If you’re a diabetes patient who took Ozempic or tried Wegovy to lose weight, you’re one of many. You may also be one of many who’ve suffered life-changing gastrointestinal (GI) issues as a consequence of their drug. Many users report that these digestion-slowing drugs have caused them to suffer gastroparesis, an extremely serious condition also known as stomach paralysis.
If you developed gastroparesis after taking Ozempic or Wegovy, these drugs may have been the cause. As our past posts on drugs with harmful side effects discuss, pharmaceutical companies have a moral and legal duty to ensure their products are safe and warn patients about possible side effects. so patients can make informed decisions about their health. To learn more about the current status of Ozempic and Wegovy lawsuits, as well as whether you may be eligible to job an existing semaglutide lawsuit, contact a personal injury attorney at 866-778-5500 or complete our online form to learn your legal options.
Ozempic and Wegovy are an injectable form of semaglutide. Historically, these drugs have been used to improve blood sugar control in adult diabetics. The mechanism of action is, in medical terms, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (“GLP-1”) receptor agonist. This means that it replicates the action of the hormone GLP-1, which prompts the body to produce more insulin and slow the absorption and production of glucose absorption
Besides reducing glucose, GLP-1 drugs can aid weight loss, which can help individuals with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic has been approved by the FDA for this purpose since 2017, although it remains unapproved for treating type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Wegovy is the same type of drug, but it uses different dosages to promote weight loss in the general population.
Ozempic was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of diabetes in 2017. It is not currently FDA-approved for weight loss. However, Ozempic’s sister drug, Wegovy, which is essentially the same drug as Ozempic but given at different dosages, received FDA approval for weight loss in 2021.
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The most common side effects of GLP-1 drugs include:
These side effects tend to become more moderate over time, as the body adapts to the medication. However, there are much more serious and long-lasting complications that these drugs may cause. The stomach, pancreas, and kidneys may experience inflammation or declining function, and blood sugar may drop to hazardous levels.
Medical experts have recently looked into the connection between Ozempic and gastroparesis, a condition that prevents the stomach from emptying into the intestines. One particular finding is that the American Society of Anesthesiologists (“ASA”) has recently advised doctors to request that patients stop taking Ozempic a week before undergoing any surgery that requires anesthesia. This was because of reports that delayed stomach emptying could increase risks of regurgitating food into the airways and lungs during deep sedation.
However, stopping your Ozempic use isn’t always enough to resolve undesirable effects. In some cases, people have experienced uncontrollable vomiting and other complications up to a year after stopping. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic has made the following response to criticisms of the drug’s safety;
“Gastrointestinal (GI) events are well-known side effects of the GLP-1 class. For semaglutide, the majority of GI side effects are mild to moderate in severity and of short duration. GLP-1’s are known to cause a delay in gastric emptying, as noted in the label of each of our GLP-1 RA medications. Symptoms of delayed gastric emptying, nausea and vomiting are listed as side effects.”
Patients who’ve suffered gastroparesis and other serious complications after taking Ozempic and Wegovy are currently waging a legal battle against Novo Nordisk. If the courts find in favor of the patients, they and other victims of Ozempic complications may be entitled to compensation.
Call the law firm of Console & Associates, P.C. at 866-778-5500 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation and find out more.
