Product Details

What you need to know before you use Ozempic

Do not use Ozempic • if you are allergic to semaglutide or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). Warnings and precautions Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before using this medicine. This medicine is not an insulin and should not be used if: • you have type 1 diabetes – a condition where your body does not produce any insulin 2 • you develop diabetic ketoacidosis – a complication of diabetes with high blood sugar, breathing difficulty, confusion, excessive thirst, a sweet smell to the breath or a sweet or metallic taste in the mouth. Ozempic is not an insulin and should therefore not be used as a substitute for insulin. Effects on the digestive system During treatment with this medicine, you may feel sick (nausea) or be sick (vomiting), or have diarrhoea. These side effects can cause dehydration (loss of fluids). It is important that you drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. This is especially important if you have kidney problems. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. Severe and on-going stomach pain which could be due to acute pancreatitis If you have severe and on-going pain in the stomach area – see a doctor straight away as this could be a sign of acute pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas). Please see section 4 for the warning signs of inflamed pancreas. Hypoglycaemia Combining a sulfonylurea or an insulin with this medicine might increase the risk of getting low blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia). Please see section 4 for the warning signs of low blood sugar levels. Your doctor may ask you to test your blood sugar levels. This will help your doctor decide if the dose of the sulfonylurea or insulin needs to be changed to reduce the risk of low blood sugar. Diabetic eye disease (retinopathy) If you have diabetic eye disease and are using insulin, this medicine may lead to a worsening of your vision, and this may require treatment. Tell your doctor if you have diabetic eye disease or if you experience eye problems during treatment with this medicine. Children and adolescents This medicine is not recommended in children and adolescents under 18 years as the safety and efficacy in this age group have not yet been established. Other medicines and Ozempic Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including herbal medicines or other medicines you bought without a prescription. In particular, tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are using medicines containing any of the following: • Warfarin or other similar medicines taken by mouth to reduce blood clotting (oral anticoagulants). Frequent blood testing to determine the ability of your blood to clot may be required. • If you are using insulin, your doctor will tell you how to reduce the dose of insulin and will recommend you to monitor your blood sugar more frequently, in order to avoid hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) and diabetic ketoacidosis (a complication of diabetes that occurs when the body is unable to break down glucose because there is not enough insulin). Pregnancy and breast-feeding If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you might be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine. 3 This medicine should not be used during pregnancy, as it is not known if it may affect your unborn child. Therefore, it is recommended to use contraception while using this medicine. If you wish to become pregnant, you should stop using this medicine at least two months in advance. If you become pregnant when using this medicine, talk to your doctor right away, as your treatment will need to be changed. Do not use this medicine if you are breast-feeding, as it is unknown if it passes into breast milk. Driving and using machines Ozempic is unlikely to affect your ability to drive and use machines. If you use this medicine in combination with a sulphonylurea or insulin, low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) may occur which may reduce your ability to concentrate. Avoid driving or using machines if you get any signs of low blood sugar. See section 2, ‘Warning and precautions’ for information on increased risk of low blood sugar and section 4 for the warning signs of low blood sugar. Talk to your doctor for further information. Sodium content This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per dose, that is to say essentially ‘sodiumfree’.