Is gastric paralysis on weight loss drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) a real thing?

You may have seen the news about Ozempic and Wygovy (if you are in the US) causing ´gastric paralysis’. This isn’t completely surprising given the mechanism of action of glucagon-like peptide type 1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs).

In addition to decreasing hunger through their action on the hypothalamus in the brain and sensitizing insulin, this class of medications slows down the gastric tract. Some patients are extremely sensitive to the medication and have more of this effect. Close follow-up is needed to make sure this is not happening.

Ozempic has been used since 2016 and the reason that we are seeing so many more side effects now is the sheer volume of prescriptions for both diabetes and weight loss. The concerns are that:

1) Semaglutide is being used inappropriately. It is only supposed to be used in patients with diabetes or for patients with a BMI of over 30 or over 27 with at least one weight-related medical condition. Unfortunately, it is being prescribed for people looking to lose just a little bit of weight due to strictly cosmetic concerns.

2) Even when used appropriately, in our overwhelmed healthcare system, not every doctor’s office has the time or resources for the education and monitoring that is needed with this class of medications.

This may become worse as additional medications become available such as tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and Saxenda (liraglutide) becomes available as a generic drug in the near future.

If you are a patient, pick an office that uses these medications appropriately and monitors you carefully. The two weight loss centres that I’m involved with that meet these standards are:

The Cleveland Clinic Canada Weight and Lifestyle Management Program in Toronto.
and
The Medical Weight Management Centre of Canada - virtually available in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia.

#semaglutide #Ozempic #Wygovy #weightloss #obesity