The 52-year-old didn’t want to stop taking Wegoby. It’s part of a wave of drugs that exploded in popularity, sparking a cultural phenomenon, sporadic shortages, and a potential gold rush for pharmaceutical companies. For Demoy, the benefits of weight loss outweigh the discomfort.
“Dealing with these side effects is new territory for everyone,” DeMoy said. “A doctor too.”
As more people turn to diabetes and obesity blockbusters such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro, the question is how to balance unpleasant and sometimes painful side effects with the benefits of reduced appetite and significant weight loss. , some are grappling with undesirable trade-offs. weight.
Most people who take this drug experience no serious side effects, and even minor side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting can mostly be controlled with a careful diet and medical supervision. However, patients claim some unwanted and frightening effects. palpitations — surprised them and got them off the drugs.
For DeMoy, of Moultonborough, New Hampshire, she tried drinking electrolytes to stay hydrated and eating more protein to keep her nausea at bay. Eventually, doctors reduced her weekly dose and her symptoms lessened.
Diabetes and weight-loss drugs in the United States have a troubled history, but studies show that new generation drugs, including Ozempic and Wegobee, are more effective and have fewer safety issues. These drugs offer tantalizing prospects for millions of people to lose weight and alleviate the nation’s epidemic of diabetes and obesity. More than 14 percent of US adults are Diabetes and almost 42% obesityaccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Americans are increasingly aware of the drug’s potential.according to KFF health follow-up Nearly half of adults said they were “generally interested” in taking a “safe and effective” weight-loss drug, and nearly seven in 10 adults said they had at least one question about the drug, according to a paper released Friday. He replied that he had heard of it “somewhat”.
Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes, but is often used off-label for weight loss purposes. Wegobee, which contains the same active ingredient called semaglutide, is approved for treating obesity and reduces body weight by an average of 15 percent. important research.
Eli Lilly’s antidiabetic drug called tirzepatide contributed to weight loss of up to 26% on average. in late-stage researchthe company recently announced. The drug has already been approved for diabetes under the brand name Mounjaro and is expected to be approved for obesity by the end of the year.
All three drugs mimic a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 that increases insulin production, suppresses appetite, and slows stomach emptying, helping patients eat less. At least it makes you feel full. Munjaro also mimics her second closely related hormone called GIP, which also stimulates insulin production. Researchers say having two targets gives him a stronger effect.
Pharmaceutical companies are developing versions of the drug that can be taken as tablets and target additional hormones. Lilly recently acquired a company called bimagrumab, which targets fat cells directly.
Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic and Wegobee, said gastrointestinal side effects were mild to moderate and well-known. “Semaglutide has been extensively tested in a robust clinical development program, large-scale real-world evidence studies, and cumulatively exposed over 9.5 million patient-years,” the pharmaceutical company said in a statement.
Side effects from tirzepatide “are mostly mild to moderate, usually occur during the dose titration period, and subside when treatment is stopped,” Lilly said.
The list price for the drug is about $1,000 to $1,300 per month. Private insurance usually covers diabetes medications, but often does not cover medications used for weight loss.recently published analysis A survey of pharmacy and medical claims data found that nearly 70% of patients who were taking Wegoby and another weight-loss drug, Saxenda, stopped using the drug. The analysis did not address why patients stopped taking medication.
Obesity experts say patients’ experiences with side effects vary.
“Some people have severe symptoms, while others have no side effects at all,” said Robert F. Kushner, a professor of medicine and medical education at Northwestern University. Critical Exam Semaglutide was involved and costs were paid by Novo Nordisk.Kushner is also working with other healthcare companies.
upon Facebook support group Patients dedicated to weight loss pills post inspiring chronicles of their journeys, before and after photos, and the latest healthy recipes. The page is also a hub for complaints and home remedies like peppermint oil for constipation, chewing ginger for nausea and pickle juice for dehydration.
In a Mayo Clinic study Presented In May, half of the 305 patients who used semaglutide for weight loss during the year experienced side effects, the most common being nausea and diarrhea. Another study published in Nature I got it Eighty-two percent of participants taking semaglutide reported side effects, generally mild to moderate gastrointestinal disturbances. Only nine participants (less than 6% of the group) discontinued due to side effects, according to the study report.
Courtney Blair, 40, couldn’t stand the stomach pain from Ozempic. She started with her lowest dose, I took 0.25 milligrams in February and took peptobismol or pepsid tablets for occasional nausea. By mid-April, doctors increased her dose to 0.5 milligrams.
“My body vehemently refused,” said Blair, a business systems analyst in Vancouver, Canada. Mr. Blair is not diabetic and was taking Ozempic to lose his weight.
Blair had severe stomach pains and cramps so severe that her skin could be seen rippling. “I had projectile vomiting and other terrible things,” she said. “It was so painful that I thought I had to call 911.”
Blair was lonely, barely able to get out of bed 3 days of work. She took a week off from Ozempic, but she had the same reaction when she resumed.
Her doctor switched her to Saxenda, a daily injectable drug in the class known as liraglutide, approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the management of obesity. The drug only causes occasional nausea and mild headaches, she said. But Blair said Ozempic, which helped her lose 17 pounds to 220 pounds, was more effective at curbing her food obsession.
“It really encourages better food choices,” said Blair, who is currently seeing an obesity specialist.
Obesity experts say many side effects can be mitigated by carefully approaching two key areas: dosage and diet. To avoid nausea and vomiting, you should avoid high-fat and large meals that take a long time to digest, especially immediately after the injection.
“Eat dinner lightly, watch your intake of fatty foods and oils for a day or two, and stop eating as soon as you feel full,” Kushner said. “Don’t shoot on a Friday night when you’re planning a party for the weekend.”
Terry Simpson, a weight loss surgeon in Ventura, Calif., said some patients who get their medication from online providers don’t get proper advice about what to eat when taking their medication.
“When I asked them what they said, they said, ‘I was just told to eat better,’ but nothing specific,” Simpson said.
In some cases, health care workers who are new to the drug may be too aggressive in increasing doses, experts say. we goby Dosage is gradually increased from 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg over 5 months. If treatment causes nausea, the dose should be kept the same or reduced until the patient gets used to it.
“The drug needs to be titrated to the extent that the patient can tolerate it,” he said. Ania M. JustrebovAssociate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine.
Jastrebov said his motto is “start low, go slow.” Mr. Justrebov key trial He has been involved in Lilly-sponsored research for Mounjaro and has advised other pharmaceutical companies.
Even so, the recommended dosing schedule does not always prevent side effects.
Tia Koch, a 40-year-old schoolteacher in Redding, Pennsylvania, was taking the lowest dose of Wegobee, but increased it after a month. Her nausea hit her the next day. At her school, her peers gave her ginger ale and her motion sickness pills, but she vomited and fled into her classroom closet, suffering her torment. That night, her symptoms got so bad that Koch went to the hospital, but she continued to have nausea and her heart rate increased for several days.
Nausea is gone. But even days after she left the hospital, Koch’s chest and throat still hurt from vomiting. She will stop taking Wegovy and cut her diet in half.
“We want immediate results and this seemed like a miracle drug,” said Koch.
Earlier this month, a Louisiana woman with a similar story sued Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly for neglecting a serious gastrointestinal ailment. The patient claimed to have been prescribed Ozempic, then Munjaro for a year and a half, and was eventually hospitalized after losing a tooth due to severe abdominal pain and vomiting. She has received similar requests from more than 500 clients in 45 states, according to women’s law firm Morgan & Morgan.
Another undesirable consequence of drugs, doctors say, is that lean muscle can be lost along with fat, which can occur during rapid weight loss, regardless of the method used. Lean muscle is important for keeping bones strong, preventing diabetes, and reducing the risk of falls, which is a particular concern for older people. Loss of lean muscle can occur in people who lose weight rapidly, regardless of method, doctors say.
Sahar Takshush, assistant professor in the Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said patients take steps to minimize lean muscle loss, such as eating enough protein and exercising. said it can. Strength training is especially important.
There are other things to consider when taking medications. The American Association of Anesthesiologists has announced that the drug should be discontinued before elective surgery. Said in june.
“Anecdotal reports indicate that delayed stomach emptying may increase the risk of food reflux and aspiration into the airways and lungs under general anesthesia and deep sedation,” the group said in a statement. received,” he said.
The European Medicines Agency, which regulates medicines, recently launched an investigation into a class of medicines that includes Ozempick and Wegoby after three reports from the Icelandic health regulator of patients contemplating self-harm or suicide. announced. A European agency said it had expanded its investigation to assess 150 reports of possible self-harm or suicidal ideation. statement.
The FDA generally “does not comment on third-party studies or individual reports,” but said it might evaluate them.
Travel agent DeMoy said he plans to continue riding Wegobee, although he continues to feel tired and nauseous. She was originally on Saxenda, she said, but the effects wore off and her obsession with food returned.
The side effects started when she switched to Wegovy, initially at a dose of 2.4 milligrams per week. Still, DeMoy is happy with the greater health benefits. Her cholesterol and sodium levels have dropped. Her blood pressure has dropped enough that doctors want to stop taking two more drugs, she said.
“I plan to continue doing this for the rest of my life,” said DeMoy. “I’m doing this for my health.”
