(RepublicanDaily.org) – An Australian woman who just wanted to lose a few pounds for her daughter’s wedding died after taking the medication Ozempic.
56-year-old Trish Webster was prescribed the medication, but died due to gastrointestinal illness, a side-effect of the drug. While Ozempic is typically prescribed to people with Type 2 diabetes – it is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration – many people around the world have used it as a weight-loss drug. Many celebrities and social media influencers have also reportedly been using the drug to keep their figures slim.
Ozempic mimics GLP-1, a natural hormone in the body that slows down the movement of food through the stomach and intestines. The result is that people feel “full” for longer and thus feel less compelled to eat all the time. However, one of its side-effects called “ileus” which happens when the drug slows down peristalsis – movement of food through the system – too much and results in intestinal blockage.
Over the last several months, the FDA has reported more than a dozen cases of people taking Ozempic who have suffered from ileus.
Before she died, Webster managed to lose as much as 35lbs over the course of five months on the medication, but she was also using another drug, Saxenda. Her slimming regimen caused her to suffer from constant nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. She collapsed in her home with a ‘brown substance’ oozing from her mouth, but she died even through her husband managed to administer CPR. Webster’s husband has been calling for a formal inquiry into the death of his wife.
Speaking to news outlets, Webster’s husband said that his wife had also seen a doctor regarding her condition. But she persisted in taking Ozempic, as “she just kept mentioning that dress that she wanted” to have on for her daughter’s wedding day, he related. But in the end, he added, “It’s just not worth it, it’s not worth it at all.”
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