Individuals taking weight loss drugs such as Ozempic or semaglutides may be at an increased risk of severe stomach problems. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently found that weight loss drugs might be the source of gastrointestinal problems.
The research is the first study of its kind. The goal was to establish a link between the use of drugs (GLP-1 agonists) and the risk of gastrointestinal conditions. GLP-1 agonists include semaglutide and liraglutide.
A medical student at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine in Vancouver says “Although rare, the incidence of these adverse events can happen. I’ve seen it happen”. Semaglutides were originally developed to help people with Type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. Later on, these drugs were found to be affective for weight loss.
How GLP-1 Medications Work
GLP-1 medications slow down food passing through the stomach. This in turn leads to people feeling fuller longer. They can also lead to severe gastrointestinal side effects. These side effects can include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, as shown in clinical trials and noted on drug labels.
Recently, these weight loss drugs have skyrocketed in popularity. As popularity rises, there have been various reports of patients who developed stomach paralysis, or gastroparesis. In August 2023, Novo Nordisk was sued over claims that Ozempic caused a woman’s stomach paralysis.
Research Findings
This recent research found that compared to people taking bupropion-naltrexone, people taking a GLP-1 drug had a higher risk of pancreatitis, bowel obstruction and gastroparesis.
Pancreatitis occurred at a rate of about 5 cases per 1,000 users of semaglutide and 8 cases per 1,000 users of liraglutide. The condition causes severe abdominal pain and, in some cases, requires hospitalization and surgery. Gastroparesis was seen at a rate of about 10 cases per 1,000 semaglutide users and 7 cases per 1,000 liraglutide users. The condition, which can be difficult to treat, causes severe nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Based on the findings of this study, if 1 million people are prescribed those drugs, tens or hundreds of thousands of people could experience the side effects.
Stopping Ozempic
If you are currently taking Ozempic and want to safely taper off, contact us at Life After Semaglutide. Our team of professionals help individuals taking weight loss medications safely come off while maintaining the weight they worked so hard to lose.
Life After Semaglutide is currently the only company that provides this type of service, so we will set the standard for helping people get off semaglutide and feel like their best selves.