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GLP-1 Decoder

Ozempic Breath: How Common, How Long It Lasts, What Helps

The Ozempic label does not mention bad breath as a side effect. What people mean by it: breath that smells worse than usual.

In the label
Not listed
Most common in the label
Nausea 20.3%

A quick look at Ozempic

How long it remains in your body
100%50%25%0%07 d14 d21 d28 d35 d50%25%12.5%time after the dose

Its half-life is about 1 week: after 7 d, half is gone, while about 3% remains after five half-lives (35 d).

Weight loss in the main trial
Ozempic (SUSTAIN 1)4.7 kgPlacebo1.2 kg

In SUSTAIN 1, people with type 2 diabetes lost 4.7 kg over 30 weeks, compared with 1.2 kg on placebo.

Cost over time
202520262027$1,027.51$0List priceSelf-pay

Prices each month in US dollars include the list price and self-pay offers, all taken from the maker's price page.

Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.

What is listed on the Ozempic label instead of that

The Ozempic label does not mention bad breath. The five side effects most often listed are shown here.

Table 1. Among OZEMPIC-Treated Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Placebo-Controlled Trials Reported Adverse Reactions for ≥5% of Patients
Side effectPlaceboOzempic 0.5 mgOzempic 1 mgMore than placebo, 1 mg
Nausea6.1%15.8%20.3%+14.2 points
Vomiting2.3%5%9.2%+6.9 points
Diarrhea1.9%8.5%8.8%+6.9 points
Abdominal pain4.6%7.3%5.7%+1.1 points
Constipation1.5%5%3.1%+1.6 points

The source is Ozempic label (DailyMed).

Source: FDA label on DailyMed.