Ozempic®

What is the most important information I should know about Ozempic^®?

Ozempic^® may cause serious side effects, including:

• Possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. Tell your health care provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rodents, Ozempic^® and medicines that work like Ozempic^® caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Ozempic^® will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people
• Do not use Ozempic^® if you or any of your family have ever had MTC, or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)

Do not use Ozempic^® if:

• you or any of your family have ever had MTC or if you have MEN 2
• you are allergic to semaglutide or any of the ingredients in Ozempic^®. See symptoms of serious allergic reaction in “What are the possible side effects of Ozempic^®?”

Before using Ozempic^®, tell your health care provider if you have any other medical conditions, including if you:

• have or have had problems with your pancreas
• have a history of diabetic retinopathy
• have severe problems with your stomach, such as slowed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems with digesting food
• are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation)
• are pregnant or breastfeeding or plan to become pregnant or breastfeed. It is not known if Ozempic^® will harm your unborn baby or pass into your breast milk. You should stop using Ozempic^® at least 2 months before you plan to become pregnant

Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbal supplements, and other medicines to treat diabetes, including insulin or sulfonylureas.

What are the possible side effects of Ozempic^®?

Ozempic^® may cause serious side effects, including:

• inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using Ozempic^® and call your health care provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without vomiting. You may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back
• changes in vision. Tell your health care provider if you have changes in vision during treatment with Ozempic^®
• low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Your risk for getting low blood sugar may be higher if you use Ozempic^® with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include: dizziness or lightheadedness, blurred vision, anxiety, irritability or mood changes, sweating, slurred speech, hunger, confusion or drowsiness, shakiness, weakness, headache, fast heartbeat, and feeling jittery
• dehydration leading to kidney problems. Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration), which may cause kidney problems. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration. Tell your health care provider right away if you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that does not go away
• severe stomach problems. Stomach problems, sometimes severe, have been reported in people who use Ozempic^®. Tell your health care provider if you have stomach problems that are severe or will not go away
• serious allergic reactions. Stop using Ozempic^® and get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; problems breathing or swallowing; severe rash or itching; fainting or feeling dizzy; or very rapid heartbeat
• gallbladder problems. Gallbladder problems have happened in some people who take Ozempic^®. Tell your health care provider right away if you get symptoms which may include: pain in your upper stomach (abdomen), fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), or clay-colored stools
• food or liquid getting into the lungs during surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation). Ozempic^® may increase the chance of food getting into your lungs during surgery or other procedures. Tell all your health care providers that you are taking Ozempic^® before you are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures

The most common side effects of Ozempic^® may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach (abdominal) pain, and constipation.