Ozempic is a self-injectable medication that is taken once per week. You will start on a low dose of 0.25mg, which increases every 4 weeks until you reach the highest 2mg dose, or your blood sugar levels are under control.

To take Ozempic, you will need to:

1. Check the name and coloured label on the pen to make sure you have the correct dose. Then, inspect the solution to ensure it is clear and colourless.
2. Take a new needle and attach it correctly to the pen by pushing it straight onto the pen.
3. Remove both caps from the needle, keeping the outer needle cap for later. Throw away the inner cap.
4. Check the flow of your pen if it is a new pen.
5. Select your dose by turning the dose counter until it stops and shows the correct dose.
6. Inject your dose by inserting the needle into your skin and making sure you can see the dose counter.
7. Press and hold the dose button and watch as the dose counter returns to ‘0’. The ‘0’ must line up with the dose pointer, and you may feel or hear a click.
8. Count slowly to 6, keeping the dose button pressed.
9. Remove the needle from your skin.
10. Dispose of the needle after each injection in a sharps bin.
11. Put the pen cap back on to protect the solution from light.

Your doctor or nurse will show you how to use the Ozempic pen before you use it for the first time.

Where is the best place to inject Ozempic?

The best places to give the injection are:

• the front of your thighs
• the front of your waist
• your upper arm

Ozempic injections are given just under the skin, also known as a subcutaneous injection. It is not injected into a vein or muscle.

What are the doses of Ozempic?

There are 4 doses of Ozempic available. They are:

• 0.25mg
• 0.5mg
• 1mg
• 2mg

You’ll start with the lowest 0.25mg dose, injecting it once per week for 4 weeks. If you respond well and are not getting any severe side effects, your doctor may increase your dose for 4 weeks to the 0.5mg dose and so on.

Not everyone will need the 2mg dose, with most people controlling their blood sugar with the 0.5mg or 1mg maintenance doses. You should only increase your dose if your doctor tells you to.

What should I do if I miss a dose?

If you forget to inject a dose of Ozempic and it has been:

• 5 days or less since you should have injected it, use it as soon as you remember and then inject your next dose on your usual scheduled day
• more than 5 days since you should have taken your dose, skip the missed one and then inject your next dose as usual on your usual scheduled day

Never take a double dose to make up for a missed dose

Ozempic side effects 

Common side effects

Common Ozempic side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, constipation, upset stomach, heartburn, burping, gas, bloating, loss of appetite, runny nose or sore throat, stomach flu symptoms or headache, dizziness, tiredness, and low blood sugar (in people with type 2 diabetes).

Stomach or gastrointestinal side effects are common but tend to be mild and clear up in a few weeks in most people and will not interfere with long-term treatment. Stomach side effects can be more common with higher doses.

The most common gastrointestinal side effect is nausea, which occurs in 15.8% to 20.3% of people taking Ozempic at doses of 0.5 mg or 1 mg, according to clinical trials.

• Others include vomiting (5% to 9.2%), diarrhea (8.5% to 8.8%), stomach-area pain (7.3% to 5.7%), and constipation (5% to 3.1%).
• These side effects occurred at rates higher than the placebo-treated groups (receiving an inactive treatment).
• These Ozempic side effects occurred in 5% or more of type 2 diabetes patients taking Ozempic 0.5 mg and 1mg in the pooled placebo-controlled clinical trials.

More patients receiving Ozempic 0.5 mg (3.1%) and 1 mg (3.8%) discontinued treatment due to stomach side effects than patients receiving placebo (0.4%).

The side effect of hypoglycemia occurred in 3.8% of Ozempic 1mg patients (monotherapy) with type 2 diabetes in placebo-controlled trials. Among diabetic patients taking insulin, with or without metformin, 29.8% experienced symptomatic hypoglycemia, and 1.5% had severe hypoglycemia in patients taking Ozempic 1mg from a pool of placebo-controlled trials.

Ozempic face is a term used to describe the noticeable facial changes seen in some people who are prescribed this medicine. These changes are not a specific side effect of Ozempic, but rather a result of significant weight loss (see Ozempic face: What causes it and how to prevent it?).

Tips for managing stomach side effects

Following these tips may help you manage stomach side effects:

• eat more slowly
• consume smaller meals
• select more bland, low-fat foods (like crackers, toast, and rice)
• avoid greasy, fried foods or sugar treats
• eat foods that contain water (like soup or gelatin)
• don’t lie down right after eating
• drink clear or ice-cold liquids
• if possible, go outside for fresh air if you feel sick to your stomach

Serious side effects

Ozempic can cause serious side effects such as inflammation of the pancreas, vision changes, low blood sugar levels, kidney problems, and serious allergic reactions, and it can also increase the risk of food or liquid getting into your lungs during surgery or a medical procedure (see Ozempic side effects to watch for).

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction, such as hives, itching, dizziness, fast heartbeats, difficulty breathing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

This medicine can cause other serious side effects. Call your healthcare provider at once if you have:

• vision changes;
• unusual mood changes, thoughts about hurting yourself;
• pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest;
• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
• signs of a thyroid tumor – swelling or a lump in your neck, trouble swallowing, a hoarse voice, feeling short of breath;
• symptoms of pancreatitis – severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea with or without vomiting, fast heart rate;
• gallbladder problems – upper stomach pain, fever, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• low blood sugar–headache, hunger, weakness, sweating, confusion, irritability, dizziness, fast heart rate, or feeling jittery;
• kidney problems – swelling, urinating less, blood in urine, feeling tired or short of breath
• stomach flu symptoms – stomach cramps, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea (may be watery or bloody)
• symptoms of ileus (stomach paralysis) – bloating, stomach cramps or pain, nausea or vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, loss of appetite.

Food or liquid getting into the lungs during surgery or other procedures that require anesthesia or deep sedation. Ozempic may increase the chance of food getting into your lungs during surgery or other procedures. Tell all your healthcare providers that you are taking this medicine before you are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures.

Also see “What are the long-term side effects of Ozempic?”

This is not a complete list of side effects, and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.