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From Ozempic was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017, the drug (and other GLP-1 agonists I like it) became famous for helping people lose a significant amount of weight in a short period of time.

However, it is also known for many serious problems. side effectsincluding stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. With this, it is understandable to wonder if Ozempic can have fatal consequences, that is, if you can die from it.

It’s important to emphasize this up front: If you want to take Ozempic, it’s essential to have an honest conversation with your doctor about the risks and benefits of using this medication (or any other medication, in fact). ).

But could you die taking Ozempic? Here’s what you need to know, according to one doctor.

Meet the expert: Alexandra Sowa, MDis an internal medicine physician specializing in preventative health, nutrition, and obesity medicine and the author of the forthcoming book The Ozempic Revolution.

Can you die from Ozempic?

To date, no one has died as a result of taking Ozempic.

However, extreme side effects have been recorded: study has linked Ozempic and similar drugs to serious stomach problems and hospitalization. Medicines for weight loss were also related to certain mental health complications. Novo Nordisk (the manufacturer of Ozempic) was even continued because of the paralysis of a woman’s stomach.

But ‘it’s very unlikely’ you’ll die from Ozempic, says Alexandra Sowa, MDinternal medicine physician specializing in preventative health, nutrition and obesity medicine and author of the forthcoming book The Ozempic Revolution.

“These medications have been studied extensively and used by millions of people at this point,” she says. “But two truths can be true in medicine: you can take Ozempic and you can die. This doesn’t mean Ozempic caused your death.

Sowa says reports of gastroparesis – a medical term for paralysis of the stomach – are very rare. “We tend to see it as a complication of a diabetes“, she said. Since Ozempic is technically a medication intended for people with type 2 diabetes, the risk of developing this complication is higher in these patients, she says.

What happens if you take too much Ozempic?

It is possible to take too much Ozempicalthough this is more likely if you are using a compounded version of the medication. (In fact, the FDA recently warned Americans about this risk.)

Sowa has also seen patients take one dose of regular Ozempic and then take another because they thought it wasn’t working, which is not recommended. If you take too much Ozempic, you’ll likely suffer from gastrointestinal problems such as nausea and vomiting, says Sowa.

“Call your doctor if this happens,” she says. There is no antidote for this, but your doctor may recommend medication to help with nausea and vomiting if you are having difficulty.

How can I avoid a fatal outcome while taking Ozempic?

Again, Ozempic’s chance of dying is very low. But Sowa says you can reduce them even further by asking your doctor all your questions.

“Don’t go rogue,” Sowa said. “Follow the instructions. There is a method for dosing these medications.

But if you have any unusual symptoms or feel pain, contact your doctor for next steps.

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