Women on Ozempic claim the drug banishes period pain... and some doctors agree

Young women have taken to social media to rave about yet another, little-known  benefit of the weight loss drug Ozempic. It is helping them cope with painful periods. 

The blockbuster drug, which can help overweight and obese patients shed 16 pounds in a few months, has recently been lauded as a remedy for a wide range of ailments and conditions - to heart conditions and even mental health problems.

And now, patients have identified yet another use: relieving agonizing menstrual cramps.

In January, a young woman who goes by the name of cgo_of_me shared a video in which she details that she lost 90 pounds on the drug over the past two and a half years. 

When she stopped, her period returned quickly, with a vengeance. 

'This has to be the most painful period I've had in the past two and a half years,' she said.

She claims that the drug helped regulate her menstrual cycle, as she suffers irregular periods as a result of the common reproductive condition, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). 

And according to the scores of comments on her videos, she's not alone.

'Omg same I’ve been off eight weeks worst period and ovulation,' wrote one woman, while another added: 'I’ve lost my period with Ozempic!' a user named Michelle added.

TikTok user M. Wright commented on the video 'it [Ozempic] helps my PCOS and I think it’s definitely helping how awful my periods are.'

Other women have taken to social media to report similar effects; lighter, less painful periods.

In March, one young woman named Ashley, who has 91,000 followers on TikTok, posted a clip explaining that, as well as improving her confidence, Ozempic had given her, 'regular cycles and balanced hormones.' 

Elsewhere on the forum website Reddit, thousands of comments from women tell of changes to their periods on Ozempic - with many citing reduced pain and lighter flows.

But what does the science say?

One doctor who has a theory as to how Ozempic may affect menstrual cycles is Dr Myra Ahmed, who specializes in obesity medicine and is based in San Francisco.

In a video posted to her TikTok channel, where she has 24,000 followers, she explains that it may be to do with the loss of fat cells that happens when you take the drug.

Ozempic and similar drugs are what's known as GLP-1 agonists, which means they trigger the release of a hormone called GLP-1 that promotes fullness and curbs hunger.

When people lose weight on the drug they also lose fat cells, which can contain hormones, like estrogen that are part of regulating a woman's monthly cycle - including the intensity of cramps. 

When you have an excess of fat tissue, she said, you may have more of these hormones and that can disrupt the cycle and also increase cramps.

Some nine million prescroptions for GLP-1 agonists are written every three months in the US, according to recent data.

 In particular, high levels of hormones called prostaglandins can increase the normal squeezing or contraction of the muscle in the wall of the uterus.

 'GLP-1 medications and other anti-obesity medications help to reverse that cycle and get some of these [hormones' under control],' said Dr Ahmed.

Doctors have highlighted that most women who report menstrual changes on the drug suffer from the common reproductive condition, polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. 

Estimated to affect five million US women, PCOS is characterized by irregular and often painful periods, increased testosterone and small cyst-like growths that form on the ovaries. 

Symptoms range from excess facial hair growth to obesity to acne. It's also been linked to infertility and diabetes, according to the CDC. 

Providers have been prescribing semaglutide - the drug in Ozempic - off-label for years because it provides benefits to PCOS patients.

One Dr. Andrea Dunaif, an endocrinologist at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City told NBC that 'GLP-1 agonists are very promising for the treatment of PCOS in affected women with overweight or obesity.'

Even with individual doctors and a bevy of patients noticing the affect, the connection between PCOS, the menstrual cycle and GLP-1 agonists has not been confirmed by experts.

However, US doctors are currently running clinical trials in both women and girls to investigate how the medication can be used in treating PCOS. 

In 2023, an Italian study showed that semaglutide helped 80 percent of the 27 participants with PCOS lose weight and regulate their periods. 

Further, the Italian scientists detailed in the paper, these people had been resistant to previous PCOS treatments.