Ozempic has become a popular weight-loss drug around the world. (Representational Image: Unsplash)
An Australian woman’s quest to lose weight for her daughter’s wedding ended in tragedy. Trish Webster, 56, was given a prescription for Ozempic, a drug commonly used for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss. Shockingly, she passed away from gastrointestinal illness, prompting her husband to caution others that this widely used weight loss medication is “not worth it at all.”
Ozempic has gained notoriety as a popular weight-loss drug globally. According to the New York Post, the drug’s mechanism involves mimicking GLP-1, a natural hormone that slows down the passage of food through the stomach and intestines, resulting in prolonged satiety.
Unfortunately, Ozempic may also pose risks if it slows down the stomach too much or blocks the intestines. Mrs. Webster combined Ozempic with the prescription injection Saxenda and managed to shed around 15 kg in five months. While the medication initially facilitated rapid weight loss, it eventually took a toll on her health.
In January, just a few months before her daughter’s wedding, Mrs. Webster’s husband discovered her unconscious with brown liquid emanating from her mouth.
“She had a little bit of brown stuff coming out of her mouth, and I realized she wasn’t breathing and started doing CPR,” Roy Webster recounted to 60 Minutes Australia.
“It was just pouring out, and I turned her onto the side because she couldn’t breathe.”
Mrs. Webster tragically succumbed that night, with acute gastrointestinal illness cited as the cause of death.
“If I knew that could happen, she wouldn’t have been taking it,” the grieving husband lamented. “I never thought you could die from it.”
Although medical professionals have not attributed Mrs. Webster’s demise to her use of Ozempic and Saxenda, her husband firmly believes that the drugs were responsible.
“She shouldn’t be gone, you know,” Roy declared. “It’s just not worth it, it’s not worth it at all.”
In their response, the manufacturer of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, acknowledged that the recurring stomach issue ileus was only reported after the drug was released and had achieved commercial success, hinting that they became aware of the problem post-launch.
