Warning for Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy users as shingles complaints mount
A leading expert has sounded a warning bell for users of Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy to be aware the popular drugs can set off the agonising shingles virus.
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The Royal College of GPs’ weight loss expert has sounded a warning bell for users of popular drugs Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy to “be alert” amid complaints of injectors being felled by the painful shingles virus.
Chairwoman of the peak body for GPs’ Specific Interest Obesity Management group has reported at least one suspected case of shingles to the government’s Adverse Drug Reaction unit against a background of social media complaints of the common skin disease among GLP-1 agonist users.
The metabolic stress of rapid weight loss experienced by users of the injectable drugs is thought to activate the dormant virus in the body.
“It’s a cause for concern that the effect of GLP-1 agonists, specifically shingles or skin sensitivity, is becoming an emerging trend,” said Dr Terri-Lynne South.
“I have notified some reports to the Adverse Drug Reaction system.
“I can confirm seeing one patient with skin sensitivity on Telehealth.
“The patient reported increased sensation of sensitivity separate to the area where she was injecting.
“I have researched literature of four other reports of skin hypersensitivity which could be an adverse effect of the drugs.
“The medications are still being monitored under the black triangle monitoring scheme, which means not all side effects have been monitored past the five-year period.
“Users should be alert but not alarmed and report potential interactions with GLP-1 agonists and any concerns to their GPs.”
Wegovy and Mounjaro, while available through private prescriptions, are not subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) but the TGA has revealed demand for the anti-diabetic drug Ozempic, a lower dose of Ozempic, soared a whopping 5000 per cent in ten years - from 45,705 in July 2020, to 2,574,854 in December last year.
One anonymous woman on an Australian social media Wegovy and Moujaro site complained: “I have skin sensitivity, I went to see my GP and she says it’s shingles and gave me an antibiotics. Has anyone else had a problem?”
Another said: “I have this on MJ (Mounjaro). It comes and goes, totally random. Some weeks noting and other weeks I have a few days where I can barely stand anything touching my skin.”
One wrote: “I’m 53yr and 80kg (hope to be 67kg). Just can’t lose any weight no matter how hard I try. I start Wegovy. I’ve heavily cut back what I eat months ago and been over doing it in the gym & exercising at home aiming to burn up to 2700 calories per day (ended up with shingles).”
One Ozempic user said: “I had the same on Ozempic it was so painful! I feel for you. Mine on MJ is more like an all over itch, and really unsettling.”
The Government regulatory authority the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has received two reports of herpes zoster (shingles) for semaglutide medicines among users of Ozempic and Wegovy.
A spokesman said: “It is important to note that reporting of an adverse event to the TGA or publication in the DAEN does not necessarily mean that a causal link with the medicine is established.
“There might be no relationship between the adverse event and the medicine – the symptom may be related to the medication, the underlying illness or other factors. It may be a coincidence that the adverse event occurred when the medicine was administered or taken.”
“The TGA has not detected any safety signals for shingles associated with Wegovy, Ozempic or Mounjaro. We continue to monitor the safety of these medicines. “
The disease triggered by the same herpes virus as chickenpox can lay dormant in the body but can, if the immune system is temporarily weakened, reactivate.
Symptoms include skin tingling, itching, or burning sensations. Other potential symptoms include fatigue, headache, and sensitivity to light.
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Originally published as Warning for Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy users as shingles complaints mount
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