Jennifer Fessler Continues Taking Ozempic Despite Hospitalization for Impacted Bowel

"Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Jennifer Fessler, despite believing that the type 2 diabetes medication Ozempic put her in the hospital with a bowel obstruction, continues to use it for weight loss.

“Ozempic does not scare me and I've had an unfavorable experience, possibly due to semaglutide — the drug's generic name — that required hospital attention because of a bowel obstruction,” confessed 54-year-old Jennifer in the debut episode of her "Two Jersey Js" podcast, which aired Monday, December 4.

Self-identified as a “notorious hypochondriac “ by her co-host and fellow RHONJ star, Jackie Goldschneider, Jennifer disclosed that despite her health fright, she does not fear to continue using the medication.

“It doesn't make me anxious,” Jennifer told Jackie, 47, during the podcast. “When it comes to my physical looks, all fear disappears. I have no qualms about undergoing any cosmetic surgeries, for instance.”

Jennifer, a celebrity on Bravo, revealed that she has been administering weekly injections of semaglutide for over a year, and has shed “likely 22 pounds” in total — but confessed she neglected her health during the early usage of the medication.

“I didn’t consume water or vegetables,” Jennifer reflected upon her previous health routines. “A novel experience for me is managing to eat what I like, even unhealthy foods, while still losing weight. Perhaps I'm dropping weight on pizza, bagels, and ice cream for the first time in my life.”

Jennifer detailed her escalating side effects from the diabetes medication that eventually necessitated hospital care without withholding any specifics.

“Although I noticed constipation, nothing was done about it. I didn’t use Miralax for daily intake, or any stool-softening agents. I hadn’t relieved myself in a week, and then it escalated to a week and a half,” she explained.

Jennifer admitted to ignoring her deteriorating state and opting not to pursue treatment initially, admitting that she was responsible for “disregarding [her symptoms] and allowing them to exacerbate to a point where I became obstructed.”

Jennifer remarked that she is now prevalent “proactive” measures to ward off another obstruction, which involves drinking more water, maintaining a healthier diet, using laxatives, and performing exercises to regain her muscle definition since the ordeal.

“Does that concern me? No,” Jennifer stated once more. “Am I conscious of it and do I regret not addressing it earlier? Absolutely.”

Previously, Jackie had condemned the use of Ozempic for weight reduction as a “highly hazardous trend,” but she proclaimed her endorsement of her friend’s decision to persist using it during the podcast.

Although many people, including stars, are flocking to Ozempic — which has been shown to influence satiety — to shed weight, it is a prescribed drug that comes with FDA approval for treating type 2 diabetes.

The potential gastrointestinal adverse effects of Ozempic are undergoing investigation. The drug was associated with serious cases of gastroparesis in June, a condition where “your stomach fails to empty appropriately” as defined by the Mayo Clinic. Subsequently, in September, the FDA alerted about the medicine’s potential to cause ileus, a lethal condition where the bowel cannot expel waste from the body.