It has the strongest evidence for alcohol use disorder, and VA/DoD and APA guidelines recommend it as a first- or second-line treatment
Related article: When Do Your Ozempic Pens Expire
Joshua Silva, MD Nov 7, 2025 13 min read Updated: Apr 17 Medically authored by Joshua Silva, MD | Evidence-Based Weight Loss at Potere Health MD As GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP medications such as semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) continue to transform medical weight management, one question comes up repeatedly: Do these medications cause muscle lossor even muscle wasting
Key Points Using expired semaglutide (Ozempic or Wegovy) is not recommended due to reduced effectiveness and potential safety risks Semaglutide is stable for 36 months when refrigerated unopened, but only 6-8 weeks after first use Unlike many medications, biologics like semaglutide can lose potency quickly after expiration Expired semaglutide may not control blood sugar or support weight loss as effectively due to dose-dependent benefits Found an old Ozempic or Wegovy pen in your fridge
Month 2-3 The Stabilization Phase Gas frequency typically decreases to 4-8 episodes daily, with somewhat more predictable timing related to meals
Crucially, the positive predictive value of elevated amylase and lipase for actual pancreatitis was less than 1%