What Ozempic is
Ozempic is a brand-name medicine made by Novo Nordisk, a drug company from Denmark. Its active ingredient is semaglutide. It is a once-a-week shot that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 to help adults with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar. The same ingredient, at a higher dose, is sold as Wegovy for weight loss.
Semaglutide copies a natural gut hormone called GLP-1. That hormone tells your body to release insulin after meals, slows down how fast food leaves your stomach, and tells your brain you are full. Those effects lower blood sugar and usually lead to weight loss too.
Zen IV Spa does not prescribe the Ozempic brand. We prescribe compounded semaglutide, which is the same active ingredient mixed by a licensed compounding pharmacy. Compounded medicines are not FDA-approved, which we explain further down.
How we know it is reasonably safe
Semaglutide has been studied in large randomized controlled trials, which are the strongest kind of medical study. In the SUSTAIN trials for diabetes and the STEP trials for weight loss, tens of thousands of people took the drug or a placebo for more than a year while doctors tracked every side effect.
One heart study called SELECT followed more than 17,000 adults with heart disease and obesity for about three years. People on semaglutide had about 20 percent fewer heart attacks, strokes, and heart-related deaths than people on placebo. That is strong evidence that the medicine is not just tolerable but can protect the heart in the right patients.
The common side effects
The most common problems are stomach-related: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, and belly pain. In the STEP 1 trial, about 44 percent of people on semaglutide had nausea at some point, compared with about 16 percent on placebo. Most of it was mild to moderate and faded as the body got used to the medicine.
Side effects are worst when the dose goes up. That is why the medicine starts at a very low dose and increases slowly over several months. Eating smaller meals, avoiding greasy food, and staying hydrated help a lot.
The serious but rare risks
The FDA label carries a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors. This came from studies in rats and mice. It has not been shown to happen in humans, but as a precaution, people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or a condition called MEN 2 should not take semaglutide.
Pancreatitis, which is a painful swelling of the pancreas, has been reported. It is uncommon, but sudden severe belly pain that spreads to the back needs a doctor right away. Gallbladder problems, including gallstones, are more common with any fast weight loss, and semaglutide is no exception.
Other things on the label include low blood sugar when combined with insulin or sulfonylureas, kidney injury from dehydration after heavy vomiting, worsening of diabetic eye disease in people with diabetes, and a slowed stomach that can matter before surgery with anesthesia. Your prescriber reviews all of these with you.
Who should not take it
Semaglutide is not for people who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. It is not for people with a history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2, and it is used with caution in anyone with a past bout of pancreatitis or severe stomach-emptying problems.
At Zen IV Spa, every patient has a free video visit with our medical director first. A nurse can come to your home in New York and New Jersey to draw labs so we can check your kidneys, liver, thyroid, and blood sugar before you start.
What about compounded semaglutide?
Compounded semaglutide is made by a licensed pharmacy from the same active ingredient. It is not FDA-approved, because the FDA only approves finished brand or generic products, not individually compounded ones. The safety data above comes from studies of the brand product, so we rely on it carefully and watch our patients closely.
We only work with pharmacies that follow state and federal compounding rules and test their products. Compounded semaglutide at Zen IV Spa is $199 per month, which includes the medicine, shipping, and ongoing check-ins with our clinical team.
The bottom line: for the right person, with a real medical evaluation and slow dose increases, semaglutide has a well-studied safety record. The risks are real but uncommon, and most people manage the side effects with simple habit changes.
Ready to talk it through?
If you are in New York or New Jersey and want to know whether semaglutide fits your health history, start with a free video visit. Our medical director reviews your labs and goals, and if it is a good fit, your medicine ships to your door. Learn more at /weight-loss/ or call (332) 239-2005.
Common Questions
Is Ozempic approved for weight loss?+
No. Ozempic is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes. The same ingredient at a higher dose, Wegovy, is approved for weight loss. Doctors sometimes prescribe Ozempic off-label for weight.
Can Ozempic cause thyroid cancer?+
Thyroid tumors were seen in rodents, not proven in people. As a precaution, anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2 should not take it.
How long do the stomach side effects last?+
For most people, nausea is worst in the first few weeks after each dose increase and fades within a month or two. Smaller meals and less fatty food help.
Is compounded semaglutide the same as Ozempic?+
It contains the same active ingredient, but it is mixed by a compounding pharmacy and is not FDA-approved. Zen IV Spa uses licensed pharmacies and monitors patients closely.
What happens if I stop taking it?+
Appetite usually returns and some weight comes back, as shown in the STEP 1 extension study. That is why we pair the medicine with habit changes you can keep.
Do I need labs before starting?+
We recommend it. A Zen IV nurse can draw labs at your home in New York and New Jersey so the medical director can check kidney, liver, and thyroid function first.
Sources: FDA prescribing information for Ozempic (2025) and Wegovy (2024); STEP 1 trial, NEJM 2021; SELECT trial, NEJM 2023.
All treatments are medical services. Every guest is screened, and every treatment is prescribed by a licensed provider. Nothing on this page is medical advice for you personally, and the opinions summarized here belong to the doctors named, not to Zen IV Spa. Talk to a provider before starting or stopping anything.
