Can Ozempic damage your colon? The case refers to hidden side effects

(NEXSTAR) – A woman who used the semaglutide drugs Wegovy and Ozempic to lose weight and treat diabetes says the drug maker did not adequately warn her, or other patients, about the side effects. deep back that he ended up having.

Juanita Gantt told CBS News that she was found unconscious on the floor last October. When doctors took him to the hospital they realized that “parts of his large intestine were dead and had to be removed,” reports CBS.

He now has an ileostomy bag because his colon was removed.

A medical emergency prompted him to file a lawsuit against Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company that makes Wegovy and Ozempic. (The drugs work in the same way, but Wegovy is approved for weight loss and Ozempic is for diabetes.) or bowel obstruction.

“We know the health problems this patient has had and we sympathize with his journey to health. Patient safety is our top priority at Novo Nordisk, and we work closely with the US Food and Drug Administration to continue to monitor the safety of our medicines,” a Novo Nordisk spokesperson said. Nexstar in a statement.

These types of drugs, which mimic the GLP-1 hormone to slow down digestion and reduce the feeling of hunger, have been on the market for a long time to treat diabetes, the speaker continued. There are known risks, as well as benefits, the company said. Those risks are described in Ozempic and Wegovy’s detailed documentation.

A spokesperson said Novo Nordisk believes the lawsuit’s allegations are “without merit” and the company plans to “vigorously defend against these allegations.”

What are the known side effects of Wegovy and Ozempic?

Although Ozempic and Wegovy have been hailed in recent months as miracle drugs for weight loss and diabetes, they have known side effects – from beauty (“Ozempic face”) to the strange (“Ozempic babies”).

But there are common side effects. Most of them are gastrointestinal: nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, bloating, belching, palpitations. Other common side effects are headache, fatigue, dizziness, low blood sugar for people with type 2 diabetes, stomach flu, bloody nose and throat.

Drugs also have negative side effects, such as:

• Thyroid tumors, including cancer
• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
• Gallbladder problems and gallstones, which may require surgery
• Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar
• Kidney problems and kidney failure
• Heart rate increases while you are at rest
• Changing the outlook for people with type 2 diabetes
• Depression or suicidal thoughts
• Serious illness symptoms

Although some gastrointestinal issues are mentioned in the 15 pages of prescriptions for each of the drugs, bowel obstruction and bowel obstruction (alleged issues) are not mentioned.

A study published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at 16 million people who were prescribed GLP-1 drugs between 2006 and 2020. Compared to those using other weight loss drugs of bupropion-naltrexone, those who used GLP- Type 1 drugs had a fourfold risk of intestinal obstruction or gastric dysfunction.

The lead researchers in the study said that these serious side effects are rare, affecting only 1% of patients, but people should still be aware of them and talk to their doctors if they have concerns.