Ozempic is a prescription injection medication that contains semaglutide, a type of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that acts like your body’s natural GLP-1 hormone.
As GLP-1 does, Ozempic helps regulate blood sugar levels by increasing the hormone insulin and decreasing the hormone glucagon. It also suppresses your appetite and slows the speed of stomach emptying, which increases feelings of fullness after eating.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Ozempic for the management of type 2 diabetes in adults alongside diet changes and exercise. Some healthcare professionals also prescribe it off-label to support weight loss.
How long does it take for Ozempic to exit the system after one injection?
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Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, has a long half-life. That means it takes a long time for your body to eliminate half of each dose of the drug.
It generally takes around five half-lives (5 weeks) for your body to completely remove the medication.
How long does Ozempic keep working after you stop taking it?
Just because Ozempic may stay in your system for 5 weeks does not necessarily mean it maintains its effectiveness for that long.
Ozempic’s effects gradually wear off week by week after you stop taking it for good. Exactly how long it takes for you to stop feeling its effects (like not feeling hungry) may vary from person to person.
Skipping a weekly dose may cause a temporary dip in Ozempic’s benefits. If you miss a dose, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional for guidance on the best course of action. They may recommend that you take the missed dose at a different time or postpone it for the next scheduled injection.
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Because Ozempic has such a long half-life, the concentration in your body slowly decreases week by week after you stop taking it — like a natural tapering plan.
To date, studies have not identified any major Ozempic withdrawal symptoms. However, a 2023 study noted that there are anecdotal stories of people experiencing food cravings after stopping treatment with semaglutide.
When you stop injecting Ozempic, health factors like your weight, heart health, and blood sugar levels may return to how they were before treatment, or at least close.
For example, a 2022 trial found that 1 year after stopping semaglutide treatment, participants regained two-thirds of all the weight they had lost. Any improvements in heart health also returned to levels close to what they were before treatment. The trial used higher doses of semaglutide than what’s found in Ozempic, but it’s likely that the rebound effects may be similar.
Importantly, stopping Ozempic also means that its blood sugar management benefits will diminish and eventually stop. If you take Ozempic for diabetes and wish to discontinue it, it’s important to work with a healthcare professional. You may need to replace Ozempic with other diabetes medications to ensure you keep managing your blood sugar levels.
Although effective for weight loss, Ozempic is not FDA-approved for this purpose. However, another semaglutide product called Wegovy does have FDA approval for weight loss.
The maximum dosage of Wegovy (2.4 milligrams [mg] per week) is higher than the maximum dosage of Ozempic (2 mg per week). As a result, a person taking Wegovy may be receiving higher amounts of semaglutide than someone taking Ozempic.
Doctors develop individual treatment plans based on a person’s response to the medication and any side effects that may develop.
Besides Ozempic semaglutide injections, the FDA has also approved oral semaglutide for diabetes management. Rybelsus is the brand name for oral semaglutide.
Ozempic has a long half-life of 1 week, and it may take around 5 weeks for your body to completely remove it. Its therapeutic effects — including blood sugar management and weight loss — will gradually decrease throughout this period.
If you’re considering stopping Ozempic, consult your healthcare professional first to ensure a smooth transition and explore alternative treatment options tailored to your health needs. For example, you may need to replace Ozempic with other medications to keep your blood sugar levels in check if you have diabetes.
Chiappini S, et al. (2023). Is there a risk for semaglutide misuse? Focus on the Food and Drug Administration’s FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) pharmacovigilance dataset. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10384093
Shi A, et al. (2021). Pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide in healthy Chinese subjects: A double-blind, phase 1, randomized controlled trial. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7854449
