Ozempic has already been linked to a number of strange body changes, including sagging skin and sunken cheeks.
But now women report a side effect called “Ozempic breasts,” which is when their breasts shrink or increase in size.
Doctors say the former is to be expected because as someone loses weight, the fatty tissue in the breasts also decreases, making them smaller.
But the latter surprises experts more. One line of thought is that hormonal fluctuations in the body cause temporary swelling or tenderness in the breasts.
Jessica Kahn, of Kansas City, Missouri, revealed that she lost 70 pounds in nine months while taking Ozempic’s sister drug, Wegovy. She also had her breasts reduced, which later led to her being able to undergo a breast reduction.
The above shows Jessica Dennis, a mother of four currently living in South Dakota, who said her breasts shrank while taking Ozempic.
Another theory is that as people lose weight, their breasts simply appear larger.
Even so, dozens of women have been disappointed or pleasantly surprised by the phenomenon.
Among those who reported that their breasts shrank after taking the miracle weight loss drugs was Jessica Kahn of Kansas City, Missouri.
She lost 70 pounds in nine months while taking Wegovy, Ozempic’s sister drug, and was delighted with the results, which meant she could have a breast reduction.
But while she was taking drugs, she also shared photos showing how her breasts had started to shrink as she lost weight.
“I couldn’t be happier with my results and I can’t wait to keep going,” she said, “The side effects are brutal at times, but for me, it’s worth it in exchange for the boost of confidence, the comfort I feel in my own skin.” skin and the opportunity to finally have a breast reduction.’
In another case, Danielle Ling, a mother of two from Oregon, admitted that Ozempic had caused sagging skin on her body, including her breasts.
She lost 102 pounds after 18 months on the medications and said that once they were finished she planned to have a breast reduction to reduce excess skin.
And in a third case of breasts shrinking while taking the drug, Jessica Brown, 47, of Kentucky, said that after losing just 40 pounds on Ozempic, her breasts sagged.
“My breasts definitely got saggier,” she told the Los Angeles Times.
There are also a number of cases reported online of people who had their breasts enlarged while taking medication.
Danielle Ling, a mother of two from Oregon, also came forward and said Ozempic had left her with a lot of loose skin after losing 102 pounds in 18 months. She is now planning to have a breast reduction.
In a Reddit thread, a man told how his wife was getting upset because she didn’t seem to be losing weight while her breasts grew and her shirt tightened.
“I feel bad for both of them for not losing weight,” he wrote, “but doubly bad for her because of how upset she is about her chest and for feeling so uncomfortable and insecure in her clothes now even more than usual.”
A second person responded to the post saying they were also experiencing this, saying, “I’m experiencing this too and I’m 100,000 percent sure there is no way I’m pregnant.”
‘I think in my case it’s that I’m losing fat on my sides, which is why my breasts look and feel bigger. It’s a situation where they’re not blending into my side fat as much as they used to.’
One theory is that fat cells house the female sex hormone estrogen.
When someone begins to lose weight, cells begin to release this hormone, causing an increase in levels in the body.
This can cause the breasts to swell because higher levels can cause them to retain more water or, as in the menstrual cycle, stimulate them to temporarily grow more breast tissue.
Another theory suggests that the weight loss patients experience helps increase blood flow around the body, including areas such as the breasts, causing them to increase in size.
Dr. Jonathan Kaplan, a San Francisco plastic surgeon, said in a TikTok video: “Any time you lose a large amount of weight by any means, your body is going to change.”
‘It’s going to be a little deflated because you’re going to be losing fat. And as you lose fat, your skin becomes saggier, so your face and breasts start to sag.’
He added: “When it comes to the face, you can treat it with fillers or… a facelift.”
‘But when it comes to boobs, padding isn’t really going to work. We should start thinking about a breast lift to remove excess skin and make it perkier again, or placing breast implants to restore some volume.
More than 5 million Americans are estimated to be taking a weight-loss drug like Ozempic by the end of 2023, according to an analysis of electronic medical records by Epic Research.
And this number is expected to increase, as an estimated 42 percent of adults in the US are obese.
Ozempic and many similar medications are intended to be reserved for patients with type 2 diabetes, but doctors often prescribe them off-label for weight loss.
Its sister drug Wegovy, which also uses semaglutide, has been approved for weight loss in the United States.