I'm a Pharmacist and Here Are 4 Things You Should Never Do on Ozempic This Holiday Season

Do you think of your pharmacist as a highly knowledgeable healthcare expert? If not, it's time to reconsider. Pharmacists are extensively trained professionals with deep expertise in medications, drug interactions, and potential side effects treatments can cause. Understanding possible drug interactions is especially important if you have preexisting conditions. Even many healthy foods like grapefruit, leafy greens such as kale and spinach, and dairy products can interfere with certain meds and potentially lead to side effects like drowsiness or internal bleeding.

With the popularity of weight-loss drugs on the rise, we spoke with Abbas Kanani, Superintendent Pharmacist with Chemist Click, who shares four things you should never do when taking Ozempic this holiday season and beyond.

"Typically, the time you eat, your portion sizes, sleep duration and quality, hydration, and alcohol intake all change at once, which can disrupt the digestive system and put people at increased risk of side effects," Kanani stresses.

You should never drink on an empty stomach, but this advice is especially important when navigating weight-loss medication during the holidays. After all, 'tis the season for festive dinner parties, cocktail hours, cookie swaps with spiked eggnog, and more. Alcohol is essentially everywhere this time of year.

In order to safeguard your health and avoid potential side effects, make sure to consume a healthy meal before indulging in merry cocktails.

According to Kanani, "Food helps stabilize your blood sugar and reduces the risks of side effects."

Between work deadlines and festive gatherings, it can be easy to push sleep to the back-burner. But ignoring healthy sleep habits—such as getting seven to nine hours of uninterrupted Z's and sleeping in a cool, dark room—can wreak havoc on your progress.

"Even small amounts can disturb sleep, leaving you tired and less likely to make healthy choices or exercise which can affect your weight loss journey process," Kanani explains.

The holidays are a prime time to prepare some of our favorite comfort foods, but Kanani cautions about overindulging.

"Overindludge in heavy / unhealthy meals [can] overwhelm a slowed digestive system, leading to uncomfortable side effects. Smaller portions and pacing yourself are much better tolerated while using GLP-1s," Kanani points out.

Don't forget to hydrate! If remembering throughout the day is challenging, there are tons of reusable water bottles with time markings that can make the habit effortless.

"GLP-1s can reduce thirst, and busy holiday schedules plus alcohol increase the risk of dehydration, which can also worsen  side effects," Kanani explains. "Sip water regularly throughout the day and alongside any alcohol."

​​If you're wondering what else GLP-1s can do, check out the 5 Surprising Health Benefits of GLP-1 Drugs That Have Nothing to Do With Weight Loss.