Patients on Ozempic are reporting reductions in anxiety and depression trends now

Patients on Ozempic are reporting reductions in anxiety and depression trends now
Patients on Ozempic are reporting reductions in anxiety and depression trends now

Patients on Ozempic are reporting reductions in anxiety and depression trends now

Patients taking blockbuster weight-loss drugs are reporting an unusual added benefit — they are free from anxiety and depression that used to rule their lives.

Users across the country claim their jittery feelings became less intense when they started taking Ozempic. Others say their depression also disappeared.

The drug helps people lose weight by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone, which curbs hunger and slows the rate at which a person's stomach empties, leaving them feeling fuller for longer.

Experts acknowledge it may also help reduce anxiety, although admit it is not clear whether this is due to the weight loss triggered by the medication or another factor.

An estimated one in 60 US adults now have a prescription for Ozempic, its bigger dose version Wegovy and another weight loss drug called Mounjaro.

Ozempic works by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone, which curbs hunger and slows the rate at which a person's stomach empties, leaving them feeling fuller for longer

Ozempic works by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone, which curbs hunger and slows the rate at which a person's stomach empties, leaving them feeling fuller for longer

Researchers from Taiwan found that diabetic patients on GLP-1 medications had a reduced likelihood of being diagnosed with anxiety disorder compared to diabetics not on GLP-1 medication

Researchers from Taiwan found that diabetic patients on GLP-1 medications had a reduced likelihood of being diagnosed with anxiety disorder compared to diabetics not on GLP-1 medication

A 2020 review of studies looking into the ability of GLP-1 hormone to alleviate depression found that 'GLP-1 is a useful therapeutic modulator of depression'.

Dr Mary Jacobson, chief medical officer at telemedicine company Hello Alpha based in Palo Alto, California, told DailyMail.com that her patients on Ozempic have reported a decrease in anxiety.

She said: 'About 20 percent of our patients who see us for excess weight also see us for mental health symptoms. 

'The patients who are on Ozempic seem to have improving symptoms with respect to their validated questionnaire scoring for depression and anxiety.'

But Dr Jacobson admitted it is not known why this might be the case, as some users might feel better because they have lost weight and as a secondary effect, their anxiety

read more from dailymail.....

NEXT Health service initiative offers patients a chance to see a GP on the same day ... trends now