Some People Are ‘Microdosing’ Ozempic—and Doctors Are Wary of the New Weight Loss Trend

Few prescription medications have become household names as quickly as Ozempic. But it’s not just a buzzy drug: A whopping 12 percent of American adults say they’ve tried taking a GLP-1 receptor agonist—aka a class of medications that Ozempic belongs to that mimic the GLP-1 hormone in your body that helps keep your blood sugar, appetite levels, and digestion in check.¹

But for all of the promises around better blood sugar control and faster weight loss, these medications aren’t perfect. Ozempic and similar drugs are not cheap and come with a very real risk of uncomfortable side effects. That’s spawned a new trend around these medications: microdosing.

Some people are taking small amounts of Ozempic, rather than its recommended dose, in an effort to get all the perks of the medication without any of the potential drawbacks. Reddit and TikTok are packed with testimonials from people who swear this is the best way to use these medications. 

But Ozempic and similar medications like Zepbound, Mounjaro, and Wegovy are only approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at certain doses. Microdosing skirts the recommended use, raising a lot of questions in the process. Here’s what’s behind the microdosing trend, plus what healthcare providers who prescribe these medications want you to keep in mind before going rogue. 

Why are people microdosing Ozempic?

There are a few reasons why people microdose Ozempic (or similar medications) and a lot is linked to the potential downsides of using these drugs, says Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. 

A big downside for many people is cost. Ozempic can run you nearly $1,000 for one month’s worth of medication without insurance coverage. “Sometimes it’s cheaper to take a lower dose, or to space out doses—then you can buy it less frequently,” Ali points out. This allows people who use the drug to stretch their budget, ultimately paying less than they would if they took the standard dose on the typical schedule. 

Others may be concerned about common side effects, which can include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, constipation, and diarrhea. But the standard pace of using the medication, which starts people at a low dose before moving to higher doses, is designed to lower the risk of having side effects, says Dana Cohen, MD, functional medicine physician and co-author of the book, FuelUp. “You can still have side effects with microdosing, but they may be less,” she says. 

Some people use microdosing as a way to try to get the best results with the least amount of medication. “People think that less is more. If you’re getting the same effect, why not use less?” Dr. Cohen says. 

Finally, microdosing may also be used to help people who have smaller weight loss goals, says Rekha Kumar, MD, an endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medicine and chief medical officer at digital health platform, Found. 

How exactly do people microdose Ozempic?

The short answer? It depends. Some will use compounded pharmacies, which were previously legally allowed to sell their own versions of semaglutide (the generic name for Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (the generic name for Zepbound and Mounjaro). With these medications, people would often use a syringe, allowing for better control over their dosing. “Microdosing came from doctor and patient requests,” Dr. Cohen says. 

But the FDA recently removed semaglutide and tirzepatide from its drug shortages list, which means that compounding pharmacies are no longer allowed to legally sell these medications. (The FDA said in a statement that its agents will not take action against compounding pharmacies until March 19 for those selling tirzepatide and May 22 for semaglutide.)

While the brand-name versions of these drugs—which are legal—are dispensed with an auto-injector pen, Dr. Cohen says it’s possible to hack this to get a different dose. “You can play around with those pen clicks. You don’t need to click it all the way to get the full dose,” she says. “You’re supposed to, but not everyone does.”

What are the benefits of the microdosing trend, anyway?

It’s important to stress that there is no current scientific data or research on microdosing injectable weight-loss drugs. As a result, it’s hard for healthcare providers to say for sure what the perks of microdosing actually are. 

“I know some patients microdose, but this hasn’t been well-studied,” Dr. Ali says. “Patients will sometimes use the medication the way they feel they want to.” 

But some people may be able to get the results they want with fewer side effects by going this route, according to Dr. Kumar. “Anecdotally, we’re seeing strong results and responses from patients trying microdosing,” she says. “For patients who have sensitive guts, we sometimes see discontinuing care due to uncomfortable side effects. With the option for microdosing, we are able to address these needs early on, improving adherence and, as a result, health outcomes.”

But a big potential perk of microdosing is the impact on cost, Dr. Cohen says. “These medications are expensive,” she says. “People are trying to get the most out of them by not having the full dose.”

But, there are risks to keep in mind

A big drawback of this trend is that GLP-1 receptor agonists aren’t designed to be microdosed. “There are no official rules about any of this right now,” Dr. Cohen says. And, if someone is using a compounded version of the medication for microdosing, “it’s not entirely legal and certainly not ethical,” says Sarah Fishman, MD, PhD, an endocrinologist and weight loss physician at Premier Endocrine in New York City. 

While Dr. Ali says you’re unlikely to get sick if you microdose with an FDA-approved medication, it just may not work. “Mainly, we don’t see this as effective,” he says. “Patients may get frustrated and aren’t seeing the results they want.”

Dr. Cohen reiterates that you may still have side effects while microdosing Ozempic—and that it’s unclear whether the medication will have a positive impact on your health at low doses. “If you have obesity or you have diabetes and you’re not dosing properly, you won’t get your blood sugar down,” she says. 

The bottom line

So, what now? If you’re interested in going on Ozempic or a similar medication but have concerns about the cost, side effects, or both, talk to a healthcare provider. Dr. Ali points out that some drug companies offer discounted coupons to allow you to get a lower price for a set period of time, and others are rolling out vials of medications that are cheaper than the auto-injector pans. While these medications are never going to be cheap, they may be more affordable than you think.

And trends aside, experts express that it's important to only take medications as you're prescribed. Your healthcare provider should be able to help guide you through the process to make it as easy and painless on you—and your wallet—as possible.