They have been dubbed Hollywood’s “worst kept weight loss secret.” But for at least one celebrity who uses bumps like Ozempic to stay thin, it has come at a mortifying social cost.
An unnamed actor taking the medication apparently lost control of his plate in bed while spending the night at the home of actress and owner of the Goop wellness and lifestyle brand, Gwyneth Paltrow.
The incident occurred “recently” at the star’s Hamptons estate, where wealthy New York City residents typically go during the summer, according to the celebrity gossip website. bitch.
He added that ‘Ozempic-induced diarrhea is becoming a very hot topic’ in Hollywood as many take the medication.
However, this unfortunate side effect is not limited to celebrity circles: more than one in ten patients are said to be affected.
An unnamed star who was on a weight-loss bout has reportedly lost control of her bowls while spending the night at the home of actress and owner of wellness and lifestyle brand Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow.
A recent “scandal” in the Hamptons, above, is rumored to have been the talk of the town as celebrities flock to the popular holiday destination ahead of US Independence Day.
Ozempic contains the active ingredient semaglutide and although it is classified as a diabetes medication, some people have used it to lose weight.
The drug works by mimicking a hormone the body uses to signal when the stomach is full and we should stop eating, which helps suppress appetite and slows overall digestion.
However, this can also trigger what is medically known as the gastrocolic reflex.
This basically means that the stomach sends a signal to the brain that because a large amount of food has been consumed, it needs to make room later.
The colon and rectum are therefore ordered to empty their contents.
But if the digestive process has not been fully completed, which is more likely when the signal is artificial in the case of drugs such as semaglutide, this can lead to explosive diarrhea.
Since Wegovy, the weight loss version of semaglutide, contains exactly the same ingredient, people taking this medication also run the same risk.
Previous clinical trials showed that 30 percent of patients experienced diarrhea with Wegovy, compared with 16 percent with placebo.
The drug information leaflets distributed with Ozempic and Wegovy describe diarrhea as a “very common” side effect reported in more than one in 10 patients.
But they add that this happens most often when people first start taking the drug and usually goes away over time as the body adjusts to it.
Ozempic and Wegovy, made by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, belong to a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, named for the hormone they mimic.
Rival drugs that work in a similar way, such as Mounjaro, which contains the drug tirzepatide, are just as likely to cause the same side effect.
Online, vaccine users have also recounted their own digestive problems while taking the drugs.
Ozempic contains the active ingredient semaglutide and although it is classified as a diabetes medication, some people have used it for weight loss.
Wegovy works by causing the body to produce a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 that is released naturally from the intestines after meals.
One of them, who shared his experience on the website Reddit, wrote: “I literally shit myself in my sleep.” Its the first time.
They added: “It’s been a tough few days with diarrhea after my first semaglutide injection.”
Another user, an anonymous 43-year-old man, said on Wegovy: ‘I feel SO embarrassed to be an adult who soiled his pants!’
Another patient described heading to a birthday dinner, but added that “they ended up shitting my pants probably 15 minutes into the trip.”
Digestive problems are an unsurprising consequence of many specific weight loss medications, even among those that are not GLP-1 agonists.
Orlistat, sold under the brand name Xenical, has been prescribed for years to people needing to lose weight on the NHS.
This medication works by physically preventing fat from being absorbed in the intestine and instead keeps it trapped in the stool, which is then eliminated through the body.
Disruption of the normal digestive process can also cause patients to experience diarrhea, oily or greasy stools, or oily discharge from the anus, called “anal leakage.”
Patients who experience diarrhea while taking weight-loss drugs can do very little to stop the effect, although some take medications such as loperamide, sold under the brand name Imodium, in an attempt to combat the symptoms.
The NHS advises people who experience diarrhea in general to avoid eating foods and drinks that may exacerbate digestive problems or act as natural laxatives.
These include high-fibre foods, fruit juices, nuts and dried fruit, raw vegetables and fruits, beans, lentils and legumes, cauliflower, cabbage and onions, spicy or fatty foods, as well as alcohol, strong tea and coffee.
Celebrities who have admitted to using weight loss drugs like Ozempic include Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, Sharon Osbourne, Chelsea Handler and Robbie Williams.
In June 2023, comedian Amy Schumer admitted to taking it the previous year but quit due to side effects.
“I was one of those people who felt very sick,” she said.
In the UK there has been growing concern about the number of normal weight and underweight patients requiring care in A&E after receiving vaccinations in a bid to have a “beach-ready body”.