Ozempic Side Effects: Are They More Common in Females?

Are certain side effects of Ozempic more common in females than in males?

Limited evidence suggests that certain side effects of Ozempic are more common in females than males. Several studies that examined the rates of side effects with Ozempic have mostly included female participants.

Ozempic belongs to a drug class called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. In a 2020 study from South Korea, females using other GLP-1 medications (but not Ozempic) reported having side effects more than twice as often as males. This may be partially due to females being more likely to have gastrointestinal (digestive) conditions in general.

Females in this study reported:

• headaches nearly eight times more often than males
• dizziness more than three times as often
• vomiting more than four times as often

Side effects of Ozempic

In a 2022 study involving 175 people using semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic), the following side effects were commonly reported. About 75% of the people in the study were female.

In another 2022 study, the effectiveness of semaglutide for weight loss was compared with that of a placebo. Nearly 80% of the 304 study participants were female.

The table below includes examples of side effects that were more common among people using semaglutide than those using a placebo in the study.

Ozempic side effects in people who can become pregnant

There aren’t enough studies to know whether Ozempic is safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Animal studies suggest that there may be some risk to the animal fetus if Ozempic is used during pregnancy.

Because of this, if you’re planning a pregnancy, doctors would likely recommend you stop using Ozempic 2 months before becoming pregnant.

Are females more likely to get ‘Ozempic face’?

“Ozempic face” is an informal term that refers to the facial appearance of some people using Ozempic who lose weight rapidly. This rapid weight loss can cause:

• sagging
• wrinkles
• a gaunt appearance

It’s not clear if females are more likely to develop “Ozempic face,” but there’s some evidence that females might have more pronounced weight loss when using GLP-1 medications than males.

Is pancreatitis from Ozempic more common in females?

Acute pancreatitis is the sudden swelling of your pancreas. It’s a rare but serious side effect of Ozempic that has been reported in studies. It’s not clear whether pancreatitis occurs more often in females.

Symptoms of acute pancreatitis include:

• severe abdominal pain
• nausea or vomiting
• fast heart rate
• fever
• low blood pressure
• jaundice
• abdominal tenderness or swelling

Are females more likely to have long-term side effects with Ozempic?

Most side effects from Ozempic go away within days to weeks of stopping treatment or having your dose reduced. It’s not clear whether long-term side effects from Ozempic are more common in females than in males.

Semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic) has been linked to some long-term side effects. These include:

• increased risk of thyroid cancer
• diabetic retinopathy
• kidney problems
• gallbladder problems
• suicidal thoughts and behaviors

Boxed warning

Ozempic has a boxed warning for the risk of thyroid cancer. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the FDA about drug effects that may be dangerous.

Ozempic has been shown to cause thyroid tumors and thyroid cancer in animals. It is not known whether Ozempic can cause thyroid tumors or medullary thyroid cancer in humans.

Talk with your doctor if you have a family or personal history of medullary thyroid cancer or a rare endocrine condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.

Does Ozempic affect birth control pills?

There are concerns that Ozempic might make oral birth control pills less effective. Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications may slow down stomach emptying and affect how consistently birth control pills are absorbed.

Animal studies suggest that semaglutide may affect the reproductive cycle, which could affect how well birth control pills work. But at this time, there is no specific evidence that shows Ozempic affects birth control.

Summary

Ozempic is a prescription injection that’s FDA approved for use in adults with type 2 diabetes. It’s also prescribed off-label for weight loss. The drug belongs to a drug class called GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Some evidence suggests that females may be more likely to have side effects than males when using GLP-1 medications, but this hasn’t been specifically shown with Ozempic.

More extensive research will help determine whether Ozempic is safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding. If you’re planning a pregnancy, your doctor may likely recommend you stop using Ozempic.