Is Ozempic Bad for You?

Ozempic has been hailed as a wonder drug, which may be why people wonder if it’s too good to be true. There are numerous health benefits reported by patients of this GLP-1 diabetes medication, yet there are also news stories about serious medical complications related to semaglutide medications. While Ozempic is not bad for all patients, the popular semaglutide injection could cause life-threatening health complications in some patients.

Below, we’ll explore Ozempic’s common side effects, severe side effects, and its potential for causing different serious health complications. We’ll also note four severe gastrointestinal problems that have led to litigation against Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company that makes Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, and other GLP-1 drugs.

If you take Ozempic or another GLP-1 drug and have experienced serious medical problems, you need to speak with the lawyers at Bursor & Fisher, P.A. Our law firm can let you know if you are eligible to take legal action and what steps you need to take next.

 

How Does Ozempic Work?

Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1). GLP-1 is a naturally occurring hormone in the body that helps regulate a person’s appetite and blood sugar. GLP-1 agonists mimic this hormone, help improve blood sugar levels, slow the movement of food from the stomach into the small intestine, and reduce feelings of hunger.

To put this in simple terms, Ozempic helps patients experience lower blood sugar levels and feel fuller for longer periods of time. Improved satiety means consuming fewer calories throughout the day, which promotes weight loss and a host of other health benefits.

Serious Health Risks Associated with Using Ozempic

While many patients have achieved success with Ozempic, semaglutide injections have been linked to several serious medical issues. Some of these serious health risks reported by Ozempic patients include:

• Severe and prolonged vomiting
• Changes in vision (often related to diabetic retinopathy)
• Gallstones and gallbladder disease
• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• Stomach paralysis (gastroparesis)
• Intestinal blockage or bowel obstruction (ileus)

Research is ongoing as to the long-term negative health effects Ozempic patients may experience even though they follow their doctors’ orders.

Can Ozempic Cause Cancer or Increase My Cancer Risk?

There has been some concern among Ozempic patients about the increased risk of thyroid cancer and pancreatic cancer from the use of semaglutide.

In tests conducted on animals, researchers found an increased risk of developing thyroid tumors and thyroid cancer.

However, there is currently no medical evidence that humans taking Ozempic will experience an increased risk of thyroid cancer or pancreatic cancer. As a precaution, be sure to tell your doctor if you have a history of thyroid cancer in your family or have experienced pancreatic disease.

Do the Benefits of Ozempic Outweigh the Potential Risks?

Potentially yes, though it depends on if a patient develops any serious and rare complications while on semaglutide injections or similar GLP-1 drugs.

Managing your blood sugar levels and losing weight can help you avoid serious health issues down the road, including heart disease, certain cancers, and joint pain. Every patient is different, however, and you need to be mindful of any serious side effects while taking Ozempic.

How Can I Be Safe and Stay Healthy While Taking Ozempic?

The best way to stay safe while taking Ozempic is to carefully monitor all side effects while on semaglutide. If you notice any serious pain, discomfort, or changes in your health while on a GLP-1, be sure to speak to your doctor as soon as possible.

Common Side Effects for Ozempic Patients

Certain side effects are normal and are not a major cause for concern. The most common side effects experienced by Ozempic patients include:

• Reduced appetite
• Fatigue
• Drowsiness
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Upset stomach

Are Ozempic Side Effects Permanent?

Generally no. These common Ozempic side effects tend to occur in the first weeks of taking the drug. Most patients notice that these side effects become less noticeable as their body gets accustomed to semaglutide injections.

Some patients, however, may experience varying degrees of the common side effects even after their bodies have adjusted to semaglutide injections.

Which Common Ozempic Side Effects Have Been Cause for Concern?

While the various side effects we’ve listed above have caused some worry among patients, there has been increased concern over fatigue and headaches in the early weeks of taking Ozempic. Let’s explore why this happens to some people when they start taking GLP-1 injections.

Ozempic and Fatigue

Studies have found that roughly 11% of Ozempic patients experience fatigue when they start taking their injections. Common reasons for fatigue while taking Ozempic include low blood sugar, reduced food intake, and dehydration.

Feelings of drowsiness or exhaustion while on Ozempic typically occur in the first two to six weeks on the medication. Ozempic patients can manage their fatigue by staying hydrated, improving sleep hygiene, engaging in regular exercise, and eating a balanced and nutritious diet.

Ozempic and Headaches

Some Ozempic patients have reported experiencing headaches after starting semaglutide injections. These headaches are often related to changes in blood sugar levels and dehydration.

Headaches will typically abate as Ozempic patients get used to semaglutide injections. As headaches occur, they can be managed with proper hydration, use of pain relievers recommended by your doctor, and being mindful of any specific triggers for headaches beyond Ozempic use.

Why Have People Filed Lawsuits for Ozempic-Related Health Problems?

A number of lawsuits have been filed against Novo Nordisk because of severe gastrointestinal problems caused by taking Ozempic. These GI issues can cause serious harm to the throat and esophagus, the stomach, and the small and large intestine.

Does Ozempic Cause Serious Gastrointestinal Health Problems?

In some Ozempic patients, yes. While GI tract problems from Ozempic are rare, they can be potentially life-threatening if they are not treated as soon as possible. Some patients have required major surgery and have to wear ileostomy bags or colostomy bags for the rest of their lives.

This is why Bursor & Fisher, P.A. is here to offer our help to GLP-1 patients who’ve developed gastrointestinal problems while on Ozempic or similar medications like Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro.

In particular, our lawyers represent clients who have developed these four conditions after taking Ozempic:

• Severe and prolonged vomiting
• Stomach paralysis
• Intestinal blockage
• Bowel obstruction

Severe Vomiting and Ozempic Use

While nausea and vomiting are common side effects when people first take Ozempic, you need to be careful about any severe or prolonged bouts of vomiting. Severe and prolonged vomiting means vomiting several times a day or more for two weeks or longer.

If you experience severe vomiting while on Ozempic, be sure to contact your doctor as soon as possible. This may not be an isolated complication and could be an early warning sign of a much more serious gastrointestinal problem.

Long-Term Health Effects of Severe Vomiting

Vomiting several times a day for multiple weeks on end can cause irritation of and injury to the esophagus. The inability to keep food down can also contribute to malnutrition, dehydration, and general feelings of fatigue.

In addition to the above, the heightened acidity in a person’s mouth can cause acidic erosion of the tooth enamel. Over time, this can lead to tooth sensitivity, tooth decay, root canal infections, and even the loss of a tooth or multiple teeth.

Stomach Paralysis and Ozempic Use

Stomach paralysis is when the nerves and muscles of a person’s stomach do not push food into the small intestine to continue the digestive process. Numerous Ozempic patients have developed this condition even if they were closely following their prescription and their doctor’s orders.

Common symptoms of stomach paralysis include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Indigestion
• Stomach pain, particularly in the upper abdomen
• Abdominal bloating
• Total lack of appetite
• Heartburn
• Constipation

Consult your doctor as soon as possible if you notice the warning signs above.

How Stomach Paralysis Can Affect Your Health

If stomach paralysis goes undiagnosed and untreated, it could contribute to malnutrition, dehydration, the formation of a bezoar (a solid mass in the stomach), and many other more severe health problems.

Intestinal Blockage and Ozempic Use

An intestinal blockage is an obstruction in the small or large intestine. The obstruction prevents food from passing through the gastrointestinal tract.

This condition may be caused by ileus, which means that the muscles of the intestines do not push food through for digestion. An intestinal blockage could also be caused by a bezoar that moved into the small intestine and continued down the GI tract.

Common symptoms of intestinal blockage include:

• Abdominal cramps
• Abdominal pain
• Bulging in the abdomen
• Bloating
• Vomiting
• Dehydration
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Constipation
• Inability to pass gas

Consult your doctor as soon as possible if you notice the warning signs above.

How an Intestinal Blockage Can Affect Your Health

If an intestinal blockage goes undiagnosed and untreated, it could cause death of the surrounding intestinal tissue and infection of the abdominal cavity (peritonitis). Both of these conditions could prove fatal without immediate attention from a medical professional.

Bowel Obstruction and Ozempic Use

Bowel obstructions are intestinal blockages located in the large intestine and the colon. Much like obstructions of the small intestine, bowel obstruction is often caused by ileus or the movement of a bezoar further down into a person’s digestive tract.

Common symptoms of bowel obstruction include:

• Abdominal cramps
• Abdominal pain
• Bloating
• Vomiting
• Dehydration
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Constipation
• Inability to pass gas

Consult your doctor as soon as possible if you notice the warning signs above.

How a Bowel Obstruction Can Affect Your Health

If a bowel obstruction goes undiagnosed and untreated, the condition could lead to tissue death, peritonitis, or sepsis. All of these conditions can similarly prove fatal without receiving proper medical attention as soon as symptoms arise.

Can I Take Legal Action If Ozempic Adversely Affected My Health?

Potentially, yes. Any life-threatening condition you developed while taking Ozempic could be grounds for a lawsuit against Novo Nordisk. If you or a member of your household developed a severe gastrointestinal problem while on Ozempic, be sure to contact our law firm to discuss a potential lawsuit.

Legal Action for Other Types of GLP-1 Diabetes and Weight Loss Drugs

Ozempic alternatives and similar GLP-1 drugs can also cause serious gastrointestinal problems. Be mindful of any of the medical complications we’ve explored above if you are taking any of these popular diabetes and weight loss drugs:

• Rybelsus (semaglutide from Novo Nordisk)
• Wegovy (semaglutide from Novo Nordisk)
• Mounjaro (tirzepatide from Eli Lilly and Company)
• Zepbound (tirzepatide from Eli Lilly and Company)
• Saxenda (liraglutide from Novo Nordisk)
• Victoza (liraglutide from Novo Nordisk)
• Trulicity (dulaglutide from Eli Lilly and Company)

Am I Eligible to File an Ozempic Lawsuit?

You may be eligible to take legal action against Novo Nordisk for serious medical problems that were caused by Ozempic or their other GLP-1 medications.

The attorneys of Bursor & Fisher, P.A. can provide answers to your questions about litigation related to Ozempic as well as other medications such as Zepbond and Wegovy.

It’s important to note that qualifying legal clients must meet specific criteria to be represented by our law firm. Our attorneys will screen for certain conditions and review your case when you contact us for a free evaluation.

What Damages Can I Seek for Ozempic-Related Health Problems?

Damages in an Ozempic lawsuit can cover the cost of hospitalization and emergency medical care, ongoing health expenses related to Ozempic use, and any long-term effects of the GLP-1 drug on a person’s quality of life.

Keep in mind that the amount of compensation in an Ozempic injury case is determined on an individual client basis. To find out how much your legal claim could be worth, it’s best to discuss what happened with the Ozempic lawsuit lawyers at Bursor & Fisher, P.A.

Learn More About Your Legal Options as an Ozempic Patient

For more information about seeking compensation from the makers of Ozempic, contact Bursor & Fisher, P.A. Your case review is free.

Bursor & Fisher, P.A. has represented more than 160 million people in legal actions—that’s roughly 1 in every 2 Americans. Our law firm is a nationwide leader in complex, high-stakes litigation.

Our lawyers have secured numerous multi-million dollar verdicts over the years, which includes actions against pharmaceutical companies and drug manufacturers like Novo Nordisk. We’re ready to speak to you.

Bursor & Fisher, P.A. is not a medical provider. The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.