# Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/ozempic/ 80 people recommended Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) in Hacker News comments, 24 had mixed feelings and 53 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. People who said how long they have used it report a median of 1 year, among 16 people. It was recommended in 12 of 12 months, in 38 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule. These are opinions from Hacker News comments, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor. **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. Summary written by Claude from 57 comments. ## Why people recommend it - Reduces cravings and compulsive urges (5 comments in the sample): "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)) - Large weight loss (4 comments in the sample): "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)) - More energy, better sleep, feels younger (3 comments in the sample): "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 in the sample): "I went from borderline prehypertensive to perfect 105/70…" ([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 (3 comments in the sample): "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)) "It’s a life long commitment. As soon as you stop, you end up becoming your old self" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46588443)) - Gut, gallbladder and intestinal side effects (3 comments in the sample): "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 in the sample): "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 in the sample): "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)) ## Other weight loss drugs people recommend - [Tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro)](https://hackerapproved.com/p/tirzepatide/): 59 recommend, 13 mixed, 8 criticize - [Retatrutide](https://hackerapproved.com/p/retatrutide/): 15 recommend, 7 mixed, 7 criticize ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy)", https://hackerapproved.com/p/ozempic/ (80 recommend, 24 mixed, 53 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.