02/09/2026
Yep, this is the reality of these drugs.
Ozempic has become a buzzword for effective weight loss, but while there is no doubt that many people have found the drug (along with similar medication like Mounjaro, Wegovy, Trulicity and Victoza) to be helpful in their quest to shed some pounds, a new study published in the BMJ, reveals that once people stop taking the medication, they will return to their original weight in less than two years.
Susan Gannon can attest to this, as she has “been dealing with weight issues on and off” throughout her adult life. As she came into perimenopause, she experienced “a huge amount of change both physically and mentally” and several issues linked to obesity, including Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnoea.
Heart disease is prevalent in Gannon’s family, so she was prescribed Ozempic and started taking it three years ago.
“I began taking it on a gradually increased dose and started losing weight straight away,” she says. “Over the course of a year, I lost about 12kg, but there were some side effects, the worst being flatulence and constipation, but that subsided after about six months, and I really did feel better from the weight loss.
The healthcare assistant, who lives in Dublin with her partner, says although the medication was working, due to health issues she was advised to stop taking Ozempic, and this is when the weight started to creep back up.
“As part of my Type 2 diabetes treatment, I had to have retinal screening done and they found background retinopathy, so my GP advised I come off the Ozempic as this shouldn’t happen when on it,” she says.
“I didn’t update my obesity consultant and just did as I was advised [by the GP], so the weight came on pretty much straight away, and with this I felt physical changes immediately, including hip and knee pain. I’m not sure how quickly the weight came back on, but shortly after I stopped taking the medication I realised that I had gained about 10kg.”