(CMR) Popular drugs used for weight loss, Ozempic or Wegovy, may cause stomach paralysis or gastroparesis in people who use them, doctors have found.
The diabetes drug Ozempic, and its sister drug for weight loss, Wegovy, utilize the same medication, Semaglutide and liraglutide, which are GLP-1 receptor agonists. One of the roles of GLP-1 is to slow the passage of food through the stomach, which helps people feel fuller longer. However, if the stomach slows down too much, that can cause problems.
Cases so far have been rare; however, as the use of these drugs soars, more cases of gastroparesis are being reported. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it had received reports of the drugs slowing digestion to harmful levels. Symptoms of gastroparesis are usually nausea and vomiting.
Joanie Knight, who used Ozempic after it was recommended by her doctor, told CNN, “I wish I never touched it. I wish I’d never heard of it in my life. This medicine made my life hell. So much hell. It has cost me money. It cost me a lot of stress; it cost me days and nights and tri with my family. It’s cost me a lot, and it’s not worth it. The price is too high,” said
Emily Wright (38), a teacher in Toronto, told CNN that she started taking Ozempic in 2018. Over a year, she said, she lost 80 pounds, which she’s been able to keep off. But Wright said she now vomits so frequently that she had to take a leave of absence from her job.
“I’ve almost been off Ozempic for a year, but I’m still not back to my normal,” Wright said.
Last month, the American Society of Anesthesiologists warned patients to stop these medications a week before surgery because they can increase the risk that people will regurgitate food during an operation, even if they’ve fasted as directed. Vomiting under anesthesia sometimes causes food and stomach acid to get into the lungs, which can cause pneumonia and other problems after surgery.
A study of people using liraglutide revealed that it took an average of 70 minutes for half the food eaten to leave the stomach. However, half the food some people eat took over two and a half hours to leave the stomach.
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