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RHONJ’s Jennifer Fessler Discusses Being Hospitalized After Ozempic Complications
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jennifer Fessler told Life & Style exclusively about what led to her hospitalization after she suffered complications from taking the weight loss drug Ozempic.
“I really wasn’t following instructions. So, with these medications there can be side effects such as constipation. So, you’re supposed to drink your water, eat your vegetables, take your Miralax. I was ignoring all of that, which is something that nobody that knows me would be surprised at,” Jennifer, 54, explained while attending the 2023 Jingle Ball at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on December 8.
As for how she’s doing now? “Having said that, I haven’t been ignoring those things anymore and I’m fine,” she continued.
Costar Jackie Goldschneider, who was with Jennifer on the red carpet, told Life & Style exclusively why it’s important to be candid about such topics on both RHONJ and on their “Two Jersey Js” podcast.
“I think it’s important not to give women our age or even younger women a false impression of what it takes to stay looking a certain way at a certain age. Things fall down. If I’m here almost 50 years old and I’m all lifted, I don’t want other people to think that I just hit a genetic lottery,” Jackie, 46, explained.
“I just don’t have any shame around it. I know people do. I never was embarrassed to tell people that I’ve done something to make myself feel better. That’s what it’s there for, right?” she added.
Jennifer first opened up about her medical crisis during their “Two Jersey Js” podcast on December 4.
“I have been on — and I’m not going to call it Ozempic, that’s been the umbrella name — but I’ve been on semaglutide for over a year now, and I’ve lost maybe 22 pounds,” the Bravolebrity began.
“I’m not afraid of Ozempic and I will tell you I have had an experience that was not good, and I’m pretty positive it was about the semaglutide,” she continued, adding, “I had to go to the hospital for an impacted bowel.”
Jennifer indulged on foods she previously deprived herself of as she was continuing to lose weight. “I was drinking no water, eating no vegetables. Cause something that happens, a new experience for me, is being able to eat what I want even when it’s not the most healthy choices and still lose weight. So, maybe for the first time in my life, I’m losing weight on pizza and bagels and ice cream,” the New Jersey native explained.
She began to worry after going two weeks without a bowel movement and ended up in the hospital. Jennifer revealed she is still taking the medication and hasn’t “had a problem since.”
Jennifer isn’t the only RHONJ cast member who as admitted to taking a semaglutide to lose weight. Dolores Catania confessed to it during an April 4 appearance on Watch What Happens Live.
Dolores, 52, told host Andy Cohen that she had been on the medication for about “six weeks,” and joked that “not one” of her costars wasn’t also using Ozempic to lose weight. “I wasn’t going to come to the reunion looking any bigger than anyone else, so I got on the bandwagon,” she said.
