Disturbing Health Reason Amy Schumer QUIT Taking Ozempic — Despite Dropping 30 Pounds on 'Miracle' Weight Loss Drug and 'Looking Great'
Amy Schumer discussed her negative reaction to Ozempic.
Jan. 31 2025, Published 1:45 p.m. ET
Amy Schumer has confessed she had no qualms about taking Ozempic – boasting she lost 30 pounds on the miracle drug.
But RadarOnline.com can reveal the comedian had a serious reason she was forced to stop.
The comedian revealed the drug made her nauseous and zapped her energy.
Schumer, 43, stopped by Howard Stern's satellite radio show for a chat, where the host brought up the weight loss drug craze.
Though she revealed her big weight loss, the Trainwreck star said it came at a cost: "So, I tried Ozempic almost three years ago and I was like, bedridden. I was like, vomiting – and then you have no energy."
Schumer later discovered she has a gene known as GDF15, which makes you extremely prone to nausea. She explained that was why she felt so sick during her pregnancy.
Looking "great" while on the drug simply wasn't worth the tradeoff.
The actress said: "I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow, so what’s the point?"
Worse, her negative reaction started to take a toll on her family as well – especially her five-year-old son, Gene.
Schumer told Stern: "I tried it and I was vomiting and I’m in bed and my son’s like, 'Can you play tag?' I'm like, 'I can’t.'
"I was shriveling."
Still Schumer advised that her experience was rare, and said if people are seeing positive results from the shots, it's worth it.
"Other people take it and they’re all good. God bless them," she explained.
Schumer said she lost 30 pounds on Ozempic.
Yet, Schumer's feelings of nausea have been echoed by other, amid weight loss drugs boom in popularity – and sales.
The medications were initially approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017 to treat type 2 diabetes. But they are commonly prescribed "off-label" for weight loss, which often isn't covered by insurance and can cost upwards of $1,200 a month.
One-in-eight Americans report having tried them, and 15 million adults, or 6% of the nationwide total, are taking a semaglutide pharmaceutical such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Rybelsus – or a similar-acting class of drugs called tirzepatides sold under brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.
But sources warn semaglutide comes with possible side effects – including severe nausea, vomiting, gallstones, constipation, kidney disease and even thyroid cancer and suicidal thoughts – which have triggered a tidal wave of lawsuits across the country.
A spokesperson for Ozempic and Wegovy creator Novo Nordisk said patient safety is its top priority and points out the FDA found no evidence that semaglutide meds cause suicidal thoughts or actions.
She also was a supporter of the drug for others who don't share her same restrictions.
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However, an investigation into the so-called "game-changing" treatments reveals that the self-injected substances are not necessarily the miracle workers that a conga line of celebrity testimonials would have everyone believe.
One problem is that semaglutide drugs – which trick the brain into believing the stomach is full by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone – need to be taken in perpetuity.
Dr. Gaurav Bharti, a plastic surgeon in Charlotte, North Carolina, asked: "While advancements have made these medications more effective with fewer side effects, the question remains – should someone rely on medication indefinitely to maintain a healthy lifestyle?"
"Ideally, the answer is no."
