Novo Nordisk's popular Type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic has noted numerous odd results, from faces deflating to bizarre dreams, and its patients are seeing another strange side effect: less "food noise."
Here are five symptoms patients have reported experiencing:
1. A dermatologist coined the term "Ozempic face" after some patients prescribed Ozempic for its off-label use as a weight loss drug saw their faces sinking after dramatic weight loss results.
2. Another phenomenon is that some patients reported "food noise," or the constant thoughts of eating and planning for meals, went away, The New York Times reported June 21. A Pennsylvania high school teacher told the Times "food noise" was a "24/7 chatter" in her brain making her crave eating, even when she physically felt full.
With Ozempic, this noise went silent. The drug is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, which works to mimic the gut feeling of being full, thus suppressing appetite.
3. Vivid, odd dreams could be accompanying Ozempic use. Novo Nordisk confirmed reports of these strange dreams but said there is not enough information linking the drug to these experiences.
4. Because the drug suppresses appetite, some physicians have halted patients' treatments with Ozempic after extreme weight loss led to malnourishment. This result is rare, experts have said.
5. Ozempic and similar drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro have prompted muscle mass loss among some people, which could induce other conditions like sarcopenia and bone density issues.