Comparing Rybelsus vs. Ozempic
What is Rybelsus?
Rybelsus (semaglutide) is a prescription medication used for the treatment of obesity, along with diet and exercise. Rybelsus is taken as a once-daily pill and can be used in combination with other weight loss medications. It is important to note that Rybelsus is only available with a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider and should be used as directed.
How does Rybelsus work?
Rybelsus is also a prescription only medicine that is licensed for aiding weight loss and type 2 diabetes. Rybelsus come in a tablet form and are available in the 3 different strengths, 3mg, 7mg an 14mg to be taken once daily. The dosage is gradually increased overtime to maintain and encourage weight loss in a healthy way.
What are the benefits of Rybelsus?
Just like Ozempic, Rybelsus has many benefits of its own. The first and possibly most important one is that it has also proven to be effective in clinical trials. In one study, patients that were on Rybelsus to manage their type 2 diabetes lost up to 10% of their body weight after 52 weeks of treatment. Furthermore, Rybelsus is much easier to take than Ozempic because it is in the form of a daily tablet rather than a weekly injection which can remove the anxiety around needles and even forgetting about your previous injection site.
What are the side effects of Rybelsus?
Medicines are always going to have side effects. The side effects of taking Rybelsus include, feeling sick, vomiting, discomfort in the stomach, acid reflux and heartburn, bloating and flatulence, gastritis and constipation. These are considered common side effects and are able to go away on their own. If you are on other medicine, such as Metformin (which is licensed for type-2 diabetes), there is a higher risk of experiencing low blood sugar. If you notice the following symptoms listed on the NHS website, be sure to increase your sugar intake or get immediate medical help.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a prescription only medicine which is used to treat both type 2 diabetes as well as aiding weight loss. It comes in the form of an injectable pen which can be administered once a week. Ozempic is available through prescription only in the following strengths: 0.25mg, 0.5mg and 1mg.
How does Ozempic work?
It is comprised of the drug Semaglutide. Semaglutide, which is also found in other weight loss medicines such as WeGovy, is known as a GLP-1 agonist (glucagon-like peptide agonist). Once injected into the body through the injection site, Semaglutide binds itself to GLP-1 receptors within the endocrine pancreas, which causes it to stimulate further secretion of insulin and suppresses secretion of glucagon making it an appropriate drug for type 2 diabetes. In regards to weight loss, with this change in hormones, it can also slow down the process of gastric emptying in the stomach, meaning that the patient will stay fuller for longer, resulting in less calorie intake and a reduction in weight when coupled with a good diet and exercise routine.
What are the benefits of Ozempic?
Aside from being able to be prescribed to patients if they can reach certain requirements, such as having a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 30, Ozempic has a few key benefits. The main one being that Ozempic is a weekly injections, meaning that the stress of remembering to take your injection every day, like with Saxenda, is removed. This makes it easier to take and stick to taking Ozempic. Also, Ozempic boasts effectiveness from many clinical trials, making the medical efficacy of Ozempic more trustworthy which is why it is used and praised by many people who use it.
What are the side effects of Ozempic?
All medicines are susceptible to side effects. Ozempic’s common side effects include vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea or constipation and abdominal pain (long lasting cramps), More serious side effects can be found on Novo-Nordisk’s website for Ozempic. If you find yourself experiencing these side effects, then please seek medical help immediately.
What works better, Rybelsus or Ozempic?
In summary, both medicines are comprised of the same drug Semaglutide. It is difficult to say which medicine boasts better results than the other because they are made up of the same active ingredient and only involve different dosage amounts and different forms of application. If injecting once a week is easier for you, then Ozempic may be your best option. However, if you’re looking to take a tablet daily then Rybelsus will be your best bet. However, it will be the doctors or prescribers decision to advise which route will be best for you to take when getting involved with these medicines. As long as you use them in conjunction with a balanced diet and exercise regime, it is just a matter of watching your weight decrease over time.
Where can I buy Rybelsus or Ozempic?
Rybelsus is not yet available on Pharmacy Planet, but will be available in future. However, you can find Ozempic online in the UK on Pharmacy Planet. All you have to do is fill in an easy online clinical consultation and our clinical team will do the rest and get your order to your door.
Authored By
HARMINDER ‘HARMY’ KAUR
BSc(hons) Pharmacy
GPhC Number: 2061107
Reviewed By
GURDEV SEHMI
BSc Pharm, MRPharmS, Independent Prescriber, Superintendent Pharmacist, Clinical Lead
GPhC Number: 2050925