RHONJ's Jennifer Fessler Suffered Scary Weight Loss Shot Side Effects
Semaglutide medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have become the latest weight loss trend among celebrities and the wealthy, but these drugs — which are only FDA-approved for Type 2 diabetes — aren't consequence-free. As "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Jennifer Fessler discovered, semaglutide has serious side effects.
Fessler shared her weight loss experience with her semaglutide medication on the first episode of "Two Jersey Js," a podcast she hosts with "RHONJ" co-star Jackie Goldschneider. She explained that she lost around 22 pounds over a year of taking the medication, which she avoided calling by one of its brand names, Ozempic. However, she also experienced a shocking side effect that required hospitalization.
"I will tell you I have had an experience that was not good," Fessler admitted. "I'm pretty positive it was about the semaglutide — where I had to go to the hospital for an impacted bowel." The "RHONJ" alum said despite her hospital trip, she still wasn't afraid of taking the diabetes drug.
Jennifer Fessler got candid about her priorities with her physical well-being
Semaglutide drugs increase insulin levels in the body, decreasing blood sugar and slowing digestion. Side effects can include dehydration, gallbladder problems, kidney injuries, pancreatitis, and thyroid cancer, per the Cleveland Clinic. Due to its appetite-curbing qualities and the ability of its users to shed pounds with little to no effort, these drugs have become a cult-favorite weight loss alternative to regular exercise and a balanced diet.
Jennifer Fessler revealed on her podcast that she is a "raging hypochondriac" but that for some reason, she's not concerned about the risks of things like cosmetic surgeries and procedures that would enhance the way she looks. Similarly, she wasn't concerned when her acute dehydration and lack of fiber in her diet caused her impacted bowel. Instead, she blamed herself, confessing that she was at fault "for ignoring [the side effects] and allowing them to escalate to the point where I became impacted."
Per Mount Sinai, treatment for impacted bowels includes mineral enemas, suppositories, or manual removal by a provider. Fessler said she has incorporated more fiber, water, and daily doses of Miralax into her diet to avoid experiencing the same side effects in the future.
Fessler isn't the only famous wife who has had scary experiences with semaglutide
The "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star is not alone in her decision to use semaglutide medications for weight loss. Countless other celebrities — or anyone qualified through insurance or willing to pay the nearly $900-per-injection cost without insurance — have used drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight despite that not being the drugs' FDA-approved clinical function. And like Jennifer Fessler, many have experienced alarming side effects.
Sharon Osbourne, matriarch of the Osbourne family and wife to rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, lost so much weight on Ozempic that her husband started calling her Nancy Reagan. In a September 2023 interview on "Piers Morgan Uncensored," Sharon expressed concerns over how much weight she had lost. "You can't stay on it forever," she warned. "I didn't actually want to go this thin, but it just happened, and I'll probably put it all on again soon."
Fessler, on the other hand, seems far less hesitant to continue her semaglutide treatments. "A lot of this you have to be proactive about," she said about the medication. "Am I worried about it? No. Am I aware of it and a little disappointed in myself for not addressing it sooner? Sure." The reality star said she plans to continue her treatments as usual.