From “Ozempic Body” to “Ozempic Face,” the weight-loss miracle drug has some weird side effects.
In the meantime, however, patients are not only reporting that old clothes no longer fit, but also of another effect of the medication: that their rings no longer fit.
Those who have suffered the side effect – including a 40-year-old teacher in Texas – have had to spend more than $100 to resize the jewelry and fear their prized possessions could fall off.
A user on TikTok, who goes by the username genesistwilightnoir, posted a video detailing how her fingers have shrunk from weight loss.
“My engagement ring hasn’t fit for two years because I’ve gained a lot of weight.” “I just lost 41 pounds and have a lot more to do,” said the Oklahoma City user.
She was shown putting the ring on her finger and said it never went past her knuckle before.
“Now I wear it.”
The ring even now looks like it might be loose so there is a risk of it falling off.
Ozempic is a brand name for the drug Semaglutide, which suppresses appetite and induces weight loss. This comes after a scientist involved in developing the drug said it made life “miserably boring” because it robbed the pleasure of eating.
Women on Ozempic have claimed that the drug caused their fingers to become slimmer, which caused their engagement and wedding rings to fall off
TikTok user genesistwilightnoir said in a video that her engagement ring didn’t even go past her ankle. Now that she’s lost 41 pounds, it looks like it may be loose on her finger with the potential for it to fall off
Ozempic was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It has yet to be approved for weight loss.
The drug binds to the GLP-1 receptor, a protein that triggers hormones in the brain that keep the stomach full and tell the body to stop eating and avoid cravings.
In 2022, more than five million prescriptions were written for Ozempic, Mounjaro, Rybelsus (for another Novo drug that uses semaglutide) or Wegovy for weight management.
This compares to just over 230,000 in 2019 – an increase of more than 2,000 percent in three years.
As early as 2023, doctors have written more than 832,700 prescriptions for Ozempic’s sister drug, Wegovy.
Jessica, 40, a part-time preschool teacher in Houston, is among those who say she suffered from Ozempic Finger.
She said she lost 17 pounds in the first six weeks on the drug.
But after the dramatic reduction in size, she was unable to keep the ring on her finger.
“I never realized that weight loss also occurs on your hands, but suddenly my ring didn’t fit,” Jessica told the New York Post.
“I noticed it was spinning and almost falling off. I was afraid I would lose it.’
Resizing a ring can be expensive. Depending on the type of ring and how much your fingers have shrunk, the price can range from $20 to $150.
In Jessica’s case, it was $75.
Additionally, a employee who has also used Ozempic said she had to change the rings on her fingers due to the weight loss.
“Also, I have to stack some rings behind others so they don’t fall off now,” she said.
Melanie Fitzpatrick, co-founder of LeMel, the jeweler that downsized Jessica’s ring, said women are flocking to downsizing their jewelry due to weight loss.
Jewelers in certain parts of the country have seen up to a 150 percent increase in the number of people getting their rings reduced compared to last year.
“Summer is usually a very quiet time for jewelers, but this year we’re seeing a huge influx of jewelry repairs due to client weight loss,” she told the New York Post.
“Customers come from left and right to have their rings made smaller and bracelets shortened.”
“Weight loss doesn’t just happen in the stomach or butt, it happens all over the body.”
Jessica recently topped up on her Ozempic prescription and shed even more pounds. As a result, she once again lost half a ring size.
“Thankfully, I didn’t have any side effects from Ozempic,” she said. “If changing my jewelry is my only side effect, I’m fine with that!”