TikTokers are taking a diabetes drug to lose weight. Now it’s in short supply.

Every new year, many people vow to lose weight—and 2023 is no different.  Pledging to eat healthy or hit up the gym are two of the top resolutions among Americans this year. If you’ve been scrolling through TikTok, however, you might have seen a third option for your weight loss goals: several TikTokers are injecting themselves weekly with a Type 2 diabetes drug called Ozempic, claiming it can help quickly trim your tummy. Kim Kardashian is rumored to have used the drug to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s dress for the Met Gala (though she has denied this) and Elon Musk has tweeted that he’s a fan.

Now, Ozempic’s newfound status as a weight loss hack has infiltrated TikTok, which is causing the drug to fly off the shelves. But the increased demand for the injection has also sparked a drug shortage worldwide, leaving people with diabetes without a means to get their prescribed medication. As the trend takes off, multiple health professionals are questioning the safety of using an off-label drug and its long-term effectiveness for keeping the weight off.  

For people just looking to get skinny, quick, “it’s not meant to be a short-term solution to weight loss, and it’s very expensive with people paying close to $1,000 [if not covered by insurance],” explains Rose Lin, an endocrinologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. Lin advises the drug is not medically necessary for people without diabetes or obesity when diet and exercise can give better results for your overall health. 

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Ozempic is the brand name for a drug called semaglutide. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a once-weekly injection to control blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. It is also approved as a treatment to reduce the risk of heart problems for people with Type 2 diabetes and known heart disease.

Semaglutide mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that binds to GLP-1 receptors. The activated receptors stimulate the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar levels rise. GLP-1 also has a secondary role in appetite control. Like GLP-1 hormone, semaglutide slows down the digestive process so food sits in the stomach for longer periods of time, giving you the sensation of feeling full. This feeling of satiety sends a message to the brain which blocks the release of hunger hormones that cause food cravings. 

Weight loss is a known side effect of diabetic patients who are on semaglutide drugs. However, Ozempic, in particular, is not prescribed for weight loss purposes. There is another version of semaglutide called Wegovy that was FDA approved in 2021 as a weight management injection for adults with obesity. “Generally this would be for people carrying excessive weight,” explains Lin. People who are prescribed Wegovy are considered obese (a BMI of 30 or higher) or overweight (BMI of 27 or higher) with a secondary condition or disease that may cause obesity. A 68-week clinical trial found that middle-aged adults with obesity who took weekly injections of Wegovy lost an average of 35 pounds, while participants in the control group only lost an average of 6 pounds.

Semaglutide is an effective weight loss mitigation strategy for people with obesity, but experts warn that being skinny does not equate to being healthy. “There are no easy fixes for weight loss,” says Silvana Obici, chief of endocrinology and metabolism at Stony Brook Medicine. 

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If you don’t need to be on the medication to manage diabetes, you probably shouldn’t be using it as semaglutide does pose some safety risks. One common side effect of semaglutide is nausea from having food stay in your stomach for long periods of time. “I’ve had patients have nausea to the point of vomiting or dry heaving,” describes Lin. Other common side effects of semaglutide drugs include stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation. While rare, there is a possibility of developing thyroid tumors, as a past study in rodents found them after semaglutide injections. Carcinogenic effects in humans remain under dispute. There have also been reports of gallbladder problems in people taking semaglutide with symptoms ranging from yellowing of the skin or eyes, upper stomach pain, and fever.

Obici also warns that Ozempic is not very effective for sustaining long-term weight loss. People using the drug will not be able to maintain the weight loss without a healthy diet and regular exercise. “An unhealthy lifestyle when taking Ozempic might obliterate the beneficial [weight loss] effects of the drug,” she says. A 2021 clinical trial found people regained most of the weight they lost after discontinuing semaglutide injections. 

Due to this temporary weight loss, it may cause people to continue to use semaglutide drugs like Ozempic for extended periods of time. Obici and Lin are concerned that long-term reliance on Ozempic for weight loss will exacerbate the global drug shortage. It’s a serious problem for diabetic patients who are struggling to access the drug. “We’ve had people over the past month or two calling in and telling us they cannot get the drug for their diabetes,” says Lin. “We’re giving them samples when we can, but a lot of times there’s just no supply.”

There are alternative drugs that people with diabetes can take instead, but the shortage of Ozempic is causing a ripple effect with other injectable GLP-1 agonist drugs. The FDA has reported a shortage of other diabetic drugs such as Tirzepatide and several doses of Trulicity. Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures both Ozempic and Wegovy, announced they have Wegovy back in stock and are working to resolve the Ozempic shortage by early 2023.