Saw a story on CBS this morning about a woman who has a family history of T2DM and trouble losing weight. Her doctor prescribed her a GLP1 agonist. Everything was fine. She lost weight and cravings for food
Out of the blue she passed out. Husband rushed her to the hospital, at some point her daughter was informed that her Mom might not make it.
She was stabilized and it was determined her colon had died. They did a colonectomy and she now has a colonostomy.
I don’t mean to scare anyone. It was the fact that it came on suddenly.
I get the intention behind sharing this, but there is a reason this made the news - it’s so rare. These drugs have been out for a long time, so the researchers have lots of data on side effects etc. I take Ozempic (and have used Victoza and Trulicity) and am not going to lose sleep over this.
Wow, yes, this is very unfortunate. I dont have any experience with these drugs but I have a friend on one. She told me that they do have side effects and is probably not for everyone depending on pre existing conditions.
Every drug has side effects. I don’t think the destruction of the colon is listed or that she had preexisting conditions. Maybe we will learn more.
I am on an immunotherapy that can have dire side effects of which I was fully informed. They are eye, liver, kidney and thyroid. I have blood draws the day before each infusion looking for red flags.
There is increased occurrence of 4 different conditions. I think that anyone using GLP1 Agonist drugs should pay careful attention to things like bloating, constipation, annd abdominal pain. I suspect any who already suffer from gastroparesis avoid this class of drugs.
The researchers analyzed the records to see how many patients developed one of four gastrointestinal conditions, and compared that rate to patients using another weight loss drug, bupropion-naltrexone. Compared to bupropion-naltrexone, GLP-1 agonists were associated with a:
9.09 times higher risk of pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, which can cause severe abdominal pain and, in some cases, require hospitalization and surgery.
4.22 times higher risk of bowel obstruction, whereby food is prevented from passing through the small or large intestine, resulting in symptoms like cramping, bloating, nausea and vomiting. Depending on the severity, surgery may be required.
Stories like this really highlight how unpredictable these drugs can be. One day everything feels stable, then suddenly there’s a crisis and you’re dealing with surgeries or lifelong changes. It’s heartbreaking because most people sign up thinking they’re just going to lose some weight. If you look into the legal side, there’s already an Ozempic lawsuit movement building from families who’ve gone through almost the exact same situation
Although there are some people who’ve had side effects, there’s also some fear-mongering happening. I’ve personally been on GLP-1s for over 10 years with no side effects and the best A1cs I’ve ever had.
Every drug can have side effects some quite serious. It pays to be informed so that you know what to look for. It’s also important to have a good relationship with your pharmacist on possible drug interactions. In my opinion most doctors are not a good source on drug interactions.
Also be aware that allergic reactions can begin at every stage. Even a mild case of hives is a red flag. The next reaction may be anaphylactic shock and death.
That’s genuinely scary. The part that throws me off is how fast it all hit her, because most people I know on GLP-1 meds just deal with the usual nausea or appetite swings, not something this extreme. It really shows how different bodies react and why doctors get super cautious with these drugs.
I’ve been trying to avoid the medication route for that same reason. I’m not anti-meds, just anxious about rare side effects popping out of nowhere. I’ve been working with a small plan through Minimal to keep my portions under control instead, but even with that I still pay attention to anything weird my body does.
Stories like this are a good reminder that nothing is truly “risk-free,” even when it works great for most people, hope she recovers well. This is the kind of thing no family expects to deal with.
I tried taking Trulicity, I was so constipated I would take triple the amount of medication to try and relieve myself. It made me nervous after six months, I said no more. I can’t live like this . I tried taking Jardiance got a horrible yeast infection. I now take Glipizide,metformin and run high 6’s for A1C. I. Also take Tresiba 18 units they dont like me having night time lows ,so can’t increase the dose. I will go on Lantus ,after my Tresiba it runs out. Nancy50
I had nocturnal hypos on Lantus. My understanding is that Tresiba after several days gives a much flatter and consistent basal level.
Your experience may be different.
I’m curious, how’s your post prandial BG? Mine started climbing and we, doctor and me, decided that it was time for rapid meal time boluses.
Once again my experience may or may not be yours. I am compulsive about keeping my time in range as close to normal as possible.
There is always going to be a side effects to everything at this point. Our toxic world is so polluted that the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat is all tainted. So I’ll take my chances on the GLP<1s. Like @T1Allison I’ve been taking them for years with minor side effects that I can live with in exchange for amazing BG results. Pick your battles and decide what matters most to you. For me, a rock steady BG and a regular A1c below 6.0 is a winner every time.
Thank you for responding. I run 83–86% in range. I am 73 and my endocrinologist CDE says it is ok at my age. I have no complications. But am frustrated,I am trying not to use meal time insulin. I see them in April. Now I will go shovel the inch of snow for exercise. Averaging 5500 steps,2.5 miles a day. Too cold to do much outside walking.