Ozempic (Semaglutide) is a diabetes medication that is sometimes prescribed off-label as an anti-obesity treatment because appetite suppression is one of the benefits.
Unlike most of the other medications for chronic weight management doctors often prescribe, such as Phentermine and Xenical, you do not take Ozempic by mouth. Nor do you need to take it every day. Ozempic is a weekly medication you self-administer via injection.
Alternatives to Ozempic Over the Counter and Online
These are the over the counter diet pills that work best as safe alternatives to Ozempic:
However, Ozempic does have one thing in common with the weight loss drugs that are FDA-approved for use in the USA. It can cause side effects.
Serious issues are rare, but Ozempic is known to present a risk of kidney harm. It also has the potential to inflame the pancreas.
Fortunately, most people who experience side effects while using Ozempic only have to contend with minor issues such as changes in bowel movement and nausea or vomiting.
Regardless of the severity, side effects are never a welcome part of any medical treatment. Many people who are offered the opportunity to use Ozempic for weight management and lower blood sugar choose to use milder over the counter (OTC) alternatives instead.
Most of the best over the counter alternatives to Ozempic were created for people seeking OTC diet pills to use instead of Phentermine.
Like Ozempic, Phentermine is a prescription appetite suppressant that has the potential to cause dangerous side effects. It’s been available via prescription since the 1950s and there has always been a big demand for effective diet pills that are safer to use. [1]
Back in the 1950s, OTC diet pills were pretty poor. That was more than half a century ago. People who need to reduce body fat and get their weight under control in the 21st Century have superior options available to them and all the best ones have lengthy money-back guarantees.
Top 3 Best OTC Alternatives to Ozempic
Here are the best natural substitutes that can be used instead of Ozempic. All three can be ordered online or over the counter.
#1. PhenQ – Leading Ozempic Alternative
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Although PhenQ is popular with dieters of all types, it was originally developed to help people who wanted to lose weight without using a pharmaceutical drug. PhenQ is often described as Phentermine over the counter replacement. It’s an all-natural supplement that offers equal benefits to people seeking natural alternatives to Ozempic.
PhenQ was launched in 2015. At the time, it was the only OTC diet pill with a 60-day money-back guarantee. That got a lot of attention and, as the success stories began flooding in, so did the orders. It was a runaway success and has already clocked up more than 190,000 satisfied customers.
PhenQ is more versatile than Ozempic (or Phentermine) because it does more than suppress appetite. It supports weight loss in four other ways as well. One of the things it does is boost metabolism to help you to burn extra calories throughout the day.
The supplement’s ability to control hunger makes it easier to maintain the calorie shortage that’s necessary to encourage fat burning. Faster metabolism increases the calorie shortage helping to set the human fat-burning machine into overdrive.
PhenQ Benefits
- Suppresses hunger and cravings
- Increases metabolism and fat burning
- Fights fatigue
- Inhibits fat cell creation
- Improves mood
PhenQ Ingredient Highlights
The PhenQ weight loss formula consists of seven carefully selected ingredients. In all cases, their weight loss-enhancing capabilities are backed by science.
One of the key ingredients is a-Lacys Reset. It’s a cutting-edge proprietary blend of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and cysteine.
Even when it’s acting alone, ALA can deliver a reasonable level of fat loss.[2]
However, the unique pairing turns up the heat to deliver even better results along with modest improvement in muscle mass.
Because it’s new and other OTC diet pills do not have it, many people believe a-Lacys Rest is the most important ingredient in PhenQ. That’s not true. They are all important.
For instance, much of the formulation’s hunger-crushing ability is due to nopal. It’s a concentrate taken from Caralluma fimbriata cactus flesh.
Research is highly supportive of using nopal for appetite suppression and for helping waist sizes become smaller. [3, 4]
Cayenne is another top natural appetite suppressant that’s present in PhenQ. It’s provided via a high-potency branded ingredient called Capsimax.
Cayenne is more versatile than any of the other ingredients in PhenQ. That includes a-Lacys Reset. In addition to taking away hunger, the capsaicin in this hot pepper increases metabolism and delivers other notable benefits, including discouraging the body to store extra fat. [5]
PhenQ Pros & Cons
Pros
- Research-backed formulation
- Provides multiple weight loss benefits
- Does not have any known side effects
- Excellent customer reviews
- You can buy 2 bottles and get 1 free
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Only available via the official website
- Sometimes unavailable due to high demand
#2. Phen 24
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If you decide to use Phen 24 as an alternative to Ozempic, you will be getting two products for the price of one. It’s a two-part weight loss system that consists of two different formulas: Phen 24 Day + Phen 24 Night.
You take one Phen 24 Day capsule with your breakfast and two Phen 24 Night capsules with your evening meal.
Both supplements suppress hunger but the nighttime version is more powerful to help prevent the desire for late-night snacks. When you are trying to lose weight, eating before bed is one of the worst things for holding you back.
Both supplements also provide metabolism boosters to help you to burn fat faster. However, Phen 24 Day boosts energy. Phen 24 Night does not. It has a mild tranquilizing effect instead that aids restful sleep.
Phen 24 Benefits
- Suppresses hunger (night and day)
- Fights diet-related fatigue
- Improves sleep quality
- Delivers 24-hour improvements in metabolism and fat burning
Phen 24 Ingredient Highlights
The daytime formulation gets most of its energy-boosting capabilities from caffeine. However, unlike many other OTC diet pills, it does not go over the top.
Phen 24 Day provides enough caffeine to help keep you feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed but it’s not enough to make the average person go hypo or start bouncing off the walls.
In addition to being one of the best natural ingredients for boosting energy, caffeine is also a proven fat burner so it’s a very useful ingredient to have. [6]
As with PhenQ, much of Phen 24’s appetite-suppressing prowess comes courtesy of cayenne [5].
The same is true for its fat-burning capabilities but cayenne is only present in the daytime formula. Phen 24 Night has green tea extract instead.
Like cayenne, green tea is a powerful natural fat burner. The catechins (antioxidants) it provides are also good for the heart. [7]
Phen 24 Night provides hops extract too, along with a generous dose of glucomannan.
Hops Extract adds value to the nighttime formula in a couple of areas. The first thing it does is aid relaxation and sleep. [8]
The second thing hops extract does is enhance belly fat reduction while you are busy bagging ZZZZs. [9]
Glucomannan is present to prevent evening snacking and nighttime hunger. It’s a water-soluble fiber that expands inside the stomach to make it feel full. Research proves glucomannan’s ability to provide significant body weight reductions in obese and overweight adults. [10]
Phen 24 Pros & Cons
Pros
- Provides proven ingredients
- Supports around-the-clock improvements in fat loss
- Does not have any known side effects
- You can buy three treatments for the price of two
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Only available from the manufacturer’s website
#3. Zotrim
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Zotrim is an OTC appetite suppressant made in the UK. Although it’s not as versatile as the other pills you could choose instead of Ozempic it has a longstanding reputation for providing credible, long-lasting weight loss results.
The manufacturer is very proud of Zotrim’s abilities and quite rightly so. The supplement has outperformed three prescription drugs in clinical trials. That fact alone draws a lot of attention.
However, although Zotrim is a very credible Ozempic alternative, due to their greater versatility, the previous two options will work faster.
Zotrim Benefits
- Suppresses hunger and cravings
- Helps prevent snacking
Zotrim Ingredients Highlights
The Zotrim diet pill formulation provides six ingredients including yerba mate, guarana, and damiana. All three of them are sourced from plants.
Research conducted at the University of Liverpool shows this combination has a synergy that causes a “robust short-term effect on caloric intake.” [10]
Zotrim Pros & Cons
Pros
- Provides a combination of ingredients that is proven to suppress hunger
- The pills have outperformed prescription drugs
- Option to get 3 boxes for the price of two
- 100-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Less versatile than the other top Ozempic alternatives
- Only available from the Zotrim website
What Is Ozempic and How Do You Use It?
Ozempic injectable medication provides the drug Semaglutide. It was developed by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and has been an FDA-approved diabetes treatment since 2017.
The prescription drug is distributed in a special “pen” that provides several doses via disposable needles that fit on the end. You use the needles once and then throw them away.
When using this drug, it’s important to inject it just under the skin. Never into a vein or muscle.
The initial dose is 0.25 mg per week. Presuming there are no severe side effects, the dose increases to 0.5 mg on week 5.
After a further four weeks, the dose increases to 1 mg of Semaglutide. The maximum dose is 2 mg per week, but not all users need to take that much.
How Does Ozempic Help You to Lose Weight?
Ozempic suppress appetite. It’s not designed to do this. It’s one of the main side effects. The medication is intended for people with type 2 diabetes.
The main ingredient (Semeglutide) stimulates insulin secretion to lower blood glucose levels. Most good diabetes medications work this way.
Low Blood Sugar
For people with diabetes, keeping blood sugar levels under control is essential. Uncontrolled blood sugar can lead to serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage. One way to help keep blood sugar levels under control and to lower blood sugar levels is to eat a healthy diet and exercise.
A diet that is low in sugar and simple carbohydrates can help to stabilize blood sugar levels. In addition, regular exercise can also help to control blood sugar levels.
Exercise helps the body to better use insulin, and it also helps to burn off excess glucose in the bloodstream. By making some simple lifestyle changes, people with diabetes can help to keep their blood sugar levels under control and reduce their risk of serious complications.
Whether it’s intentional or not, the medication’s ability to reduce hunger allows it to offer value to people who are trying to lose weight.
To be effective, weight management diets need to provide severe reductions in calorie intake. Such reductions can be difficult to live with because they often result in acute hunger.
By reducing hunger, Ozempic helps people who use it to maintain the calorie shortage that’s required to force the body to start burning its fat to get energy.
Because of this, some doctors prescribe Ozempic off-label as an anti-obesity treatment.
Does Ozempic Have Any Side Effects?
Ozempic has the potential to cause a variety of side effects.
Some of the most common ones include:
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
Ozempic side effects that are more serious may include:
- Fainting
- Vision changes
- Inflamed pancreas
- Changes in heart rate
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing
If you are thinking of using Ozempic, you also need to be aware that animal-based research suggests it may increase the risk of tumors and cancer. [12]
Ozempic Alternatives Over the the Counter Summary
Ozempic is a prescription medication to treat diabetes. It contains Semaglutide and can also suppress appetite.
Although Ozempic is an FDA-approved medication that can support weight loss by reducing hunger, there are good arguments for using over the counter alternatives instead.
Like a lot of prescription medications, Ozempic can cause side effects. Some of them, such as inflammation of the pancreas, are alarming.
The fact that you have injected the medication instead of taking it orally does not work in its favor either. Many people have an aversion to needles and having to use them on yourself is always bad news.
This article provides details about the three best over the counter alternatives to Ozempic. All of them are oral supplements that provide proven ingredients and have money-back guarantees.
In providing this information, we are not trying to put anyone off using Ozempic to promote weight loss. We are only drawing attention to the top natural alternatives and highlighting the reasons why they are so good.
Sources of Reference
1. Topiramate And Phentermine: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482165/
2. Alpha-Lipoic Acid (Ala) As a Supplementation for Weight Management: Results From a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5523816/
3. Effect of Caralluma fimbriata extract on appetite, food intake and anthropometry in adult Indian men and women – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17097761/
4. The Effect of an Orally-Dosed Caralluma Fimbriata Extract on Appetite Control and Body Composition in Overweight Adults: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7991653/
5. Dietary capsaicin and its anti-obesity potency: from mechanism to clinical implications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5426284/
6. Normal Caffeine Consumption: Influence on Thermogenesis and Daily Energy Expenditure in Lean and Postobese Human Volunteers: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2912010/
7. A Green Tea Extract High in Catechins Reduces Body Fat and Cardiovascular Risks in Humans: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17557985/
8. The Sedative Effects of Hops (Humulus Lupulus), a Component of Beer, on the Activity/Rest Rhythm: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22849837/
9. Matured Hop Extract Reduces Body Fat in Healthy Overweight Humans: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Parallel Group Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4784395/
10. Effects of Glucomannan Supplementation on Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2451847620300968
11. Acute Effects of a Herb Extract Formulation and Inulin Fibre on Appetite, Energy Intake and Food Choice: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23207186/
12. Semaglutide Injection: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a618008.html
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