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Home / Lifestyle

Plastic surgeon and reality star Dr Terry Dubrow reveals why he ‘quit’ Ozempic

NZ Herald
23 Jan, 2024 09:19 PM3 mins to read

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Dr Dubrow has revealed why he tried the popular weight-loss drug - and why he quit it. Photo / Getty Images

Dr Dubrow has revealed why he tried the popular weight-loss drug - and why he quit it. Photo / Getty Images

A cosmetic surgeon who made a name for himself on a hit reality show has opened up about his use of a weight-loss drug he dubbed a “miracle” and why he decided to quit it.

Dr Terry Dubrow, who features on the television series Botched, decided to take Ozempic as he wanted to experience the treatment so many of his patients are on.

However, while he maintains the medication is life-changing for those who struggle with their weight, Dubrow revealed he ultimately “quit” the drug after he started suffering side effects, reports news.com.au.

“I’ve tried it. I thought it was amazing. I … didn’t have that much weight to lose,” the 65-year-old shared with Page Six while promoting the eighth season of his reality show, which also features Dr Paul Nassif.

“But I wanted to try it because so many of my patients were on it, and I wanted to see what it was like when you’re not diabetic and you only have 10-15lb (4.5kg – 7kg) to lose,” he shared, adding that he struggled with “some side effects” after taking Ozempic.

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Regardless, Dubrow affirmed that he is a “huge fan” of the popular drug, which has an ever-growing clientele of celebrities using it to lose weight.

Dr Terry Dubrow and Dr Paul Nassif with Narinesingh on the set of Botched. Photo / E!
Dr Terry Dubrow and Dr Paul Nassif with Narinesingh on the set of Botched. Photo / E!

“I think it’s a miracle,” he revealed. “The biggest breakthrough in medical history.”

The reality star got candid about his experience with the drug, saying that an accelerated slim-down wasn’t worth the “low-grade nausea” and, more importantly, a disinterest in food.

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“I thought, ‘You know what, I kind of want to get my appetite back. The holidays are coming, I want to enjoy myself’,” he reflected.

“You go on vacation, maybe you don’t exercise, you eat too much.

“It was kind of like, ‘Well, I want to go on a food vacation’, meaning I want to be able to eat again.”

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A post shared by drdubrow (@drdubrow)

Ozempic is one of the brand names for semaglutide — also called Wegovy — which affects the brain by maintaining satiety and suppressing a person’s appetite.

The medication has also received backlash due to its bad side effects, which include nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting.

Dubrow said that the medication completely took away his appetite and “really took … all the joy of eating away”.

The star — who is married to Real Housewives of Orange County alum Heather Dubrow — warned current and future users of Ozempic to refrain from drinking alcohol.

Dr Dubrow affirmed that he is a “huge fan” of the popular drug. Photo / Getty Images
Dr Dubrow affirmed that he is a “huge fan” of the popular drug. Photo / Getty Images

“You can’t drink on it,” he said, while shedding light on the reported risk of developing pancreatitis while on Ozempic.

“You’ve got to be really careful with alcohol because people are being put in the hospital with pancreatitis.”

Dubrow’s Botched co-star, Nassif, thinks Ozempic has traits that could eventually lead to people “living longer”. However, he notes he’s seen a rise in clients wanting him to fix sagging skin due to their rapid loss of weight.

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“Your skin does not accommodate, so it hangs,” he said.

“Then you lose muscle, you’re not taking enough protein and then you’ve got a lot of hanging skin.”

Ozempic was approved by MedSafe for use in New Zealand in 2023, but it hasn’t been approved for use in a weight-loss context here.

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