How Ozempic Works
Apr. 14th, 2026 08:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerI've been writing for a few days about GLP-1 medications— today is my Day 4 taking Ozempic— and writing about effects and side-effects as if my audience was already at least sorta familiar with them. That may not be far off the truth, as an increasing number of people in my age bracket are already on Ozempic, Wegovy, or GLP-1s or have a partner who is. For everyone else, let me back up a bit and explain what these drugs are and what they do.
First, a bit of terminology. GLP-1 is short for Glucagon-like Peptide-1. It's the name of a natural hormone in the small intestine that helps manage insulin secretion, among other things. This class of medications are actually GLP-1 receptor agonists, a technical term that means they bind to the same receptors in the body as the GLP-1 hormone. So taking a GLP-1 pill or shot is like having extra GLP-1 hormone in your body.
Taking a drug such as Ozempic, which triggers the same effects as the GLP-1 hormone, does several things:
It's the third one that causes a lot of the side effects everyone on a GLP-1 drug struggles to manage. Food sitting in your stomach longer can lead to discomfort, gas, indigestion, and upset stomach. When food you've eaten previously is still in your stomach because it takes longer to digest, eating your next meal— or exercising, or even just lying down— may cause you to barf. This is one of the biggest side-effects of the medicine virtually everyone who's on it has warned me about it. Thus it's also the one I've been most concerned about as I've started a GLP-1.
So have I barfed? No, but notice how I titled yesterday's blog "Day 3: Trying not to Barf'. 🤣 There have been times over these 4 days I've felt like I might be about to get sick to my stomach. Thankfully I haven't actually gotten sick to my stomach. Yet. 😟
What I feel is happening to me is that I'm getting that effect #3 without effect #4 yet. My stomach fills up faster and takes longer to clear, but my brain isn't yet getting stronger signals to stop eating. Thus I'm at risk of overeating my stomach's reduced capacity for digestion when all I do is "eat until I feel full".
So far I'm compensating for this by consciously reducing my portion sizes and stopping eating before I feel full. I hope that effect #4 kicks in soon, because otherwise what I'm doing is basically an austerity diet— the kind that has been shown not to work long-term for most people, including me.
First, a bit of terminology. GLP-1 is short for Glucagon-like Peptide-1. It's the name of a natural hormone in the small intestine that helps manage insulin secretion, among other things. This class of medications are actually GLP-1 receptor agonists, a technical term that means they bind to the same receptors in the body as the GLP-1 hormone. So taking a GLP-1 pill or shot is like having extra GLP-1 hormone in your body.
Taking a drug such as Ozempic, which triggers the same effects as the GLP-1 hormone, does several things:
- Triggers the release of insulin, promoting the conversion of food into energy and lowering the amount of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. Elevated blood-sugar levels over time cause diabetes.
- Blocks the secretion of Glucagon, another natural hormone that raises blood sugar levels.
- Slows digestion in the stomach, reducing the amount of sugar available to release into the bloodstream and helping signal to the brain the sense that you are "full" and don't need to eat.
- Directly affects areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food cravings.
It's the third one that causes a lot of the side effects everyone on a GLP-1 drug struggles to manage. Food sitting in your stomach longer can lead to discomfort, gas, indigestion, and upset stomach. When food you've eaten previously is still in your stomach because it takes longer to digest, eating your next meal— or exercising, or even just lying down— may cause you to barf. This is one of the biggest side-effects of the medicine virtually everyone who's on it has warned me about it. Thus it's also the one I've been most concerned about as I've started a GLP-1.
So have I barfed? No, but notice how I titled yesterday's blog "Day 3: Trying not to Barf'. 🤣 There have been times over these 4 days I've felt like I might be about to get sick to my stomach. Thankfully I haven't actually gotten sick to my stomach. Yet. 😟
What I feel is happening to me is that I'm getting that effect #3 without effect #4 yet. My stomach fills up faster and takes longer to clear, but my brain isn't yet getting stronger signals to stop eating. Thus I'm at risk of overeating my stomach's reduced capacity for digestion when all I do is "eat until I feel full".
So far I'm compensating for this by consciously reducing my portion sizes and stopping eating before I feel full. I hope that effect #4 kicks in soon, because otherwise what I'm doing is basically an austerity diet— the kind that has been shown not to work long-term for most people, including me.
