A warning has been issued over the so-called ‘miracle’ fat-busting jabs Ozempic and Wegovy after they caused 3,000 Brits to fall ill this year so far.
The most common symptom was stomach problems but some also experienced blurred vision, depression and dizziness. Four deaths have also been linked to the drugs.
Around 30 side effect complaints were sent to The Medicines and Healthcare Agency every week during 2023.
In the first 20 weeks of this year, there has been a big spike in side effect complaints under the agency’s Yellow Card scheme which lets patients and health experts submit reports of bad reactions to drugs.
The agency has received 2,780 complaints since the year started, figures obtained by The Sun reveal.
The rise is attributed to the growing popularity of the drugs for weight loss purposes and how readily available it is to buy online.
Model and half-sister to Kate Moss, Lottie Moss, 26, had a seizure from taking a high dose and Stephen Fry, 67, had to stop taking the drug due to vomiting.
Other stars have rejected the idea of the drug, including chef Nigella Lawson who told The New York Time: ‘I read something once where someone said, “I was on Ozempic and it was the first time I didn’t think about food all the time,” and I thought, I can’t imagine anything worse than that. I take great pleasure in thinking about food all of the time.’
The drugs contain semaglutide, an amino acid, which suppresses appetite by mimicking a hormone telling the brain you are full up.
The jabs were approved by the NHS last year and is called Wegovy for overweight people taking it to lose fat. It is referred to as Ozempic for those who suffer with Type 2 diabetes.
Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, told The Sun: ‘For some, the benefits of semaglutide may well outweigh its risks but the drug has side effects.
‘It’s why doctors and GPs should always monitor anyone taking it for weight loss and the jabs should never be taken without a prescription.
‘An inclination to suicide is a potential risk: that should stop anyone thinking of using the drug off-licence.’
Manufacturer of the drugs, Novo Nordisk, said: ‘We recommend patients take these medications for approved indications and under the supervision of a healthcare professional.’
It comes after new data last month showed that semaglutide can slash the risk of deaths from all causes by up to a quarter.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School in the US showed obese and overweight people on semaglutide enjoyed a 23 per cent lower chance of dying overall in the three years that followed.
Meanwhile a separate study led by n researchers showed diabetes patients on the drug for just two months had a 29 per cent lower chance of death from heart attacks and strokes.
The studies are the latest to demonstrate that the fat-busting jabs have a protective effect, but scientists are still unable to pinpoint exactly why.
While the jabs can help patients lose weight and improve their health in general experts say this doesn’t fully explain the slash in risk of early death.