Parties and celebrations are part of our routine, but many people resort to quick and seemingly practical methods to lose weight, such as the famous slimming pens. However, using these pens, especially at social events, can pose serious health risks. Experts warn that its use can lead to problems such as nausea, reflux and general discomfort, in addition to compromising the effectiveness of healthy weight loss strategies. In this article we will understand why to avoid these pens during the holidays and how to maintain a balanced diet and well-being even during the festive periods.
The use of weight loss pens, such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, has grown in Brazil, particularly among people seeking to lose weight or control their type 2 diabetes. These drugs belong to the class of GLP-1 agonists, substances that increase satiety, reduce appetite and slow stomach emptying.
In light eating situations this mechanism is generally well tolerated, but during the holiday season, marked by heavy meals, high fat consumption, different types of desserts and greater alcohol consumption, it can become an important trigger for gastrointestinal discomfort.
According to nutritionist Dr. Sandra Fernandes, from the Kora Saúde group, this typical combination of celebrations promotes an increase in nausea, bloating, reflux and even episodes of vomiting. “These medications slow gastric emptying. When a person consumes a very large meal, the food stays in the stomach longer, increasing the feeling of fullness and the risk of feeling unwell,” he explains.
What happens is that the fats in dinner dishes further slow the passage of food through the stomach, while desserts high in sugar promote blood sugar spikes that then drop quickly, causing drowsiness, weakness and feeling unwell.
Alcohol, also consumed in greater quantities during this holiday season, irritates the stomach lining, increases nausea and contributes to reflux.
For the nutritionist, the sum of these factors creates a typical holiday scenario: “It’s the classic end-of-year scenario: lots of food, lots of fat, desserts rich in sugar and, often, alcohol.”
Alcohol and slimming pens: can they be mixed?
Although there is no absolute contraindication between the two, the nutritionist explains that the association must be made with caution, especially in the first phases of treatment, when the body is still in the adaptation phase. “Alcohol increases nausea, irritates the stomach, and may increase the risk of pancreatitis, which is rare but has been observed in users of these medications. In people with diabetes, there is always a risk of hypoglycemia with prolonged fasting or irregular eating,” he says.
It is therefore recommended to exercise moderation, hydrate adequately and avoid consuming alcohol on an empty stomach.
Pausing your treatment to “eat as much as you want” at parties?
Another common question among patients is whether stopping medications before the holidays would help reduce digestive discomfort.
In the case of weekly medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, the effects may last several days beyond the last dose. Stopping consumption yourself also increases the risk of appetite rebound, loss of eating control and disorganization of treatment. “If the concern is gastric tolerance, the right path is to speak with the doctor to adapt the dose. Suspending it alone does not resolve the discomfort and increases the risks,” reinforces the nutritionist.
The specialist also warns that the risk of intolerance is greater in the first weeks of treatment, when the body is still adapting to the initial doses. “In the first 30 to 60 days, tolerance is generally lower. It is precisely during this period that the combination of fat, sugar and alcohol causes the most intense nausea and bloating,” he observes.
Therefore, patients who have recently started using slimming pens should pay even more attention to the type and volume of food consumed during the celebrations.
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