A number one doctor has warned that Ozempic just isn’t a fix-all and described its unwanted side effects as ‘scary’ and ‘quite disturbing’.
Nutrition expert Dr Mark Hyman said that he expects much more unintended effects to come to light over time, now that hundreds of thousands of Americans are being prescribed the weight-loss drug every month.
The New York doctor – who has written books touting the advantages of a mostly plant-based weight loss program – told a podcast this week that two things frightened him about Ozempic and its sister drugs.
The first was bowel blockages – which is when food becomes stuck within the intestines, where if left untreated it may cut off blood supply and kill.
The second was inflammation of the pancreas, which will also be deadly.
It comes after a DailyMail.com evaluation showed that fat loss shots like Ozempic and Zepbound have been linked to greater than 100 deaths within the US.
Dr Mark Hyman warned against Ozempic’s large variety of unwanted side effects on the Diary of a CEO podcast
The cases have been recorded in an FDA monitoring system used to trace the security of medicines utilized in the US, called FAERS. They are shown above in a graphic
Fatalities spiked in 2023 and no less than one involved a girl who died from an ‘intestinal mass.’
Speaking on the Diary of a CEO podcast, Dr Hyman said: ‘The side effect profile is frightening because [Ozempic causes] bowel obstruction, which just isn’t a trivial thing, essentially where your bowels stop moving is increased by 450 percent.
‘Pancreatitis, where your pancreas becomes inflamed, is increased by 900 percent.’
Dr Hyman gave the impression to be referring to a University of British Columbia study that found people using semaglutide were 9.1 times more more likely to suffer inflammation of the pancreas, which might require surgery.
This was in comparison with people using one other weight reduction drug, bupropion-naltrexone, which is sold under brand names similar to Contrave and accommodates different ingredients.
Dr Hyman added: ‘These should not trivial things – so I believe the longer that is on the market, we’re going to see increasingly more consequences of this drug.
‘And I believe it misses the true issue which is how will we fix the issue?’
One in five cases of severe pancreatitis can result in life-threatening complications, including organ failure.
Health officials updated Ozempic’s warning label in September 2023 so as to add that it may cause a condition called ileus — or a bowel obstruction, when parts or the entire intestines turn into blocked.
This may cause blood flow to be cut off to the organs, which ends up in tissue death.
Doctors said, although rare, in serious cases ileus can result in perforation — or a tear — within the bowel, risking gastric juices to leak into the body. Health experts suggest the condition has a fatality rate of up to at least one in ten.
Physicians said the drug may cause the condition because it really works by slowing the movement of food through the bowels, helping someone feel full for longer.
Mr Hyman said that Ozempic, which is given via an injection, is ‘effective’ but admitted that it may be ‘very strong.’
He admitted taking Ozempic was effective in cutting weight but that it got here at a value – each medically and financially – and that when you began taking it you were effectively tied to it endlessly otherwise the burden would simply come back.
Dr Hyman explained: ‘Here’s the rub: you have got to take it endlessly, it’s expensive, and most of the people should not aware that not only do you lose fat but you lose muscle.
‘Nobody is talking concerning the bad side and, by the best way, they’re considering of giving it to 5 yr old kids which is just terrifying to me.’
Explaining the way it was capable of achieve such drastic weight reduction results, Dr Hyman compared the product to Viagra and said: ‘Ozempic is effective (because) it really works with a natural a part of your biology… however the effect of the drug may be very strong.
‘It’s a drug that was first used for diabetes and it regulates insulin function, regulates weight, and appetite. So it really works to assist with blood sugar however the side effect was weight reduction: it was like we studied Viagra for blood pressure however the side effect was it helped men with erections – so it’s form of like that.
‘Obesity affects so many individuals – there’s now two billion people on the planet who’re chubby – so you’re taking this injection and mainly your appetite drops out so that you don’t feel as hungry.’
Ozempic is manufactured by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and has been popularized by swathes of celebrities including Sharon Osbourne.
In the UK and the US it is on the market as a prescription-only drug but the associated fee in America is astronomical and will be as much as $1,700 a month, in line with Dr Hyman.
The physician has given expert testimony to US Senate committees, been a columnist for The Huffington Post, and appeared as a daily contributor on the Katie Couric Show.
He continued: ‘When you stop it, the burden gain comes back unless you actually rigorously change your lifestyle. So it’s not a way of life change program – it doesn’t enable you change your behaviors or habits – it’s a pharmacological appetite straight jacket [but] that will be effective.
‘If some people really want it, they need it. If some persons are massively chubby they usually don’t need to get a gastric bypass, I believe it might be okay.’