Interactive graphic reveals ALL of Ozempic’s weird side effects, from flatulence to erectile dysfunction

These are revolutionary weight loss programs intended to usher in a new era in the war against obesity.

But despite their undeniable slimming effects, semaglutide injections – under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy – have been associated with a catalog of side effects.

These range from simply embarrassing cases, such as flatulence, to cases of suicidal thoughts in patients taking the vaccines, which trick the body into feeling full and slow digestion.

Here, through a fascinating interactive graphic, MailOnline details the strange side effects reported among those taking the new drug…

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Digestive problems: flatulence, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation

From early clinical trials, patients taking semaglutide reported that some of the most common side effects were diarrhea, vomiting/nausea, and constipation.

Once the drug reached the mainstream, stories of bathroom problems also surfaced, including people soiling themselves while sleeping or in public.

Other reported digestive problems include stomach pain, although patients taking this medication are advised to keep an eye out for this side effect, as it may be a sign of something more serious.

Tired, hheadaches anddizziness

Feeling excessively tired or having headaches and/or dizziness are other known and commonly reported side effects of semaglutide.

All are mentioned in the safety notices given to patients.

Gallstones

These small stones, usually made of cholesterol, form in the gallbladder, a small sac-like organ that stores bile, a substance used by the body to break down fatty foods.

They normally do not cause any symptoms.

If a gallstone becomes stuck in one of the ducts connected to the gallbladder, it can cause intense, lasting pain.

About one in 10 patients taking semaglutide will develop gallstones, according to safety leaflets given to patients.

Ketoacidosis

Some patients taking semaglutide have reported experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening complication.

This happens when the body breaks down fat for fuel, instead of sugar, due to a lack of insulin.

As a result, chemicals that make the blood acidic – called ketones – are released.

In severe cases, this can trigger catastrophic heart problems. A patient who took Ozempic even saw her heart stop because of this complication.

Kidney damage

Some U.S. patients taking semaglutide medications have suffered kidney damage that they blame on taking the drug.

One of them is Beverly Graves, 54, from Tennessee, who started taking Wegovy in January 2022 to lose weight.

Because the drug supply was unreliable, she also took another weight-loss drug called liraglutide, on a rotating basis.

She said she found herself constantly burping and needing to spit up. However, her condition worsened when she was no longer able to urinate.

Ms Graves was admitted to hospital, where doctors told her she was suffering from kidney failure.

It’s not clear whether semaglutide is to blame, but the British Heart Foundation warns that patients on Wegovy may suffer kidney problems.

Pancreatitis

The risk of dangerous inflammation of the pancreas, called pancreatitis, is why patients taking semaglutide are advised to keep an eye out for stomach pain they experience while taking the medication.

Severe, persistent pain in the stomach area could be a sign of this condition, sufferers are advised to seek immediate help from a GP or NHS 111.

An estimated 1 in 100 people taking semaglutide will experience pancreatitis, according to safety information distributed with the drug.

Gastroparesis

A number of patients who announced they were suing Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, claim to have suffered from gastroparesis.

This is the medical name for stomach paralysis, where the nerves and muscles that govern the functioning of the organ do not work as they should, slowing digestion.

This can cause a potentially dangerous buildup of food in the intestine, causing nausea, vomiting and severe pain, and can be life-threatening.

Some patients have reported vomiting so severe that their teeth fell out.

What triggers gastroparesis in general is not known, although diabetic patients are thought to be at greater risk.

Muscle loss

One criticism of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is that patients can also lose muscle while taking them.

This is because the injections do not specifically target fat, but trigger weight loss by affecting appetite.

The result is that patients may also lose muscle mass by not eating as much protein, the building block of muscle, as they did before taking the drug.

Bad breath, burps and metallic taste

Some doctors have warned that people receiving weight loss injections may suffer from bad breath as a result.

They say this is due to the way the injections affect the digestive system, which then creates an imbalance within the bacteria that naturally live in the gut.

This in turn creates more gas and, the theory goes, increases burping and the risk of bad breath.

Clinical trial results suggest the theory has some merit.

A trial conducted by the drug’s maker Novo Nordisk found that 9% of participants suffered from burping, medically known as “belching.”

This figure fell to just 1 percent in the placebo group.

However, researchers aren’t sure why these medications can cause bad breath or halitosis.

Some patients have also reported having a “metal” taste in their mouth, although it is unclear whether this is related to the medication or another medical problem.

Hair loss

Several patients have reported hair loss while taking semaglutide, amazing hair loss or even shedding in clumps.

Wegovy’s original clinical trials spotted this effect among those who took the drug.

Hair loss reportedly affected 3 percent of people taking the drug, compared to just 1 percent in the placebo group of the study.

Baldness or thinning hair is not listed as an official side effect of semaglutide drugs, in part because it has rarely been reported in trials and is not serious from a drug perspective. medical emergencies.

Interestingly, hair loss is not suspected to be a direct side effect of semaglutide, but rather the body’s response to sudden weight loss.

This effect is technically called telogen effluvium, a medical term for when the usual hair growth cycle is disrupted, leading to increased hair loss.

Hormonal changes as well as extreme or rapid weight loss are known to trigger telogen effluvium in some people.

Although not fully understood, doctors suspect that this is potentially due to the body suddenly diverting energy previously used for hair growth to other areas, as it experiences a change in hair growth. quantity of food ingested.

Telogen effluvium is also known to be triggered by periods of illness, stress, and other medications that can have a similar effect on the body.

Although the potential relationship between semaglutide and telogen effluvium is still being studied, cases from other conditions suggest that it is reversible once the body settles into a new balance.

Sexual dysfunction

Men and women have reported sexual dysfunction or loss of libido after taking semaglutide.

The effect has not yet been thoroughly researched, but one study found erectile dysfunction problems in one in 75 men who take it.

Some have linked the problem to an observed drop in levels of the male sex hormone testosterone recorded in men taking semaglutide. But this has only been recorded in a handful of studies.

And it’s unclear how this drug, which works by mimicking a natural hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLp-1), might cause a drop in testosterone levels.

This reaction has intrigued experts given that weight loss generally increases testosterone levels.

Others have suggested that another potential cause is that semaglutide disrupts the way the brain processes the happy hormone dopamine, thereby reducing sexual desire in general.

Again, the exact mechanism by which this reaction might occur is unknown.

No equivalent statistics tracking sexual dysfunction in women taking semaglutide medications can be found.

But individual cases have been…