Can Ozempic help you lose weight if you have PCOS?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, aka PCOS, impacts 1 out of 10 women in India. This number roughly translates to around 10 to 24 per cent of Indian women. The excessive hair on the face, irregular periods, acne – everything ends up being one hell of a ride for women with PCOS.
However, out of all the symptoms of PCOS, the worst one that impacts a lot of them is the difficulty of losing weight. This is because PCOS can cause your body to make too much insulin, which leads to a build-up of fat.

PCOS often causes an imbalance in hormones, particularly elevated levels of androgens like testosterone. Photo: Getty Images

To solve this, experts IRL, and experts on Instagram, often suggest various ways to effectively lose weight, through strict diets and workouts. However, Ozempic is seemingly becoming the newest way to lose weight (thanks to social media), for not only people who are obese but also for PCOS, promising a much faster way to lose that excess fat.
But let’s start from the basics.
Dr Anjana Singh, the director of obstetrics and gynaecology at Fortis Hospital, Noida tells India Today that PCOS is a hormonal disorder causing enlarged ovaries with small cysts on the outer edges.
To know if you’ve PCOS, Dr Singh suggests looking for various symptoms like unexplained weight gain, excessive hair on the face and chin, discolouration of skin in the neck, and missed periods.

The stress associated with managing PCOS symptoms can lead to emotional eating or bingeing, further adding to weight gain. Photo: Getty Images

If you experience such symptoms, you can take several tests to confirm that you’ve PCOS.
In India, there are numerous tests like the good old ultrasound (pelvic or transvaginal) to check for ovarian cysts or some blood tests to measure hormones like testosterone. You can also take tests like glucose tolerance, lipid profile, and thyroid function tests to figure out if you’ve PCOS.
Losing weight when you’ve PCOS is not an easy task. Dr Singh says that since PCOS is a hormonal disorder, it can be difficult to lose weight with PCOS due to a number of factors, including:
Insulin resistance
Hormonal imbalances
Sleep disturbances
High-stress level
All these factors often make it difficult for women to lose weight. But according to Instagram, there might be an easy – albeit expensive – way out: using Ozempic. But first, let us tell you…
If you’re not living under a rock, you must have heard about Ozempic, the ‘miracle drug’ that’s been making waves and helping people shed weight. Dr Sanjay Agarwal, Head of the Department of Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolic Diseases at Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospital, Pune, explains:
We spoke to various experts, and according to them, since Ozempic has shown promising results for weight loss, it can potentially also help women who are suffering from PCOS.
Dr Tushar Tayal, consultant, internal medicine at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, says, “Yes, Ozempic may help with weight loss in individuals with PCOS.”
He adds this is because Ozempic is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, initially developed to manage Type 2 diabetes.
“It works by slowing gastric emptying, reducing appetite, and increasing feelings of fullness, which can lead to weight loss. For people with PCOS, particularly those with insulin resistance, Ozempic may help improve weight loss outcomes and aid in insulin sensitivity,” Dr Tayal says.

Ozempic, the ‘miracle drug’ has making waves and helping people lose weight. Photo: Unsplash

Dr Kiran Coelho, obstetrician and gynaecologist at Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai agrees. She says, “According to the evidence available, Ozempic can help PCOS women with weight loss, improve insulin sensitivity and hormonal imbalance, lower androgen levels, relieve symptoms such as irregular menses, and acne, and reduce excessive hair growth.”
However, both the experts agree, we need more studies to be sure. Moreover, Ozempic also comes with tons of side effects.
Dr Coelho lists a few side effects of Ozempic, like:
Some anecdotes reveal that people tend to regain all the weight – and sometimes even more – once they stop taking Ozempic.
Other side effects include muscle loss, and although rare, Ozempic might also cause:
Experts say that there are various ways to lose weight, and even though losing weight with PCOS is very difficult it is not impossible.
Dr Singh says that one can use ‘insulin sensitisers’ for treating insulin resistance in PCOS. “Insulin sensitisers, such as metformin, are commonly used to manage insulin resistance, a core issue in PCOS,” she says.
Spironolactone, an anti-androgen medication, is often prescribed to reduce excessive facial and body hair (hirsutism) in women with PCOS, according to Dr Singh. It works by blocking the effects of androgens on the skin, which helps slow down hair growth and reduce acne.
Finally, Dr Nandini Joshi, a consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at Fernandez Hospital, Hyderabad, can primarily manage weight by making a few lifestyle changes. These include following a healthy diet and exercising for at least 45 minutes five days a week. Irregular sleep patterns can also exacerbate hormonal imbalance.
It is essential to treat PCOS by understanding the symptoms and adaptation of a healthy lifestyle.
Be informed about your health and seek treatment at the right time to avoid long-term health impacts caused by PCOS.
Understand that managing PCOS and losing weight with it could be a slow journey, but it is possible and essential for your health. Be patient, take expert advice, and you will see changes in your body eventually.