Several weeks after they were first prescribed the controversial weight loss drug Ozempic, one social media user began experience a plethora of rather peculiar side effects.
It wasn't until catching up with a fellow pound-shedder that they learned about the existence of a phenomenon known as a 'symptom jump', which perfectly summed up everything they'd been going through.
Taking to Reddit, the user begged for answers, claiming 'no one warned' them about about several consequences.
"The weird food aversions? My body has decided that chicken (my former ride-or-die) is now repulsive, but somehow pickles are elite???" they began their post.
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"The energy rollercoaster – some days I feel like I could run a marathon, and other days I need a nap from existing. The random burps?? Like, I’ll just be sitting in a meeting and suddenly I’m fighting for my life tryna hold in an unexpected burp."
Listing other unusual symptoms, the confused user continued: "The 'Ozempic Personality Shift' – I swear I’ve become way more chill about food, but also slightly more aggressive about dumb things (why am I yelling at my AirPods right now?).
"The MONEY SAVINGS?? I’m accidentally rich now because I’m not spending on random drive-thru cravings. Someone stop me from buying things I don’t need with my new food budget."
Begging for someone to explain their hellish series of side effects, the user wrote: "I need to know I'm not alone."
And thankfully, within minutes, other user of Ozempic - which is primarily prescribed to sufferers of Type-2 diabetes, and is not yet FDA-approved for use in the UK for weight loss purposes - rushed to their aid, offering an explanation.
"Some of that’s is what is called a symptom jump," they began. "The excessive focus and intense control / behaviours around food have nowhere to go and so you are a bit like a pinball in a game bouncing around.
"Erratic energy and intense emotions need a channel."
Blown away, a third user then chimed in to ask: "I wonder if the speed of the change has any impact on how our brains cope?"
In response, the wise explainer went on to recall their own experience with appetite-suppressing medications, adding: "Yes. You’ve put breaks on a speeding car. The wheels are still spinning and so severe wear/tare is inevitable - and may be a crash. I (un)fortunately know this because I’ve spent 25+ years trying to manage my behaviours through mindfulness / creative methods and therapy.
"So when the impulse finally stopped thanks to the medication, I wasn’t in a free fall. Rather it was the final link in the chain for me because I had tried EVERYTHING. And so I had heaps of understanding and experience and the transition wasn’t so extreme."
They continued: "The psych piece is the hardest part of this medication TBH. And I still struggle."
Quickly, hundreds more comments quickly came pouring in from other Ozempic-takers, who claimed they had no idea that the medication could affect their preferences and cognitions so quickly.
"Never ever heard of this, but it makes sense and it definitely makes me aware of how much I need to learn about what I’m actually injecting into my body," one added to the conversation, as another penned: "Thank you for sharing this!"
Tyla has contacted Novo Nordisk, Ozempic's manufacturer, for comment.
Topics: Ozempic, Health, Mental Health
Rhianna Benson