The weighty downside to drugs like Ozempic

Although they have benefits, there is another, more troubling story emerging about drugs like Ozempic. Evidence of side-effects is mounting. These are what they are.

A lab-grown diabetes drug in a biro-sized injection pen seems an unlikely candidate to change the world.

But Ozempic and weight loss drugs like it – Wegovy, Mounjaro – are being hailed as a health revolution.

Each week there are reports on the myriad health benefits.

Heart disease, addiction, dementia … the possibilities seem endless.

But there is another, more troubling story emerging about weight-loss jabs.

Evidence of side-effects is mounting.

The first inklings of side-effects appeared as the drugs hit headlines in 2022 and 2023. Awareness has grown through celebrities sharing their experiences. Lottie Moss, the younger sister of Kate, revealed in September that she had been treated in hospital after raising her dose too quickly.

“I felt so sick one day, I said to my friend, ‘I can’t keep any water down. I can’t keep any food down, no liquids, nothing. I need to go to the hospital. I feel really sick,’” she said.

The speed with which these drugs have proliferated means many reported side-effects – sagging skin, limp hair, even organ damage – still require proper medical investigation.

What do we know about the drugs’ side effects? And how worried should we be?

Last year Stephen Fry revealed he had used the jabs to lose weight.

He said initial results were “astonishing” but quickly the effects on his digestive system became too much to bear: “I started feeling sick, and I started feeling sicker and sicker and sicker. I was literally throwing up four, five times a day.”

Lottie Moss was rushed to hospital after she took high doses of Ozempic.

Dr Jack Mosley, a GP and expert in the GLP-1 hormone medications, says nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, stomach pain and cramping are the most commonly reported side effects because they are connected to the slowing of the gut prompted by Ozempic and Mounjaro.

Digestive slowing has also been linked to reduced absorption of other medications.

Macmillan Cancer Support has warned patients on anti-cancer treatments to check with their doctor whether the absorption of their medications will be reduced by the jabs.

Evidence also suggests the drugs affect absorption of the contraceptive pill.

“Ozempic face”, “Ozempic neck” and even “Ozempic bum” are the colloquial terms for the gaunt face, sagging skin and flat posterior which are potential signs of using weight loss drugs.

The gauntness comes from a loss of subcutaneous fat, which is stored under our skin and keeps faces looking plumper and younger.

For users of the jabs, the gut health nutritionist Eli Brecher says the visible side-effects are driven by a failure to keep consuming essential nutrients while experiencing a curbed appetite. “The term ‘Ozempic face’ captures the emotional side of this shift,” she says.

“But it’s important to remember that [things such as] your skin, hair reflect your internal nutrient status.”

We are learning more and more about the side effects of Ozempic.

Internal problems can include a loss of bone density, caused by a drop in calcium and vitamin D intake, and a loss of muscle mass, due to a lack of protein in the diet.

Most of the severe potential reactions centre on the organs and are far more likely to affect those who already have a condition.

These reports are rare but Mosley urges caution until more research is done.

The pancreas can be affected because GLP-1 medications stimulate the organ to make insulin. In rare cases this can lead to overstimulation and inflammation, or pancreatitis.

There have been rare reports of kidney problems including injury and even failure after those taking the drugs become dehydrated or malnourished.

Stephen Fry said he was throwing up four or five times a day.

When people do not consume enough iron, zinc and selenium as a result of eating less, proper thyroid function can be inhibited.

Of course weight loss drugs have many positive, borderline miraculous effects.

Weight loss from fat jabs can be up to 20 per cent of body weight.

The medical potential for the drugs may be wide-reaching.

Studies show early indications that weight loss can reduce the risk of dementia. In some studies Ozempic and Mounjaro – available in pharmacies from tomorrow (Monday) – have been shown to cut the risk of kidney diseases and help overcome drug addiction.

For those who have struggled with weight loss, even the proven side effects appear to be a small price to pay for the transformative effects. Oprah Winfrey, for example, is unequivocal: “The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift.”

One question lingers: how long users will have to stay on the drugs to sustain the effects. Mosley says the food cravings “come rushing back with a vengeance” on stopping the medications.

Even with less appetite, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

This article originally appeared on The Times.