Quebecers deprived of the weight-loss drug Ozempic due to shortages or excessive costs are finding it difficult to stop treatment and fearful of regaining the pounds lost.
“I find it scary […] I didn’t think it would be so difficult. “The appetite has really returned,” breathes Marie-Pier Paquet, 41 years old.
The Quebec woman lost 85 pounds after taking the drug Ozempic for a year. But she stopped a month ago when her group insurance stopped providing her with reimbursements. “And my doctor told me it wouldn’t last forever,” she adds.
What is Ozempic?
Ms. Paquet is pleased to have found a better quality of life with Ozempic. Thanks to the weight loss, she has more energy, is more active and her risk of developing diabetes has decreased. With better living habits, she thought “Post-Ozempic” would be easy.
But he needs a lot of control not to stuff himself. “One of my friends said to me, ‘Well, you haven’t eaten in a year, you’re definitely hungry,'” she says.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARIE-PIER PAQUET
Weight gained again
A situation that is anything but unique. On social networks, Internet users fear that they will gain weight again. Many stopped taking Ozempic or reduced their dosage because they now had to pay for the appetite suppressant medication out of pocket.
“The last few months have not been easy. We had a lot of calls, concerns and questions,” emphasizes Dr. Marie-Philippe Morin, specialist in internal and obesity medicine at the University Institute of Cardiology and Pulmonology of Quebec (IUCPQ).
She observed gradual weight gain in several of the patients she cared for who took Ozempic. A situation that studies of the drug had predicted.
Hunger is increasing
“Hunger signals increase and satiety signals decrease,” she explains, when treatment is stopped.
The doctor calls for a “clear framework” for weight loss drugs and regrets that the government does not take a stand on the issue and does not reimburse them for a vulnerable population, such as those waiting for bariatric surgery.
” The company [qui produit l’Ozempic] exacerbates the problem. There is already enough controversy, we have to stop advertising,” says Dr. Morin, who regrets the poor prescription and use of the drug.
Photo AFP
“It’s not about losing 20 pounds and fitting into your wedding dress,” she adds.
Especially since the side effects are difficult to live with, as Marie-Pier Paquet found out. “The running joke was that I had heartbreak for a year,” she recalls.
“For me, Ozempic is the same as a restrictive diet,” emphasizes family doctor Patricia Doucet. Nutritional monitoring is “essential” for patients.
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