Few prescription medications have received more attention in recent years than Ozempic. However, reports of this drug’s life-changing benefits have been followed by questions about the health risks that it may pose. For example, does Ozempic cause depression or other mental health concerns?
What Is Ozempic?
To understand why many people have been asking, does Ozempic cause depression, it can help to review some basic facts about this drug and who is using it.
Ozempic is the brand name of an injectable prescription medication that contains semaglutide. It is typically used to treat type 2 diabetes.
When a person with type 2 diabetes begins to experience an increase in blood sugar level, semaglutide triggers the body to produce and release insulin. The extra insulin, in turn, pulls glucose out of the bloodstream, thus reducing the person’s blood sugar level.
Though Ozempic is a relatively new drug, it has gained considerable attention, both for its approved use and its potential off-label benefits:
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Ozempic as a diabetes medication for adults in December 2017.
- While several diabetes drugs cause weight gain, many type 2 diabetes patients who took Ozempic reported that they had lost weight.
- In February 2021, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that weekly high-dose injections of Ozempic and certain lifestyle changes led to “sustained, clinically relevant reduction in body weight” among overweight or obese participants.
- Reports of celebrities and social media influencers using Ozempic for weight loss purposes prompted increased interest in the drug among the general public.
- From 2020-2022, prescriptions for Ozempic and other medications that contain semaglutide increased by more than 300% in the U.S.
The increase in Ozempic use has been accompanied by reports that the drug can cause a variety of potentially severe side effects, including suggestions of a connection between Ozempic and depression.
Does Ozempic Cause Depression?
Researchers have not yet established a definitive response to the question, “does Ozempic cause depression?”
In July 2023, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced that it was reviewing information about the possible link between certain weight loss drugs and thoughts of self-harm and suicide. The EMA announcement noted that its review would be focused on three brand name medications: Ozempic, Wegovy (which also contains semaglutide), and Saxendra (which contains liraglutide).
EMA reported that investigators were aware of about 150 reports of self-harm and suicidal ideation, though the announcement clarified that “It is not yet clear whether the reported cases are linked to the medicines themselves or to the patients’ underlying conditions or other factors.”
In September 2023, NPR reported that its independent analysis of data from the FDA Averse Reporting System (FAERS) had revealed the following:
- At the time of NPR’s analysis, the FDA had received 489 reports of people who had developed depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts after taking either Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus (which also contains semaglutide).
- The 489 reports included 96 that involved suicidal thoughts. Five of the patients who had suicidal thoughts later died, though FAERS did not establish any connections between the drugs and either suicidal thoughts or suicidal behaviors.
However, four months after the NPR report, in January 2024, a study in the journal Nature Medicine found no higher risk of suicidal thoughts among patients who received semaglutide, when compared with those who took other types of medications for type 2 diabetes or obesity.
What Does the Research Say? (Is Ozempic Safe?)
A release about that study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) included the following information:
- The study was led by Dr. Rong Xu of Case Western Reserve University and Dr. Nora Volkow, who directs the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
- The research team analyzed records from more than 240,000 individuals who were either overweight or obese, most of whom had no history of suicidal ideation.
- Within this group, 0.11% of patients who began to take semaglutide reported suicidal thoughts within six months.
- Among patients who took another type of medication, the rate of suicidal thoughts after six months was 0.43%, or nearly four times higher than the semaglutide group.
- A second analysis, which involved the records of more than 1.5 million people who had type 2 diabetes, returned similar findings.
“Our study suggests semaglutide can be safe for those with mental health conditions,” Volkow said in the NIH release. “As researchers are also investigating semaglutide as a treatment for substance use disorders—which often co-occur with other mental health disorders—it is vital to ensure the medication is safe and does not place vulnerable groups at even greater risk of harmful health impacts.”
How Can I Tell If I Need Depression Treatment?
Suicidal ideation is just one possible symptom of depression. If you have been taking Ozempic or any other medication, and you are concerned about the risk of depression, be on the alert for symptoms such as:
- Reduced energy, which can include persistent fatigue and exhaustion
- Insomnia (trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep) or hypersomnia (sleeping too much)
- Changes in appetite and resultant weight gain or loss
- Difficult concentrating, focusing, and making decisions
- Persistent sense of sadness, helplessness, or hopelessness
- Dramatic mood swings, which can include outbursts of anger or irritability
- Unexplained decrease in performance at work or in school
- Recurring thoughts of death and dying
- Thoughts or behaviors related to suicide or self-harm
If you believe that you are at imminent risk of suicide, please get help immediately. In the U.S., you can access the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline either online or by calling or texting 988. This free services is staffed by trained professionals who can connect you with appropriate resources in your area.
If you are not in immediate danger of suicide, you should schedule an assessment with your primary physician or another qualified professional. Once you have completed a thorough evaluation and received an accurate diagnosis, you will be ready to find the treatment that’s best for you.
[Recommended: “Symptoms of High-Functioning Depression“]
Find Depression Treatment in Atlanta
Peachtree Wellness Solutions offers a full continuum of customized services for adults who have been living with depression and other mental health concerns.
Programming options at our depression treatment center in Atlanta, Georgia, include residential care, a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and an outpatient program (OP).
With our help, you can experience long-term relief from your symptoms and live a much healthier and more hopeful life.
To learn more or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.
