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Since Ozempic first went on sale to the public in 2018, the diabetic injectable has become a fan favorite for weight loss, including those without diabetes. Other drug classes like Wegovy are also seeing a surge in demand, and the demand is so high that the Food and Drug Administration report There is a national drug shortage for them. But even after the FDA warned against shortcuts like pharmacies and telemedicine programs, it hasn’t stopped people from taking extreme measures to get the drug.Well, recent Report from CNN At least two patients not only experienced mild stomach pain after using Ozempic, but also found their stomachs to be numb.
“I wish I never touched it. I wish I never heard it in my life,” Joanie Knight, 37, of Angie, Louisiana, told CNN. “This drug has turned my life into hell.
CNN reports that Knight and another Ozempic user, schoolteacher Emily Wright, started Wegovy and Ozempic, respectively, to control their weight. However, after a year of taking the drug, they reported feeling extremely ill, including vomiting multiple times a day and being unable to eat. According to CNN, the female doctors consulted specialists and said their stomach problems were either caused or exacerbated by the prescription of Ozempic. They were diagnosed with severe gastroparesis, or stomach paralysis.
According to CNN, these women aren’t the only ones experiencing serious side effects from Ozempic. Another woman, Brenda Allen, reported similar side effects. A 42-year-old woman from Dallas, Texas took Wegoby and experienced severe nausea. Her side effects continued even after she stopped taking her medication. And as usage increases, hospitals may see more cases like Knight’s and Wright’s, multiple doctors told CNN.
Recently, the American Association of Anesthesiologists published the following paper: caveat Patients taking Ozempic, Wegoby, or other weight-loss medications should stop taking them at least one week before scheduled surgery because of the risk of vomiting or regurgitation of food during anesthesia.
Novo Nordisk, the parent company of Ozempic, made the announcement. rolling stone “GLP-1 receptor agonists are a well-established class of medicines with long-term safety demonstrated in clinical trials. As with all GLP-1, the most common side effects are gastrointestinal-related.”
They issued a similar statement to CNN: “Gastrointestinal (GI) events are a well-known side effect of the GLP-1 class. For semaglutide, the majority of gastrointestinal side effects are of mild to moderate severity and of short duration,” Novo Nordisk said. “As stated on the label of each of our GLP-1 RA therapeutics, GLP-1 is known to slow gastric emptying. Symptoms of delayed gastric emptying, nausea and vomiting have been mentioned as side effects.”
Although Ozempic’s effects on the body have been hailed as miraculous, the drug has a direct effect on the body’s hormones. It mimics a hormone called GLP-1 that regulates insulin and keeps food in the stomach longer. Digestion is facilitated by contractions of the stomach muscles, which help expel food. However, if food stays in the stomach for too long or muscles become too sluggish, it can cause severe nausea.
according to mayo clinic, there is no cure other than managing gastroparesis, but the disease can lead to serious complications in the body, including dehydration, malnutrition, and reduced quality of life. And even after stopping the medication, Knight and Wright said assistance problems continued. Wright was also diagnosed with periodic vomiting syndrome. It is a disease that causes unexplained vomiting multiple times each day.
The two women told CNN that they came forward with their stories in hopes of warning other users. But as long as Ozempic and its sibling drugs are so popular online, it’s unclear whether small warnings like this one will have a big impact.
“I’ve been away from the Ozempic for almost a year now and I’m still not back to normal,” Wright told CNN. “You never know when things will get better. I think that’s the hardest part.”
