Although Ozempic is currently fashionable as a cosmetic weight loss drug, especially among the rich and famous, its intended use is to help individuals with diabetes or who struggle with severe obesity. Yet coverage of this drug is often filled with stories about dangerous long-term side effects like constant nausea and abdominal pain. The overwhelming majority of patients who use the drug do not report those symptoms, but their menacing nature is such that the risk is never far from a patient's mind.
These fears were recently reinforced by a study published in the scientific journal JAMA. It found that non-diabetic patients who use drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy for weight loss are at a higher risk of three rare, but severe, stomach conditions. One of those disorders, stomach paralysis, is not listed on the warning label for the drug. The drugs also put patients at an increased risk of inflammatory diseases like pancreatitis and certain types of bowel obstruction.
