Nikki Sommer, a nurse with Key West Surgical Group, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5 FM for Medical Matters this morning.
Ozempic, a diabetes drug, has become a popular weight loss medicine.
Sommer said, “They even have a new one Mounjaro, but I guess over the last few months there has been an increase in pregnancy among people who weren’t trying to get pregnant. Ozempic is a once a week injection. It’s not necessarily the medication doing something other than what’s going on in the body that’s causing the weight loss. A couple of specialists have stated that a lot of times women when they’re overweight, and they’re trying to get pregnant, they have difficulty. So because they have dropped the weight, they’re now able to get pregnant. Although the article that I had found it said some women, I think there were two that had claimed they were told they were infertile and after several months of being on Ozempic, they were able to get pregnant.”
Some people were even on oral contraceptives.
Sommer said, “One of the doctors stated that she thinks because Ozempic, the mechanism of the drug is it slows down your digestion. So they’re thinking that it’s possibly slowing down the metabolism of the birth control, making it not as effective. So they’re actually recommending if you are in the age range where you could become pregnant and you are on birth control and you are taking Ozempic, you might need to take other precautions because it could be a possibility that you could end up pregnant.”
If you’re on Ozempic and become pregnant, what should you do?
Sommer said, “The company that puts out Ozempic said if you become pregnant, you need to stop it. I guess when they do studies of drugs and so forth, they did not include pregnant women, or people who got pregnant in their studies. So the side effects are unknown. So the idea is if you are on Oxempic and you should find out you’re pregnant, you need to stop it. Obviously if you took your shot and then you find out the next day you’re pregnant you’re just not going to continue with the medication moving forward until you see your doctor.”
If you’re planning to become pregnant, don’t take Ozempic or stop taking it.
Sommer said, “That is correct because the side effects are unknown. I’m sure they are doing more research as to why. The speculation is it’s the weight loss that’s making women more able to get pregnant especially for ones that were trying and couldn’t and with the birth control pill that it’s just slowing down the metabolism of it because your digestive system, that’s the mechanism of the drug to make it slow down you digesting your food so you can not get hungry, stay full longer and eat less. It helps to curb your appetite or the sensation of feeling hungry. They do say that it can slow down the metabolism, at the rate in which you digest foods, making you feel fuller longer, therefore you eat less.”
The concern is Ozempic could damage the fetus.
Sommer said, “That is why if you’re planning on becoming pregnant, you shouldn’t be on the drug and if you find out you’re pregnant while you’re on the drug, you need to stop it as soon as possible.”
Otherwise, Ozempic has shown to be effective and safe.
Sommer said, “It is effective and safe as long as you’re not looking to get pregnant. There’s been a lot of success rates with Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy. However, if you do have certain medical conditions with your digestion, you need to be very cautious before you start the drugs. Because if you do have like, say constipation, or you have frequent diarrhea or a lot of acid reflux symptoms, you really need to make sure your doctor knows and is aware of that before you start the medication.”
Key West Surgical Group has the PicoSure laser and if you’d like to see how it works, there’s an event coming up.
Sommer said, “We’re doing a happy hour this time. So it’s going to be on April 4, which is next Thursday, from five to seven at our office. We’re going to have live demonstrations, we’re going to do a raffle. There’ll be light refreshments. Feel free to come by and see what the laser is all about, whether you have a tattoo that needs to be removed, or you have some hyperpigmentation, some fine lines and wrinkles, you want to brighten up the texture and tone to your face. It’s really great and I can attest to it.”
Sommer has had the treatment herself with a facial resurfacing.
She said, “I have to get myself on the schedule for my second treatment. My husband thought I had botox. It can be your hands, your arms, anywhere on the body, really where you have concern. I did a consult with somebody she’s more concerned about her hands and her arms. So we’re going to go ahead and do that for her.”
For more information, click here: https://www.keywestsurgicalgroup.com/