How Ozempic is Used to Treat Diabetes

You can only find Ozempic as a brand name medication but not in a generic form. This prescription medication contains semaglutide, which is part of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists. You can use Ozempic alone or combine it with other Type 2 Diabetes medications. 

Two types of Ozempic pens are available and both contain 2mg of semaglutide drug in about 1.5ml of solution. These pens are designed primarily to provide you with different doses.

How Ozempic Works to Control Type 2 Diabetes

The non-insulin Ozempic enables your body to lower its blood sugar levels and A1C. Further, this medication helps the body produce its own insulin when you start using it. Ozempic is actually designed to automatically respond as soon as your blood sugar levels go higher than normal.

Injecting yourself with Ozempic slows down the rate at which food leaves your stomach to other parts of your digestive system. As a result, the amount of sugar that your liver releases is reduced to normal levels. Also, Ozempic increases the insulin amount released from the pancreas when your blood sugar levels are high. 

Generally, Ozempic is a once-weekly medicine designed for adults with Type 2 Diabetes. You can combine it with exercise and diet to help improve your blood sugar. It also reduces the risk of some major cardiovascular incidents such as stroke, heart attack, or death among adults with Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease. 

However, you should not use Ozempic as a substitute for insulin. At the same time, this injectable prescription medicine should not be used if someone has Type 1 Diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. 

Ozempic Dosage for Type 2 Diabetes

As a Type 2 Diabetes patient, you should start your treatment on a low Ozempic dosage  before upgrading to the right dosage. Your doctor will ultimately prescribe the initial dosage in small quantities to provide you the desired effect. 

At the start of your Type 2 Diabetes treatment using Ozempic, you will take approximately 025mg once weekly in a period of four weeks. Your next dose will increase to 0.5mg once weekly for another four weeks. 

You  will continue taking 0.5mg once a week even after completing the previous four weeks to ensure that your blood sugar levels are well-controlled. To lower your blood sugar levels more, your doctor will prescribe a 1mg dose that you will take once weekly. For better and quicker results, you should administer the Ozempic injection on a specific day of the week without skipping. 

How to Inject Yourself with Ozempic 

Since Ozempic is available in the form of a pen that you can inject through your subcutaneous(under the skin), you need to know how to go about this process. 

Below are steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Have your Ozemptic pen ready

Step 2: Check the flow of Ozempic

Step 3:Choose the right Ozempic dose

Step 4:Inject the Ozempic dose

Step 5: Dispose of the needle safely

Where to Administer the Injection

You can inject Ozempic into your upper arm, thigh, or abdomen (belly). Also, you may repeatedly inject yourself in the same area although you can shift to another spot but within that area of injection.

Effectiveness of Ozempic for Type 2 Diabetes

Ozempic is very effective when it comes to Type 2 Diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association’s Guidelines, you are recommended to use GLP-1 agonist like Ozempic if you have Type 2 Diabetes and one of the following health conditions:

1. Kidney disease

2. Heart failure

3. Cardiovascular disease (CDC)

These guidelines also encourage those suffering from Type 2 Diabetes to use Ozempic where drugs such as metformin don’t work for them. 

Final Thought

Ozempic is an effective medication to treat Type 2 Diabetes. All you need is your doctor’s prescription, an Ozempic pen, and the right procedure to inject yourself. You can learn more about this drug at Kiwi, the online doctor service where you can also purchase it subject to online doctor’s approval.