Here is an interesting if not somewhat disturbing statistic: Among married women ages 15-49 years who haven’t had a baby before (live birth), roughly 1 in 5 are unable to conceive after a year of trying. While I’m tempted to ask who the fuck is marrying 15-year-olds and getting them pregnant, the greater issue is the rate of infertility. There are plenty of reasons why infertility rates are increasing, what’s interesting is the odd place from which some surprising relief is coming: Ozempic.
To be specific, it doesn’t necessarily need to be the brand-name drug. Any GLP-1 Agonists seems to do the trick, but Ozempic has the advantage of name recognition and is popular for another reason other than its popular intent: losing weight. GLP-1 Agonists were originally designed as anti-diabetic drugs specifically treating Type II diabetics. Even now, the clinical requirements for prescribing a GLP-1 Agonist start with diagnosed Type II diabetes. The idea is that GLP-1 Agonists are a backup medication when Metformin and other standard diabetes medications haven’t worked, leaving one with an A1c over 6.5. The list of GLP-1 Agonists includes:
Dulaglutide (TRULICITY)
Exenatide (BYETTA)
Exenatide Extended Release.
(BYDUREON BCISE)
Liraglutide (VICTOZA)
Lixisenatide (ADLYXIN)
Semaglutide subcutaneous.
(OZEMPIC)
A couple of years ago, however, it was noticed that the use of Ozempic and similar drugs resulted in significant weight loss in a number of patients. Who doesn’t like the idea of taking a shot to lose weight? It certainly beats the hell out of dieting and sweaty exercise. The FDA approved the use of the drug for weight loss in 2021 and the number of prescriptions has skyrocketed to over nine million, driving prices up.
Now, it seems a second off-brand benefit is coming to the forefront: pregnancy, even among women previously diagnosed with infertility. While studies of this effect are still too new to consider a universal response to the challenge of having babies, the research is promising.
The reason for this increase in unplanned pregnancies is that the medications slow down the process by which the stomach empties, changing how food and medications are absorbed. The result is that oral contraceptives are rendered practically useless. If you don’t want to get pregnant, you may need to talk to your doctor about non-oral options.
The effect on infertile women is still too recent to be certain but seems to be connected to weight loss. Even modest (less than 5%) weight loss can increase metabolic health, allowing conception to occur. Many patients with high BMI do not ovulate, some have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and many just don’t ovulate regularly. With the drug-induced weight loss, regular menses and normal levels of fertility return.
While this is far from being a cure-all, this could be good news for women who have struggled to become pregnant.
Of course, the opposite is true for women who do not want to be pregnant.
Either way, if you are using Ozempic or any of the related drugs and become pregnant, you need to contact your doctor immediately. Your body is not playing a joke on you. There are serious risks to taking the drug while pregnant. Not nearly enough studies have been done to give doctors a solid plan of action for treating pregnancy under these conditions. This new phenomenon can dash hopes just as quickly as it raises them.
Still, if you’re taking Ozempic and think that you may be pregnant, don’t be surprised if you’re correct. Call your doctor. Now.
Here is an interesting if not somewhat disturbing statistic: Among married women ages 15-49 years who haven’t had a baby before (live birth), roughly 1 in 5 are unable to conceive after a year of trying. While I’m tempted to ask who the fuck is marrying 15-year-olds and getting them pregnant, the greater issue is the rate of infertility. There are plenty of reasons why infertility rates are increasing, what’s interesting is the odd place from which some surprising relief is coming: Ozempic.
To be specific, it doesn’t necessarily need to be the brand-name drug. Any GLP-1 Agonists seems to do the trick, but Ozempic has the advantage of name recognition and is popular for another reason other than its popular intent: losing weight. GLP-1 Agonists were originally designed as anti-diabetic drugs specifically treating Type II diabetics. Even now, the clinical requirements for prescribing a GLP-1 Agonist start with diagnosed Type II diabetes. The idea is that GLP-1 Agonists are a backup medication when Metformin and other standard diabetes medications haven’t worked, leaving one with an A1c over 6.5. The list of GLP-1 Agonists includes:
A couple of years ago, however, it was noticed that the use of Ozempic and similar drugs resulted in significant weight loss in a number of patients. Who doesn’t like the idea of taking a shot to lose weight? It certainly beats the hell out of dieting and sweaty exercise. The FDA approved the use of the drug for weight loss in 2021 and the number of prescriptions has skyrocketed to over nine million, driving prices up.
Drug maker Novo Nordisk isn’t complaining.
Now, it seems a second off-brand benefit is coming to the forefront: pregnancy, even among women previously diagnosed with infertility. While studies of this effect are still too new to consider a universal response to the challenge of having babies, the research is promising.
The reason for this increase in unplanned pregnancies is that the medications slow down the process by which the stomach empties, changing how food and medications are absorbed. The result is that oral contraceptives are rendered practically useless. If you don’t want to get pregnant, you may need to talk to your doctor about non-oral options.
The effect on infertile women is still too recent to be certain but seems to be connected to weight loss. Even modest (less than 5%) weight loss can increase metabolic health, allowing conception to occur. Many patients with high BMI do not ovulate, some have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and many just don’t ovulate regularly. With the drug-induced weight loss, regular menses and normal levels of fertility return.
While this is far from being a cure-all, this could be good news for women who have struggled to become pregnant.
Of course, the opposite is true for women who do not want to be pregnant.
Either way, if you are using Ozempic or any of the related drugs and become pregnant, you need to contact your doctor immediately. Your body is not playing a joke on you. There are serious risks to taking the drug while pregnant. Not nearly enough studies have been done to give doctors a solid plan of action for treating pregnancy under these conditions. This new phenomenon can dash hopes just as quickly as it raises them.
Still, if you’re taking Ozempic and think that you may be pregnant, don’t be surprised if you’re correct. Call your doctor. Now.
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