JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Ozempic (semaglutide) has received widespread attention for its appetite-suppressing effects, prompting extensive off-label use for weight loss. Although gastrointestinal side effects are well documented, little is known about how patients evaluate the trade-off between perceived benefits and adverse effects, or how these evaluations influence treatment discontinuation.

Objective:

This study aimed to apply a novel infoveillance approach to examine patient-reported experiences with Ozempic when used off-label for weight loss, and to identify the factors most strongly associated with user satisfaction and treatment discontinuation.

Methods:

We analyzed 60 publicly available user reviews of Ozempic from Drugs.com, focusing on lived experiences of off-label use for weight loss. Reviews were examined through inductive thematic analysis, and emergent themes were quantitatively linked to user ratings of perceived efficacy and intent to continue or discontinue treatment.

Results:

While 80% of reviewers reported gastrointestinal complaints, these side effects had limited influence on satisfaction ratings or treatment continuation. Positive evaluations were driven by satisfaction with weight loss outcomes, whereas negative evaluations were associated with either disappointing weight outcomes or severe non-gastrointestinal side effects. Dissatisfaction with weight loss emerged as the strongest predictor of treatment discontinuation.

Conclusions:

This study introduces a novel application of infoveillance methods to capture patient attitudes toward off-label use of Ozempic. By analyzing unsolicited, real-world data, we identified key drivers of satisfaction and discontinuation that may be missed by traditional clinical approaches. These findings highlight the utility of online health forums as a rich and underutilized source of patient-centered insights to inform obesity treatment strategies, adherence interventions, and public health communication. Clinical Trial: N/A