When Monica Church was prescribed Ozempic to treat her diabetes in October 2023, she was told it would help relieve her symptoms.
On Christmas, the 55-year-old woman from Michigan was admitted to the hospital for two weeks due to abdominal pain, vomiting and stomach paralysis.
He lost the ability to eat foods he used to enjoy, such as pizza and bread, and now only eats small portions to avoid stomach upset. He said his doctor did not tell him about these side effects.
Mrs. Church is not alone. She is one of a growing number of people joining lawsuits against Novo Nordisk and its parent company, Eli Lilly, over claims that they failed to adequately display some of the drug’s risks on its packaging.
Robert King, a New York-based attorney who represents 400 different patients, told DailyMail.com that stomach problems are by far the most common complaint. But it also represents people who had blood clots after starting the drug and people who claim the drug caused them to go blind.
He said people repeatedly tell him they wish they were better informed about the risks of medications before taking them.
Mr King said: “I don’t think anyone would agree with possible blindness.” You know, that’s a major life event that no one would ever suspect is related to a weight loss problem.
Jacqueline Barber of Louisville, Kentucky, slept on the couch with a trash can next to her for about a year. He lost 140 pounds, his teeth began to crumble due to stomach acid in his committee, and he became so weak that he had to use a walker to get around.
Ozempic users previously told DailyMail.com that the drug has caused them to no longer want to drink alcohol.
Ozempic and other medications such as Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Trulicity are a class of medications called GLP-1 agonists.
They mimic a hormone that controls feelings of fullness and how quickly food moves through the body.
These medications were originally created to treat diabetes, but noticing how well they helped people lose weight, doctors began prescribing them to people trying to lose weight.
A survey from May 2024 found that one in eight adults is taking a GLP-1 agonist, which could represent up to 30 million people.
lord king He said these lawsuits began in the fall of 2023, but over the past year, the number of people joining the litigation has steadily increased.
Cecily King, 43, from Kentucky, had been taking GLP medications since September 2021.
Over time, he developed gastroparesis, a paralysis of the stomach that can cause vomiting, constipation, malnutrition, acid reflux and blood sugar problems.
In Ms. King’s case, stagnation in her stomach caused severe and persistent vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain that landed her in the emergency room.
This damage has been permanent and she still suffers from gastrointestinal problems.
Mrs. Church, the Michigan patient, he told USA Today that living with this symptom was difficult.
She said: ‘I couldn’t eat anything. I couldn’t drink anything. I felt such burning in my stomach and chest that nothing helped.’
Ms. King is one of the plaintiffs suing Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Their lawsuit claims that the companies: “downplayed the severity of gastrointestinal events caused by their GLP-1RA.”
Gastroparesis can become so severe that it is life-threatening, as in the case of Jacqueline Barber, 49, of Louisville. Barber he told time which his doctor said would “work wonders” for his diabetes.
Instead, she said it destroyed her stomach and she became bedridden, vomiting constantly during the year she was taking the drug.
He lost 140 pounds, his teeth began to crumble from stomach acid, and he had to start using a walker because he became so weak.
King said there are also some cases where patients allege that life-threatening blood clots are related to their GLP-1 medication.
florida man Roderick Shirely, 83 started taking Ozempic in 2022 on the advice of his endocrinologist. At first he tolerated it well.
Ozempic and its sister drug Wegovy work by causing the body to bind to a receptor called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a protein that activates hormones in the brain that keep the stomach full and tell the body to stop eating. eat. and avoid cravings
But in September 2023, Shirley developed chest pain and went to the doctor. There they found a large blood clot in the hip and lungs, called a deep vein thrombosis. It broke and traveled to his lungs. This potentially cut off blood flow to the life-saving organ, damaging it.
He needed emergency surgery and nearly died twice while on the operating table. He also had three cardiac arrests.
He was subsequently hospitalized for three weeks, racking up medical bills. Mr. Shirely is another plaintiff in the case, and his case alleges that his: “his life is forever changed by his use of Ozempic.”
there is a study carried out by scientists at Chenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital in China linking LPG drugs to the type of blood clots Mr Shirely suffers from.
However, the evidence is not conclusive. There is also studies suggesting that the drug may reduce blood clots and associated heart problems.
The companies that make these drugs strongly deny these claims.
A Novo Nordisk spokesperson previously told DailyMail.com that these claims are unfounded. They said the side effects and risks of Ozempic are clearly listed on the label.
They added: “Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and effectiveness of all of our GLP-1 medications when used as directed and when taken under the care of a licensed healthcare professional.”
Ozempic’s FDA-approved warning label mentions “gastrointestinal adverse reactions.”
It doesn’t appear that any of the labels include mention of gastroparesis.
Still, in these cases, the plaintiffs say their goal is not to get rid of Ozempic, but to help people become more aware of the risks of taking it.
Barber said, “I just want people to have the education that I didn’t have.”