Can Microdosing Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic Help You Lose Weight?

Some people are microdosing certain weight loss drugs in an attempt to reap some of the drugs’ benefits with fewer of their side effects. But doctors specializing in weight loss say that microdosing these drugs — which include compounded versions of types of GLP-1 medications, including Ozempic and Wegovy — hasn’t been studied enough to guarantee safety or effectiveness.

If you’re considering hopping on the microdose trend, experts encourage you to check in with your health care provider first.

[What Happens When You Stop Taking Weight Loss Drugs?]

What Is Ozempic Microdosing?

Microdosing Ozempic refers to taking small amounts of weight loss drugs in hopes of receiving more subtle weight loss benefits and fewer side effects than occurs when taking larger doses of the drugs.

Dr. Mir Ali, a board-certified general surgeon, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, explains that when people talk about microdosing, “they’re talking about taking very low doses of the medication.”

The exact dosage quantified as a microdose can vary based on the specific drug that someone is using and their methods of measuring the dose. In some cases, staying on a starting dose of Ozempic or Wegovy may be viewed as a microdose. For example, the smallest starting dose for Ozempic is 0.25 milligrams.

So, if you hear that someone is microdosing Ozempic, there’s a good chance they are not actually microdosing the brand name Ozempic but using a compounded — or off-brand — version instead.

[READ: What to Eat — and Not Eat — When Taking Ozempic or Other Weight Loss Drugs]

Ozempic Microdosing Effectiveness

While some anecdotal reports applaud microdosing’s effectiveness, research does not currently back this up.

Despite its allure, microdosing medications may not be an effective weight loss method for many patients looking to lose weight. This is especially true if you meet the medical criteria to use a GLP-1 medication for weight loss — meaning you have a body mass index greater than 30 or a BMI greater than 27 when combined with conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. In cases such as these, you may require a higher dose to lose a substantial amount of weight.

Ali, who works with patients medically qualified for weight loss drugs and procedures, says he doesn’t recommend microdosing in his workplace. “It hasn’t really been studied, so I can’t say that this is an acceptable practice.”

People may be more attracted to the idea of microdosing weight loss drugs if they have a lower starting BMI and do not want to lose a significant amount of weight to begin with, Ali adds. This could include people who are “trying to lose a few pounds before a wedding or an event.”

Dr. Pouya Shafipour, a board-certified family and obesity medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, says that prescribing Ozempic or Wegovy at very small doses — which may be considered microdoses — can be helpful to get some patients started on the drugs, or to help other patients maintain weight loss after previously being on a higher dose.

Small doses may also help quiet food noise for some people, Shafipour adds. However, he says for people who do not meet the drugs’ intended use criteria, microdosing medications is considered off-label use — meaning the drug is being taken for a condition it’s not approved to treat — and is not recommended by many doctors.

[READ: Factors That Contribute to Weight Loss and Weight Gain]

No, Microdosing Ozempic Is Not an FDA-Approved Weight-Loss Method

While it is possible that microdosing could help some people reach minimal weight loss goals in specific scenarios — such as before a wedding — microdosing’s short-term impact on people with lower BMI likewise has not been thoroughly studied or proven to be effective. Microdosing or not, it is considered off-label use to take a medication like Ozempic or Wegovy if you have a BMI lower than the Food and Drug Administration-approved range and do not meet other drug criteria.

As of early January 2025, Ozempic has been studied and FDA-approved as a treatment for improving glycemic control in adults with Type 2 diabetes or for reducing risks of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with Type 2 diabetes. Wegovy is FDA-approved for reducing risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with cardiovascular disease and who have obesity or are overweight, for weight loss and weight maintenance in adults and children older than 12 with obesity, and for adults who are both overweight and experience another weight-related comorbid condition.

According to a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, the drug manufacturers “do not condone” microdosing their medications, and emphasize the importance of taking Ozempic only at its approved and marked doses.

“The approved doses are the only dose strengths that have been studied as maintenance doses in our phase 3 clinical development program,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to U.S. News.

The company spokesperson added that while Wegovy and Ozempic both contain semaglutide, “they are different products with different indications, dosages, prescribing information, titration schedules and delivery forms,” which are not interchangeable.

[READ How to Spot Fake Ozempic]

Why Some People Turn to Compounded Semaglutide for Microdosing

Some people who claim to be microdosing Ozempic or Wegovy may in fact be microdosing compounded versions of semaglutide, and not the well-known brand name medications themselves. Compounded versions of semaglutide refer to off-brand versions of the medicine.

Some of these are sold by online pharmacies, prescribed by online doctors and have fewer barriers to use. Unlike the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, many compounded versions come with syringes that allow patients to individually draw-up their prescribed doses — as opposed to pre-measured doses that can be administered with a click or two of the brand-name pen. As a result, giving patients the responsibility of drawing up their own doses also gives them the opportunity to experiment with microdosing the drugs.

“It’s more common with the compounded version that you can draw up the dose whatever smaller dose that you want,” Shafipour explains.

Risks of microdosing compounded semaglutides

Shafipour only prescribes FDA-approved doses of the brand-name medications — and says there are risks with self-dosing compounded medications, such as toxicity from drawing up too much of the substance or an injection site infection.

Additionally, Shafipour says that people may not be properly educated in how to safely measure medications or give themselves injections — leaving more room for risks from human error.

“A lot of people are using these drugs off-label as vanity, or as a way to eat less or drink less, but not necessarily (to be) healthier,” Shafipour says. “So, we’re not talking about an established patient population that’s used to giving themselves injections or who is getting proper education from nursing staff about how to give themselves injections.”

Even when used correctly, it’s important to be mindful of the risks of compounded medications and make sure you are buying from a reputable pharmacy. There are a plethora of fake versions of semaglutide located on the market, which could have unwanted impacts on your weight loss journey or come with health risks.

Does Microdosing Ozempic Really Come With Fewer Risks?

While taking smaller doses of weight loss drugs like Ozempic may seem like a loophole to avoid unwanted side effects, doctors warn that these drugs carry risks at any dose — whether low or high.

Rather than be dictated solely by dosage, Ali observes that risks can vary patient to patient.

“I’ve seen patients on very low doses who have significant side effects — and then I’ve seen patients on maximal doses and they’ve never had any side effects,” he says. “Everybody responds a little differently to the medications.”

Still, Ali adds that these drugs are safe and effective when used as intended and that it is “unusual to see significant side effects at the lower doses.”

In the future, more research may better guide microdosing practices — or encourage patients for or against use. For now, doctors encourage you to check in with your health care provider before and during use of any weight loss medication, at any dose.

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Can Microdosing Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic Help You Lose Weight? originally appeared on usnews.com

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