# Ozempic

52 Hacker News commenters recommended Ozempic and 30 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 11 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 1.5 years (6 owners).

**Verdict:** People credit it with large weight loss and better health markers, plus reduced cravings and food intake. Most common caveat: weight and benefits often return after stopping, so it is often a long-term commitment.

## Why people recommend it

- Large weight loss (4 comments): "a silver bullet for obesity and orders of magnitude more effective than anything up to a gastric band surgery" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49408044)) "I lost 40 lbs with Ozempic and kept almost all of it off a year after stopping the drug." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46554097)) "I lost 70 pounds and feel better than ever, with very little side effects." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49940994))
- Reduces cravings and compulsive urges (5 comments): "it's extremely effective in treating addictions, including alcohol addiction" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47468305)) "Many people on Ozempic report better impulse control (food or otherwise)." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46348387)) "I attribute the loss of desire to drink primarily to the GLP-1." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46946108))
- More energy, better sleep, feels younger (3 comments): "I went from what felt like a slow but steady decline through middle age and now I feel 20 years younger" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46606922)) "I also sleep way better, and the heartburn I thought was just a part of life went from" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46598684)) "It's a huge difference, as you say it's like being 15-20 years younger. Life changing." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46607075))
- Lowers blood pressure and heart risk (2 comments): "I went from borderline prehypertensive to perfect 105/70. You can't go on and off it at will though, since you'll get rebound high BP if you don't taper." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49447706)) "Ozempic appears to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes in overweight people well beyond what weight loss alone would explain." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46048883))

## What people warn about

- Weight regained or lifelong use after stopping (4 comments): "I went from borderline prehypertensive to perfect 105/70. You can't go on and off it at will though, since you'll get rebound high BP if you don't taper." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49447706)) "GLP-1 drugs will have most users hooked for life because they don't have the discipline and motivation" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46589514)) "needs to be taken forever as the vast majority of patients regain most or all of the weight" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46590821))
- Gut, gallbladder and intestinal side effects (3 comments): "It has helped with my insulin resistance, but if I take anywhere near a weight loss dose my intestines slow so much" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48144634)) "there are many more issues, like bile related issues and an increased risk of developing gallbladder stones" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49942454)) "miserable side effects that started after a couple years that just progressively got worse" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46061334))
- Bone density and muscle loss (3 comments): "Many Ozempic patients lose some bone density. That can be an issue as you age." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46598148)) "without forming good habits and lifting weights you're a candidate for muscle loss and related injuries" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46554519)) "I did an Ozempic stint and noticed my bone density had decreased to the bottom 3 percentile for my age" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46601130))
- Builds no lasting healthy habits (3 comments): "it makes it easy to not eat but it gives you no useful habits to keep that up because it's so easy" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46588411)) "just using Ozembic without changing your habits on the way can't be the right way" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48710009)) "the drugs will never fix their willpower and only temporarily fix the symptoms" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46588795))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Semaglutide](https://hackerapproved.com/p/semaglutide.md): 45 recommend
- [Tirzepatide (Zepbound)](https://hackerapproved.com/p/tirzepatide.md): 36 recommend
- [Retatrutide](https://hackerapproved.com/p/retatrutide.md): 23 recommend
- [Wegovy](https://hackerapproved.com/p/wegovy.md): 23 recommend
- [Zepbound](https://hackerapproved.com/p/zepbound.md): 21 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Ozempic", https://hackerapproved.com/p/ozempic/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).