Urgent warning to anyone planning to pause Ozempic for Christmas dinner: ‘Intense’ new side effects from skipping just ONE dose… unintended alcohol repercussion… and ‘irreversible’ weight gain
It’s the season of get-togethers, gifts and indulgent meals.
As the holiday season gets underway, it can be tempting for the millions of Americans taking appetite-suppressing weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to skip a dose or two in order to eat without restraint.
But doctors have spoken to the Daily Mail and warned that while skipping an injection over the holidays may be tempting, just one missed dose could cause a patient’s appetite to return with a vengeance, leading to overeating.
Studies also suggest patients on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic have to stay on them for years at a time to keep excess weight off, so the experts warn that coming off them, even briefly, could lead to ‘rebound weight gain’ that is more difficult to lose again.
Experts speaking with the Daily Mail warned against going off weight loss drugs like Ozempic during the holiday season (stock image)
Dr Eiriny Eskander, an endocrinologist based in Texas and specializing in obesity and metabolic health, told the Daily Mail that weight loss drugs ‘are intended for long-term use, not intermittent use.’
She added: ‘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.’
This causes a patient’s appetite to return ‘quickly and more intensely,’ she said, which raises the risk of overeating.
Dr Eskander also warned of rebound weight gain due to increased appetite and a lower metabolism.
She estimates that taking a break from the drugs could cause patients to gain back most or all of the weight they had lost within a few weeks.
‘That’s why I never stop these medications abruptly for patients and instead taper slowly,’ she said.
On social media, patients have warned of the effects they suffered after taking a break from GLP-1s.
One former Ozempic user wrote in an anonymous Reddit thread that they lost 15 pounds during their first four months on the drug, but a shortage of both Ozempic and Wegovy in 2023 forced them to quit abruptly.
They claimed that, within two months of stopping the drugs, they had regained 10 pounds. ‘Because I expected the pharmacy to get a shipment “any day now” for the first month, I wasn’t prepared to have to monitor my eating habits as carefully as I should have,’ the user wrote.
‘I think that initial period is where most of the damage was done.’
GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy minimize appetite. Experts warned that skipping a dose may lead to a sudden appetite surge and overeating (stock image)
The above graph from insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield shows how prescriptions for weight-loss drugs including Wegovy and Zepbound have skyrocketed in the US since they were FDA-approved for weight loss in 2021
The anonymous Redditor also said their ‘food noise’ quickly ‘returned with a vengeance like little demons on the periphery of your vision who slowly come into view and then eventually block your vision entirely.’
They also claimed food tasted more bland after going off Ozempic and that their alcohol consumption had increased.
‘It’s intensely demoralizing to have lost so much progress,’ the user said. ‘I expect supplies to normalize, so there’s still hope, and I’m doing a decent job of clamping down now that the national shortage is a real, verified thing.’
Another anonymous Redditor said that they missed their weekly Ozempic dose after taking the drug consistently for about a year. ‘I took my regular dose the following week and I have been experiencing the worst night time effects ever!’ they wrote.
The user said that since going back on Ozempic after their missed dose, they were struck by intense stomach cramps, diarrhea and ‘hardcore projectile vomiting’ lasting an hour at a time every night.
And one patient missed one month’s worth of doses and said they found themselves vomiting uncontrollably once they went back on Ozempic.
Dr Olalekan Otulana, physician at Cassiobury Court in the UK, told the Daily Mail that a missed dose alongside heavy holiday meals could exacerbate side effects such as these.
He said: ‘The digestive system speeds back up, so eating very large or rich meals straight away can lead to nausea, stomach pain, bloating and reflux.
‘It’s not usually dangerous in the sense of an emergency, but it can make people feel quite unwell. It can also undo some of the health gains they have made both physically and emotionally.’
He also warned that for diabetics, ‘blood sugar levels can rise again and sometimes faster than expected because the medication was helping the body manage glucose after meals.’
Allison Rankin is pictured above (left) at a family Christmas get-together in 2022 with her mother (right). She had to throw up in the bathroom at the event from eating too much while taking a GLP-1 agonist. She warned others to watch their portion sizes
While one-off glucose spikes are unlikely to cause harm, frequent fluctuations have been shown to increase the formation of plaques in the arteries, which make it more difficult for blood to flow to and from the heart. High blood sugar also induces inflammation linked to heart disease and some forms of cancer.
Dr Eskander said: ‘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.’
Along with not skipping doses, experts also urged people taking GLP-1s during the holidays to exercise caution with food choices and portion sizes.
Rob Stransky, president of online pharmacy NiceRx, told the Daily Mail that ‘it’s important to minimize foods high in fat, sugar, and dairy to help reduce side effects such as bloating.’
‘Foods such as rich creamy sauces and gravies, as well as fried foods, can slow digestion and increase the chances of side effects,’ he added.
‘As well as making you feel bloated, foods high in fat and sugar also won’t make you feel full. It’s important when taking weight loss medications to load your plate with protein and vegetables to avoid the side effects associated with foods high in fat and sugar, but also to make you feel fuller.’
He also suggested limiting alcohol intake to lower the risk of suffering from nausea.
For patients who are looking to stop taking GLP-1 medications, doctors urge slowly tapering off of them with the help of a physician. This usually involves gradually lowering the dose over several weeks of months.
Dr Otulana said: ‘People should remember that these medications are part of their health care and not something to switch on and off for convenience, especially during a time when routines are already disrupted.’
