How to Taper Off Semaglutide Safely
Key takeaways:
- Medically, you don’t have to taper off semaglutide, but many experts recommend it when stopping the medication.
- Some research suggests that tapering off semaglutide over about nine weeks could help prevent weight regain.
- Your healthcare provider can recommend the best tapering schedule for you.
- Your provider may also suggest other interventions for weight management or blood sugar control, like changes to your exercise or eating habits, or a different medication.
Unlike some medications, you can stop semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic® and Wegovy®) cold turkey. However, many medical professionals recommend slowly tapering off to avoid a rapid increase in hunger and reduce the risk of weight regain.
There isn’t a specific agreed-upon tapering schedule for semaglutide, but your provider can recommend one to suit your needs. It’ll most likely involve slowly reducing your semaglutide dose over the course of several weeks until you stop the medication completely.
Keep reading for more tips on how to taper off semaglutide.
This article was reviewed by Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA.
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How to Taper Off Semaglutide: 12 Tips
To taper off semaglutide, your first step is reaching out to a healthcare provider. From there, you can follow their advice on how to reduce your semaglutide dose and make other changes to manage your weight or blood sugar.
Here are 12 tips to keep in mind when coming off semaglutide.
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1. Reach Out to a Healthcare Provider First
Whatever your reason for stopping semaglutide, reach out to your prescribing healthcare provider first. They can recommend the safest way to stop taking semaglutide.
It may involve a tapering schedule, but in some cases (like an unexpected pregnancy), your provider might recommend stopping more quickly.
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2. Follow a Tapering Schedule
Your healthcare provider may suggest following a tapering schedule to come off semaglutide rather than stopping the medication abruptly.
Although more studies are needed, research presented at the European Congress on Obesity found that tapering off semaglutide over an average of nine weeks helped reduce weight regain.
Still, there’s no official tapering schedule for Ozempic® or Wegovy®. Your provider might recommend gradually reducing your dose week by week over the course of several weeks. They can let you know which doses to take and when.
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3. Prepare Yourself for Appetite Changes
Your appetite will gradually return to what it was before you started taking semaglutide.
That means you might notice:
- More hunger
- More cravings
- More food noise (constant thoughts about food)
- Less satiety (fullness)
Tapering off semaglutide, instead of going cold turkey, gives you more time to get used to these changes and minimizes the risk of sudden appetite spikes. But an increase in hunger can still come as a bit of shock — especially if you’ve been taking semaglutide for some time.
To help, meal-prep healthy meals and keep nutritious, filling foods and snacks on hand — like hard-boiled eggs, vegetable stews, and chicken curries.
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4. Eat Nutritious, Whole Foods (Especially Protein and Fiber)
Whether you’re taking semaglutide for weight loss or blood sugar management, eating nutritious, whole foods can help you maintain the benefits you might have seen on the medication.
In particular, prioritize lean protein and fiber. These nutrients can help keep you fuller for longer — something that’s even more important once semaglutide isn’t helping with appetite control anymore.
High-protein foods include:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Eggs
- Fish
- Tofu
- Greek yogurt
High-fiber foods include:
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and beans
- Nuts and seeds
- Whole grains, like quinoa, brown rice, and rye
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5. Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating involves being more aware of what, when, and how much you’re eating. Try these steps before and during meals:
- Ask yourself if you’re really hungry. It’s common to reach for food when you’re bored, stressed, sad, lonely, etc. See if you notice your stomach rumbling and want any kind of food, or if you’re craving just salty snacks without any physical hunger cues. Take steps to soothe emotions if it’s not true hunger.
- Eat slowly and savor each bite. Put your cutlery down and take a sip of water to slow your eating speed. Research shows that eating more slowly can help you feel fuller.
- Notice when you start feeling full. Stop when you feel full. Resist the urge to finish your plate (or finish your kids’ plates) and save any leftovers for tomorrow.
Mindful eating can help you avoid overeating and emotional eating, which you might find yourself more likely to do without semaglutide helping reduce cravings and appetite.
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6. Drink Plenty of Water
Your body can mistake thirst signals for hunger signals. Drinking a 16-ounce glass of water before meals can help with portion control and appetite regulation.
If you struggle to drink enough water, here’s what you can try:
- Get a reusable water bottle to keep filled and by your side (you can buy bottles with water intake goals on the side for added accountability).
- Flavor your water with berries, cucumber, or mint.
- Drink sparkling water.
- Set reminders to drink a glass in the morning and before each meal and snack.
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7. Move Your Body Every Day
You may have started adding more movement to your days when you began taking semaglutide. As you come off the medication, keep up those healthy habits to maintain your weight.
In particular, aim to strength-train at least twice a week to maintain and build muscle. This can minimize how much muscle you lose as you lose body fat and help with weight maintenance in the long run.
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8. Prioritize Sleep
Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Getting enough sleep can help regulate your appetite, which, again, you’ll want to pay extra attention to as you come off semaglutide.
Here are a few ways you can improve your sleep:
- Avoid screens about an hour or two before bed.
- Only use your bed for sleep and intimacy.
- Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool.
- Avoid heavy meals before bed — be aware of late-night cravings that may return once you’re off semaglutide.
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9. Take Care of Your Mental Health and Well-Being
Stress is another factor that can spike your appetite and cause food cravings. Keep it under control with stress-management techniques like:
- Breathing exercises
- Spending time in nature
- Practicing yoga
- Doing relaxation exercises like progressive muscle relaxation
As you come off semaglutide, you might find the increase in appetite, cravings, or food noise distressing. That’s normal. Reach out for support if you need it, either by opening up to friends and family or connecting with a therapist.
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10. Get Expert Advice
If you’ve been taking semaglutide for weight loss, you can get expert advice for help continuing to lose weight (if needed) or maintaining your weight in the long run.
Consider reaching out to a:
- Personal trainer for physical activity tips and a personalized routine
- Dietitian for nutrition advice and a meal plan
- Therapist to manage eating triggers like stress, anxiety, or loneliness
- Weight loss expert to help manage the many factors that go into weight management (like nutrition, movement, stress, and sleep)
- Weight loss program to find accountability buddies and support
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11. Consider Alternative Medication
If you’re taking semaglutide for type 2 diabetes, your provider may recommend an alternative medication to help you manage your blood sugar levels, like metformin, Mounjaro®, or Saxenda®.
If you’re taking semaglutide for weight loss and want to continue obesity treatment, your provider may recommend an alternative weight loss drug like:
- Tirzepatide (Mounjaro® or Zepbound®)
- Liraglutide (Saxenda® or Victoza®)
- Metformin
- Topiramate (Topamax®)
Depending on why you’re discontinuing semaglutide, you may be able to take another GLP-1 weight loss injection, or you could consider oral weight loss treatments.
Of course, if you’re coming off semaglutide for another reason (like pregnancy or a medical condition), your provider can recommend other steps to take.
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12. Discuss Treatment Adjustments If You Want to Continue Taking Semaglutide
If you want to continue taking semaglutide, but you’re finding side effects are making it difficult to stick to the medication, let your healthcare provider know. You might not need to stop semaglutide altogether.
Your provider might recommend:
- A lower dose of semaglutide. A lower dose could ease side effects, making them easier to manage.
- Medications for side effects. If semaglutide nausea is troubling you, for example, your provider might prescribe anti-nausea medication like Zofran® (ondansetron) to help you feel better.
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Coming Off Semaglutide: Final Points
Weaning off any medication can feel a little scary. But your healthcare provider can guide you through the process. It can look different depending on whether you’re taking the drug for weight loss or diabetes and why you want to come off it in the first place.
Here’s what to know about how to taper off semaglutide:
- Let your healthcare provider know you want to stop semaglutide. They can recommend the safest way to do so, which may include a gradual taper over the course of several weeks to minimize hunger spikes and weight regain.
- Expect more hunger. Your hunger, fullness, and food cravings will gradually return to pre-semaglutide levels. Take steps to avoid overeating to help maintain your weight loss.
- Consider alternative medications. Your provider may recommend other drugs to help manage blood sugar levels or weight, including other GLP-1 medications or oral medications.
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FAQs
Find answers to frequently asked questions about how to taper off semaglutide.
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Do You Need to Taper Off Semaglutide?
You don’t need to taper off semaglutide, but it’s often recommended. Slowly tapering off can help reduce sudden spikes in hunger or food cravings, which can lead to weight regain. If you’re taking semaglutide for diabetes, slowly tapering off can help keep blood sugar under control.
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Is It Okay to Abruptly Stop Semaglutide?
It’s okay to abruptly stop semaglutide. It won’t cause withdrawal symptoms, as the medication isn’t addictive. However, healthcare professionals usually recommend weaning off semaglutide slowly to minimize spikes in hunger and weight regain.
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What Is the Safest Way to Stop Semaglutide?
The safest way to stop semaglutide is by gradually tapering off over the course of a few weeks. While it’s safe to stop semaglutide abruptly, many experts recommend a gradual taper to reduce a sudden increase in appetite and weight regain.
If you’re taking semaglutide for blood sugar control, your healthcare provider can let you know how to safely control your blood sugar — this may include switching to a different diabetes medication.
Image Credit: Carolina Rudah/Istockphoto.
How Long Does It Take to Wean Off Semaglutide?
There isn’t an official tapering schedule, so how long it takes to wean off semaglutide will look different for everyone. Your healthcare provider may recommend gradually reducing your dose week by week over the course of several weeks. How long this takes depends on the dose you were on before you started tapering and how quickly you reduce that dose.
- Related: 16 At-Home Workouts to Lose Weight
- Related: Should You Eat Before or After Your Workout to Lose Weight?
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This article originally appeared on ForHers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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