Experts have issued a warning to all Ozempic users over potential side effects from Christmas dinner.
The big day is now just around the corner and while preparing the main meal can raise challenges over dietary requirements and food preferences, there is a new issue that has come to light.
And that impacts those using GLP-1 medication over the festive season.
This comes as weight loss injections have taken the industry by storm in recent years, with celebrities including the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Kelly Clarkson and Elon Musk reporting having success with them.
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The drugs enable users to ‘silence’ food noise and give them a smaller appetite during their weight loss journeys in order to assist with maintaining a calorie deficit.
Now, people using GLP-1 medication are being warned that over the holidays, they could experience issues such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
This is according to the London Obesity Clinic, which has also said that Ozempic users could face constipation, heartburn, indigestion, belching, gastroenteritis, and GORD (gastro-oesophageal reflux disease).
Other issues that could manifest over the holidays include tiredness, dizziness, and debilitating headaches.
Despite the above, the London Obesity Clinic has advised anyone who is using weight loss medication, or jabs like Ozempic to manage Type-2 diabetes, not to pause their injections.
“Though it can be tempting to take a break from your weight loss medication due to their side effects, many doctors warn against stopping your medication,” the professionals wrote.
The institution’s warning has been backed up by Dr Eiriny Eskander, an endocrinologist based in Texas.
She told the Daily Mail: “It typically takes several weeks for the body to build tolerance to these medications and their side effects. When someone suddenly stops the medication, the body loses that adaptation.”
If you do decide to take a break from the jabs this Christmas, then you could ‘gain back most or all of the weight you had lost within a few weeks’, Dr Eskander reasoned.
“That's why I never stop these medications abruptly for patients and instead taper slowly.”
As well as possibly gaining weight, you may also begin to feel ‘quite unwell’, said Dr Olalekan Otulana, a Cassiobury Court physician.
It’s not advised for diabetics to yo-yo with the medication either, with frequent fluctuations being linked to heart disease and some forms of cancer.
“For diabetics, I do not recommend pausing or stopping these medications through the holidays but strongly recommend taking them exactly as prescribed to keep their blood sugars stable,” Dr Eskander added.