A surprising consequence of the hit drug for slimming – Ozempic breasts – 2024-05-05 13:31:34

In the United States, the use of Ozempic has reportedly increased the need for plastic surgery. Adobe Stock / AOP

The popular slimming drug Ozempic is reported to bring unpleasant appearance disadvantages. Those who use them report drooping, small or very large breasts. The effect has even been given a name: “Ozempic breasts”.

The popularity of the diabetes medicine Ozempic skyrocketed a couple of years ago. Doctors also started prescribing the drug to help with weight loss, which caused a worldwide shortage of the drug. Worldwide, injectable obesity drugs are already used by tens of millions of people.

Other injectable slimming drugs include Wegovy and Saxenda.

The active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic is semaglutide. The active substance in Saxenda is liraglutide. All three are so-called GLP-1 receptor agonists.

These drugs regulate the appetite by increasing the feeling of satiety and reducing the feeling of hunger and cravings for food.

Ozempic is also used in Finland for weight loss.

The slimming effect of the drug has been described as effective. However, rapid weight loss can have side effects. People who have used Ozempic and other similar weight loss drugs have previously reported “Ozempic face”, which refers to loose and sagging skin and more visible lines in the facial area.

When losing weight, fat is also removed from the face, which is why a person can start to look older than they are.

The same problem can also affect the breasts. In the United States, plastic surgeons are now reporting an increase in breast augmentation surgeries for patients who have lost weight with Ozempic. The Los Angeles Times reports on it, among others. The association representing American plastic surgeons is clear that the growing demand for drugs like Ozempic will increasingly increase the need for plastic surgery as well.

“Ozempic breasts” are therefore not an actual side effect of the drug, but a result of rapid weight loss.

Problems with quick results

Quick results also cause problems, describes the plastic surgeon John Diaz. Breasts usually get bigger when you gain weight and get smaller when you lose weight. Most of the tissue in our breasts is fat, and when we lose weight, the fat also decreases in the breasts.

– If you lose weight slowly, the skin often shrinks with it. Just like with the face, significant weight loss in a short period of time does not give the breast skin enough time to recover from the weight loss.

The breasts can therefore start to hang. According to the doctors, the more surprising effect has been that women have reported that their breasts have grown. The Daily Mail reports that one theory for this is that fat cells contain the female sex hormone estrogen. When losing weight, the cells then start to release this hormone, which can cause the breasts to swell. Another possible explanation given is that patients’ weight loss helps increase blood flow throughout the body, including the breasts, making them appear larger.

It is also possible that after losing weight, the breasts simply appear larger on a slimmer body.

The side effects of diet pills have been reported in the past. Last year, it was reported about the possible increased risk of getting, for example, pancreatitis, intestinal blockages and paralysis of the stomach, i.e. gastroparesis. Finnish women have also reported adverse effects caused by medicines.

Obesity researcher, doctor Kirsi Pietiläinen has told in a previous story in Iltalehti that obesity drugs have side effects, but they are mostly mild, tolerable and treatable by changing the dose of the drug.

The most common side effect is nausea. Diarrhea, constipation or heartburn may also occur.

Weight loss of more than 20 percent can be achieved in a year with obesity drugs. In most cases, the medicine has to be used for a long time, in some cases for the rest of your life. If obesity drugs are not sufficient or possible, a very overweight person can undergo bariatric surgery.

Obesity increases the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and cerebral infarction. Losing weight reduces the risk of getting sick considerably.