The Good, Complex, and Potential Bad of Ozempic

A metabolic cure with side effects on the brain

I’ve had Type 2 diabetes for at least 20 years which has also resulted in stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Unlike many diabetic patients, I have had a normal body mass index (BMI) throughout the course of my disease. To manage my blood glucose levels, I started taking Ozempic before the craze among Hollywood stars for weight loss. While I have referred to Ozempic as a “miracle drug” for me, it’s also complex. To add the ongoing discussion about this drug, I wanted to write about one of its potential drawbacks — its possible impact on my motivation.

The Good

After years of struggling to manage my blood glucose levels, Ozempic seemed to just hit the mark.

Dawn Phenomenon

My problem has always been the “dawn phenomenon” (or “liver dump”), which is the increase in blood glucose when fasting overnight. While people incorrectly associate high blood sugar with eating too much sugar, my basic problem was that my liver produced too much glucose even when I wasn’t eating.

Thirty years of research demonstrated the prior inability to treat this condition without insulin injections.

Oral medications do not adequately control…