A leading doctor has warned of the deadly unforeseen side effects of Ozempic, including a dramatic increase in the risk of pancreatitis by ‘900 per cent’.
Nutrition expert Dr Mark Hyman said the drug’s side effects are “scary” and “quite disturbing” and that more undesirable effects are likely to come to light over time.
Speaking on the Diary of a CEO podcast, the American doctor said: “The side effect profile of this is terrifying because intestinal obstruction, which is not a trivial thing, essentially when the intestines stop moving, increases by 450 percent.” .
‘Pancreatitis, where the pancreas becomes inflamed, increases by 900 percent. These are not trivial things, so I think that as long as this continues to exist, we will see more and more consequences of this drug.
Dr. Mark Hyman warned about the many side effects of Ozempic on the Diary of a CEO podcast
The cases have been recorded in an FDA tracking system used to track the safety of drugs used in the US, called FAERS. They are shown above in a graph.
‘And I think it misses the real issue, which is how do we solve the problem?’ she added.
Dr. Hyman, who has written a dozen books on diet, called the drug “a huge, attractive thing” to solve the world’s “huge obesity problem.”
It comes as a DailyMail.com analysis showed that fat loss injections such as Ozempic and Zepbound have been linked to more than 100 deaths in the US.
Previous research has shown that people taking diabetes medications have an increased risk of pancreatitis. This is because the drug stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin, meaning that in an already inflamed pancreas, it could tip someone over the edge.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that those who used weight-loss injections of semaglutide or liraglutide, which binds to the GLP-1 receptor in the pancreas and brain and triggers hormones that keep the stomach full and tell the body to stop eating and avoid cravings, were 9.1 times more likely to suffer from inflammation of the pancreas, which can require surgery.
This was compared to people using another weight loss drug, bupropion-naltrexone, which is sold under brand names such as Contrave and contains different ingredients.
One in five cases of severe pancreatitis can lead to life-threatening complications, including organ failure.
Health officials also updated the Ozempic warning label in September 2023 to add that it may cause One condition Called ileus, or intestinal obstruction, when parts or all of the intestines become blocked.
This can cause blood flow to the organs to be cut off, leading to tissue death.
Doctors said that, although rare, in severe cases ileus can cause a perforation (or tear) in the intestine, with the risk of gastric juices leaking into the body. Health experts suggest the condition has a mortality rate of up to one in ten.
Doctors said the medication may cause the condition because it works by slowing the movement of food through the intestines, helping someone feel fuller longer.
Hyman, founder of the UltraWellness Centre, said Ozempic, which is administered by injection, is “effective” but admitted it can be “very strong.”
He admitted that taking Ozempic was effective in reducing weight, but that it came at a cost, both medically and financially, and that once you started taking it you were effectively stuck with it forever, otherwise the weight would simply come back.
Dr. Hyman explained, “Here’s the problem: You have to take it forever, it’s expensive, and most people aren’t aware that you’re not just losing fat, you’re losing muscle.”
“Nobody talks about the bad side, and by the way, they’re thinking about giving it to five-year-olds, which I find terrifying.”
Explaining how he was able to achieve such drastic weight loss results, Dr Hyman compared the product to Viagra and said: ‘Ozempic is effective (because) it works with a natural part of your biology… but the effect of the drug is very strong.
‘It is a drug that was first used for diabetes and regulates insulin function, regulates weight and appetite. It really works to help with blood sugar, but the side effect was weight loss – it was like we studied Viagra for blood pressure, but the side effect was that it helped men with erections, so it’s more or less like that.
“Obesity affects so many people (there are two billion people on the planet today who are overweight), so when you get this shot, you basically lose your appetite and you don’t feel as hungry.”
Ozempic is manufactured by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and has been popularized by many celebrities, including Sharon Osbourne.
In the United Kingdom and the United States it is available as a prescription-only medication, but the cost in the United States is astronomical and can reach $1,700 a month, according to Dr. Hyman.
The doctor has provided expert testimony before U.S. Senate committees, been a columnist for The Huffington Post, and appeared as a regular contributor on the Katie Couric Show.
He continued: ‘When you stop, the weight gain returns unless you rigorously change your lifestyle. Therefore, it is not a lifestyle change program, it does not help you change your behaviors or habits, it is a pharmacological straitjacket for appetite. [but] that can be effective.
‘If some people really need it, they need it. If some people are massively overweight and don’t want to have a gastric bypass, I think that may be fine.’