Ozempic users report stomach paralysis as weight loss drug side effect: ‘I wish I never touched it’

A current investigation has discovered that some Ozempic and Wegovy sufferers suffered from extreme gastroparesis, additionally recognized as stomach paralysis, after taking the medicines.

In a report from CNN printed on 25 July, two sufferers reported that their “stomachs are paralysed” after taking sort 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – a semaglutide injection recognized for its weight loss side results.

“I wish I never touched it. I wish I’d never heard of it in my life,” Joanie Knight, a 37-year-old from Louisiana, instructed CNN. “This drugs made my life hell. A lot hell. It has price me cash. It price me a whole lot of stress; it price me days and nights and journeys with my household. It’s price me rather a lot, and it’s not value it. The worth is just too excessive.”

Emily Wright, a 38-year-old instructor from Toronto, stated she vomits so often that she needed to take a depart of absence from her job. “I’ve virtually been off Ozempic for a yr, however I’m nonetheless not again to my regular,” she stated.

In accordance with CNN, each ladies have been recognized with extreme gastroparesis, a dysfunction that slows or stops the motion of meals from the stomach to the small gut, per the Mayo Clinic. Wright has additionally been recognized with cyclic vomiting syndrome, which causes her to throw up a number of occasions a day.

In the meantime, one Wegovy consumer claimed she started experiencing stomach issues after her physician prescribed her the weight loss drug – which works by mimicking a hormone known as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), regulating blood sugar ranges and slowing down the speed at which meals leaves the stomach to create the sensation of fullness.

Nonetheless, the medicine induced her to vomit a lot that she turned dehydrated and wanted to go to pressing care. Brenda Allen, from Texas, has since been managing her nausea and vomiting with a medicine known as Zofran and prescription probiotics.

Now, the US Meals and Drug Administration has stated they’ve obtained stories of stomach paralysis amongst sufferers taking the medicines.

“The FDA has obtained stories of gastroparesis with semaglutide and liraglutide, a few of which documented the adversarial occasion as not recovered after discontinuation of the respective product on the time of the report,” the company stated in a press release to CNN.

Nonetheless, officers clarified that they had been unable to find out whether or not taking Ozempic or Wegovy was the reason for stomach paralysis, or if it was attributable to a special challenge. “Gastroparesis could be a complication of diabetes that’s associated to long-standing or poorly managed illness, additional complicating the power to find out what function the medication performed within the reported occasions,” they stated.

As for whether or not sufferers needs to be warned about taking the medication, the FDA maintained that taking the medicines, such as for treating diabetes or weight administration, should “outweigh the dangers in some sufferers with gastroparesis or delayed gastric emptying”.

In response to stories of stomach paralysis, Novo Nordisk – the producer behind Ozempic and Wegovy – famous that these medication have been extensively studied in the actual world and in scientific trials. “Gastrointestinal (GI) occasions are well-known side results of the GLP-1 class,” the corporate instructed CNN. “For semaglutide, the vast majority of GI side results are gentle to average in severity and of brief period. GLP-1’s are recognized to trigger a delay in gastric emptying, as famous within the label of every of our GLP-1 RA medicines. Signs of delayed gastric emptying, nausea and vomiting are listed as side results.”

Final week, the American Society of Anesthesiologists additionally issued a warning that those that take GLP-1 agonists ought to keep away from the medicines per week earlier than surgical procedure as a result of they might improve “threat of regurgitation and aspiration of meals” whereas below anesthesia and deep sedation.

Ozempic, a once-weekly injection used for the therapy of sort 2 diabetes, has skyrocketed in use after folks had been reportedly prescribed the FDA-approved diabetes medicine as an “off-label” weight loss drug. Nonetheless, due to its growing recognition, it has led to nationwide shortages of the diabetes therapy – leaving those that really want Ozempic with out it.

In the meantime, Wegovy and Mounjaro are widespread once-weekly semaglutide injections particularly permitted for the therapy of weight problems and weight loss.

There are a lot of side results of taking medicines like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. In accordance with the FDA, essentially the most common side effects of taking Wegovy are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, belly ache, headache, fatigue, indigestion, dizziness, and digestive issues.

The FDA has additionally warned about more serious complications that may happen from use of Wegovy or Mounjaro, such as the “potential threat of thyroid C-cell tumours,” pancreatitis, gallbladder issues, acute kidney harm, elevated coronary heart charge, and suicidal behaviour or considering.

Taking Ozempic can also lead to possible thyroid tumours, together with most cancers, pancreatitis, adjustments in imaginative and prescient, and kidney and gallbladder issues.

The Impartial has contacted Novo Nordisk and the FDA for remark.