Ozempic Hypoglycemia: How Common, How Long It Lasts
The Ozempic label names hypoglycemia as a reported side effect but gives no trial rate for it.
- In the label
- Listed, no rate given
- Label term
- hypoglycemia
Ozempic overview
The half-life is about 1 week. Half remains after 7 d, and at the fifth half-life (35 d), about 3% remains.
In SUSTAIN 1, which lasted 30 weeks, people with type 2 diabetes lost 4.7 kg, compared with 1.2 kg on placebo.
Monthly prices in US dollars include the list price and self-pay offers, with each amount taken from the manufacturer's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.
What the Ozempic label provides instead
The Ozempic label gives no rate for low blood sugar. It lists these five side effects most often, along with how often they occur.
| Side effect | Placebo | Ozempic 0.5 mg | Ozempic 1 mg | More than placebo, 1 mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 6.1% | 15.8% | 20.3% | +14.2 points |
| Vomiting | 2.3% | 5% | 9.2% | +6.9 points |
| Diarrhea | 1.9% | 8.5% | 8.8% | +6.9 points |
| Abdominal pain | 4.6% | 7.3% | 5.7% | +1.1 points |
| Constipation | 1.5% | 5% | 3.1% | +1.6 points |
Source: Ozempic label (DailyMed).
Hypoglycemia: Ozempic compared with other GLP-1s
Each label covers its own trials, which involved different groups of people. Consider this a rough guide.
| Medicine | Highest rate in the label | Dose group | Placebo | People in the trials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Saxenda | 12.6% | all doses | 6.6% | Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management) |
 Wegovy | 6% | 2.4 mg | 2% | Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management) |
| Ozempic | Listed, no rate given | – | – | – |
 Rybelsus | Listed, no rate given | – | – | – |
 Mounjaro | Listed, no rate given | – | – | – |
 Zepbound | Listed, no rate given | – | – | – |
 Foundayo | Listed, no rate given | – | – | – |
 Trulicity | Listed, no rate given | – | – | – |
 Victoza | Listed, no rate given | – | – | – |
| Byetta | Listed, no rate given | – | – | – |
Sources: Wegovy label (DailyMed) and Saxenda label (DailyMed).
Source: FDA label (DailyMed).
Information from the Ozempic label
Here, the label mentions low blood sugar word for word:
“with an insulin secretagogue (e.g., sulfonylurea) or insulin may have an increased risk of hypoglycemia, including severe hypoglycemia [see Adverse Reactions (6.1), Drug Interactions (7)].”
Source: FDA label (DailyMed).