'It's a Lot More Complicated than People Realize': Mom of Two Opens up About Using Ozempic for a Year Due to Illness

When Natasha Robinson noticed her cheekbones showing in the mirror, she thought she was bruised. In reality, it was the first visible sign that her body was reacting to a medication she had only recently started.

For Natasha Robinson, using Ozempic wasn't a shortcut to weight loss or a cosmetic choice. It was the result of a deeper health issue that couldn't be ignored. When conventional treatment failed to address her recurring symptoms, she turned to a drug that's often misrepresented in public conversations.

Her experience over the next 12 months revealed both the clinical realities and personal adjustments that come with relying on a drug like Ozempic long-term. Behind the visible changes were hidden complications that shaped how she now talks about her health, her body, and the costs that come with managing both.

By early 2022, Robinson, a 37-year-old mother of two living in Dallas, was confronting health issues she could no longer overlook. Over the previous year, she had gained 15 lbs and was constantly fatigued. Despite taking metformin, her bloodwork showed no improvement.

Her glucose, insulin, and A1C levels remained elevated. Her doctor ordered further testing and confirmed that Robinson's insulin resistance had returned. The results also pointed to hyperinsulinemia, a condition in which the pancreas produces an abnormally high amount of insulin in response to the body's resistance.

She had experienced it during pregnancy, but this time, it resurfaced with force. Hyperinsulinemia is often the result of insulin resistance and frequently presents without symptoms since the pancreas compensates by overproducing insulin. Over time, however, it can progress to prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, warning signs may include darkened skin in the armpits or around the neck (acanthosis nigricans), skin tags, and eye changes linked to diabetic retinopathy.

Once diabetes develops, additional symptoms can appear, including excessive thirst and hunger, frequent urination, blurred vision, slow-healing sores, headaches, and skin or vaginal infections.

Robinson's lab work showed one striking marker of inflammation: her C-reactive protein (CRP) level was in the 30s, far above the normal range of eight. A long-time higher education professional with a PhD and two in-laws who work in pharmacy, Robinson began researching her options.

She looked into Ozempic, a medication she'd seen mentioned online but rarely heard discussed by everyday patients. Most of the available content was from doctors. She brought the information to her own physician, fully prepared with clinical research and practical questions.

Ozempic is the brand name for semaglutide, a once-weekly injectable medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and available in 0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg doses. It's injected into the stomach, thigh, or upper arm. The FDA lists three approved uses:

• To lower blood sugar in adults with Type 2 diabetes, when used with diet and exercise
• To reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, stroke, or death, in adults with Type 2 diabetes and established heart disease
• To slow the worsening of chronic kidney disease and reduce the risk of kidney failure or cardiovascular death in adults with Type 2 diabetes and kidney complications

The American Diabetes Association recommends that most adults with Type 2 diabetes aim for an A1C of less than seven percent. Ozempic, through its action as a GLP-1 receptor agonist, supports this goal by helping the body increase insulin production and reduce appetite.

Robinson was not focused on weight loss. She intended to help her body use insulin properly, something it was clearly failing to do on its own. With her doctor's support, she began the injections in January 2022. But even with medical backing, she admitted to feeling apprehensive.

She shared, "I was a little nervous, to be honest, because I don't like needles. So the idea of actually giving myself an injection was pretty scary." Despite her hesitation, she followed through. Within a day of her first dose, the medication's effects began to set in.

Robinson scheduled her weekly injections at night. By the next afternoon, she would begin to feel tired and nauseated, symptoms that often lasted up to two days. These side effects started with her first dose and remained consistent throughout the initial weeks.

During that first month, the nausea was at its worst. Robinson later shared in an Instagram video that her early experience was difficult to manage. In response, she began using a high-dose B12 supplement on the day before and after each injection.

She also found relief in a product she bought at Target, which she described as more effective than any other anti-nausea option she had tried. Although the nausea did not go away entirely, it became less frequent.

About a month after starting Ozempic, Robinson noticed a visible change in her face. She noticed that her cheekbones were more defined. She recalled, "One morning, I actually woke up and told my husband, 'Do I have bruises?'" What looked like discoloration was, in fact, a shift in facial volume.

"That was really my first indication that something was changing," she said. Robinson later explained the change in a video on Instagram. The appearance of sharper facial features is commonly referred to as "Ozempic face," a term used to describe the loss of facial fat that can make wrinkles and sagging skin more noticeable.

She explained that it's not a new phenomenon. "So essentially you're aging normally… I have a granny neck now, and that's okay," she explained.

Though her focus wasn't on weight loss, the physical changes continued. By October, she had lost 52 lbs. By the tenth month of treatment, Robinson's lab results reflected significant changes. Her inflammation markers had dropped, and her insulin and glucose levels had improved.

"My blood work really shows a major shift in markers for inflammation and my insulin and glucose," she said. She also reported an increase in energy.

But while the medication brought measurable health benefits, Robinson also faced the issue of cost. At the time, she was paying $24.99 per month with a manufacturer's coupon. Without it, her prescription would cost $175 per month, and without insurance, the full price would exceed $1,000 a month.

She acknowledged that Ozempic was not a temporary fix. "It's a lifelong medication," she said. "Your body doesn't just suddenly remember how to use insulin properly or how to become more insulin sensitive." Aware of the financial risk if coverage changed, Robinson was already thinking ahead about how she would continue to access it.

Her long-term reliance on Ozempic also made her attuned to how the medication is portrayed publicly. While she remained focused on managing her insulin resistance and inflammation, she saw how others viewed the drug through a narrower lens, often reducing it to a weight loss shortcut.

That perception, she explained, overlooks the medical necessity behind its use for many patients. Conditions like obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and PCOS are frequently judged without understanding the biological factors involved.

"There's this misconception that you're being lazy if you have health problems and you can't lose weight," she said. "But sometimes it's a lot more complicated than people realize." She also observed how some celebrity accounts of using the drug, intentionally or otherwise, have contributed to confusion.

In her view, brief or offhand remarks in the media can distort how Ozempic works and why it's prescribed. Still, she welcomed the growing conversation around the drug, believing that more awareness, if informed, could help people facing similar diagnoses explore their options more confidently.

Robinson began documenting her Ozempic journey shortly after starting treatment in January 2022. At the time, she wasn't sure what kind of content she wanted to create. Initially, she tried educational videos, but found they didn't deliver the message the way she intended.

What she did notice, however, was a lack of first-person accounts from everyday users of the drug. Most of the information available online came from medical professionals. While she acknowledged the value of expert advice, she felt that patient experiences had something unique to offer.

"There's something to be said for regular folks who share their experiences," she shared in a post. Since then, she has used platforms like Instagram to discuss her progress, side effects, and lab results, while making it clear that her content is not a substitute for medical guidance.

"Please don't ask for my doctor's name because I haven't asked her permission to share it," she wrote. "I'm not giving out medical advice because that would be unethical and dangerous."

She encouraged others, particularly those managing Type 2 or borderline diabetes, to research thoroughly and bring that information to their doctors. Her goal was not to influence treatment decisions but to help others feel more prepared when seeking care.

For Robinson, Ozempic was not a trend or a temporary fix, but a response to persistent metabolic issues that standard treatments failed to resolve. By sharing her story, Robinson made clear that her experience with Ozempic extends beyond weight loss or public discourse.

It reflects the complex, ongoing effort to manage a chronic condition and the importance of separating fact from assumption in conversations about health.