When Monica Church was prescribed Ozempic to treat her diabetes in October 2023, she was told it would help relieve symptoms.
The 55-year-old woman from Michigan was hospitalized for two weeks in the lead up to Christmas with abdominal pain, vomiting and gastroparesis.
She can no longer eat the foods she used to like, such as pizza and bread, and now only eats small meals to avoid stomach upset. She said her doctor did not inform her of these side effects.
Church is not alone. She is one of a growing number of people suing Novo Nordisk and its parent company, Eli Lilly, for failing to properly label some of the drug’s risks on its packaging.
Robert King, a New York-based lawyer who represents 400 different patients, told DailyMail.com that stomach problems were the most common complaint.
But he also represents people who developed blood clots after starting the drug and others who say the drug has left them blind, knocked out teeth and paralyzed.
He said people often say they wish they had known more about the risks before taking the drug.
“I don’t think anyone would agree that blindness is a possibility,” King said. As you know, this is a significant event in life, and no one would think that weight loss problems are involved. ”
Jacqueline Barber of Louisville, Kentucky, has been sleeping on her couch with a trash can next to her for about a year. She lost 140 pounds, her teeth began to crumble due to stomach acid in her womb, and she became so weak that she had to use a walker to walk.
Ozempic users have previously told DailyMail.com that the drug has made them no longer crave alcohol.
Ozempic and other drugs such as Munjaro, Wigovy, and Trulicity are in a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists.
They mimic hormones that control satiety and how quickly food moves through the body.
These drugs were originally created to treat diabetes, but their effectiveness in weight loss led doctors to prescribe them to people trying to lose weight.
May 2024 poll Researchers have found that one in eight adults takes GLP-1 agonists, which could equate to 30 million people.
Mr. King Although these lawsuits began in the fall of 2023, he said the number of people joining the lawsuits has steadily increased over the past year.
Cecily King, 43, of Kentucky, has been taking the GLP drug since September 2021.
Over time, she developed gastroparesis, a paralysis of the stomach that causes vomiting, constipation, malnutrition, acid reflux, and blood sugar problems.
In King’s case, her stomach stalled, resulting in severe and persistent vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, which landed her in the emergency room.
These damages are permanent and she still suffers from digestive problems.
Church, a patient in Michigan, told USA Today I thought it would be difficult to live with this symptom.
she said: “I couldn’t eat anything.” I couldn’t drink anything. My stomach and chest felt so burning and nothing helped. ”
Ms. King is one of the plaintiffs suing Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Her lawsuit alleges that the companies “downplayed the severity of the gastrointestinal symptoms caused by GLP-1RA.”
Bob Tuttle of Tennessee became seriously ill with stomach paralysis and had to quit his job as a safety consultant on an oil rig.
Mr Tuttle had to be airlifted from a rig in the Gulf of Mexico after going without food for four days. Diagnosed with gastroparesis within a week
Gastroparesis can be severe enough to be life-threatening, as in the case of Jacqueline Barber, 49, of Louisville. told the time She said her doctor said it would have a “wonderful effect” on her diabetes.
In fact, she said the drug caused stomach pain, made her bedridden, and caused her to vomit for the entire year she was on the drug.
She lost 140 pounds, her teeth began to crumble from stomach acid, and she became so weak that she had to start using a walker.
King said there have also been some cases in which patients have said their life-threatening blood clots are related to GLP-1 drugs.
florida man Roderick Shiley Mr. 83 started taking Ozempic in 2022 on the advice of an endocrinologist. At first, he tolerated it well.
Ozempic and its sister drug Wigovy work by causing the body to bind to a receptor called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 is a protein that keeps your stomach full and triggers hormones in your brain that tell your body to stop eating. and avoid cravings
But in September 2023, Shirley felt chest pain and went to see a doctor. There, large blood clots, called deep vein thrombosis, were discovered in his lower back and lungs. It broke and reached his lung. This could have cut off blood flow to life-saving organs and caused damage.
He needed emergency surgery and almost died twice on the operating table. He also suffered cardiac arrest three times.
After that, I was hospitalized for three weeks and medical bills piled up. Shiley is the other plaintiff in the case, and his lawsuit alleges that his “use of Ozempic changed his life forever.”
There is Research conducted Scientists at China’s Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital have linked the GLP drug to the type of blood clot Shiley suffered from.
However, the evidence is not conclusive. There is I also study These suggest that the drug can reduce blood clots and associated heart problems.
Dana Fillmore of Columbus, Ohio, now lives on a diet of protein shakes and Jello. Due to the effects of Ozempic, my stomach is paralyzed and I am unable to eat solid food.
The companies that manufacture these drugs categorically deny these claims.
A Novo Nordisk spokesperson previously told DailyMail.com that the lawsuits are baseless. The side effects and risks of Ozempic are clearly stated on the label.
Additionally, “Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and effectiveness of all our GLP-1 medicines when used as directed and under the care of a licensed health care professional. ” he added.
Ozempic’s FDA-approved warning label states “Gastrointestinal side effects.”
There doesn’t seem to be any mention of gastroparesis on any of the labels.
Still, in these cases, plaintiffs argue that their goal is not to eliminate Ozempic, but to make people more aware of the risks of taking Ozempic. states.
“I just want people to get the education that I didn’t get,” Barber said.
