10): Reduced appetite, dizziness, stomach pain, a bloated stomach, constipation, indigestion, burping, wind, acid reflux, gastritis (an inflamed stomach lining), low blood sugar (mainly with sulphonylureas or insulin), tiredness, injection-site reactions, and a raised lipase enzyme.

Uncommon (≥1/1,000 to <1/100): A fast heartbeat, acute pancreatitis (sudden inflammation of the pancreas), gallstones, and a raised amylase enzyme.

Rare (≥1/10,000 to <1/1,000): Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), and swelling under the skin (angioedema).

Stomach and gut side effects are the most common. They usually ease as you keep taking the medicine. Know the signs of pancreatitis.

Get medical help straight away if you have severe stomach pain that does not go away.

Do not use Ozempic if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), a type of thyroid cancer, or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), a rare hormone condition.

In rodent studies, semaglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumours. It is not clear if this applies to people, but care is needed. Tell your doctor if you notice signs of a thyroid tumour.

These include a lump in the neck, trouble swallowing, shortness of breath, or a hoarse voice that does not go away. There is a risk of acute pancreatitis (sudden inflammation of the pancreas).

Stop Ozempic if pancreatitis is confirmed. If you add Ozempic to a sulphonylurea or insulin, you may need a lower dose of that medicine to lower the risk of low blood sugar.

In the SUSTAIN-6 trial, eye problems linked to diabetes (diabetic retinopathy) happened more often in people who already had this condition. If this applies to you, have close eye checks.

Do not use Ozempic if you are allergic to semaglutide or any other ingredient in it. Do not use it for type 1 diabetes or to treat diabetic ketoacidosis.

It is not recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding. If you could become pregnant, use reliable contraception.

Stop semaglutide at least 2 months before you plan to conceive, because it stays in the body for a long time. Do not use Ozempic if you or a family member has had MTC or MEN 2.