By Blathin de Paor,Neil Shaw

Copyright rsvplive

A pharmacist with more than three decades of experience has voiced her concerns over the ‘alarming’ side effects of weight loss drugs, stating she would never take them herself. Medications initially developed to manage diabetes are now commonly used for weight loss, and by the onset of summer, 1.5 million individuals in the UK were already using them.

However, Deborah Grayson, who operates Digestion with Confidence, is worried about the potentially lasting health problems that could arise from even brief use of these injections.

She revealed: “I’m seeing and hearing about a rise in patients suffering from serious, long-lasting gut issues caused by the very weight-loss injections that are supposed to help them. These conditions are life changing. These GLP-1 receptor agonists work by slowing the stomach to make people feel full faster. That’s why they’re so effective for weight loss, but for some, this effect can become a curse.

“The condition I’m seeing more of is called gastroparesis – delayed gastric emptying – where the stomach can no longer move food along at a normal rate. Symptoms are relentless: people feel full after tiny amounts of food, experience nausea or vomiting, bloating, stomach pain and heartburn.

“While delayed gastric emptying is listed as an uncommon side effect (affecting one in 100 to one in 1000 patients), on the manufacturer’s data sheet for weight loss medication, permanent gastroparesis is not listed. What’s alarming is that, although we’ve always thought these issues would resolve when the injections are stopped, now we are discovering that this isn’t always the case, leaving many patients with permanent symptoms.”, reports the Mirror.

“This is not just uncomfortable; it’s life-altering. Eating becomes stressful, nutritional intake drops and in severe cases malnutrition can occur. Daily life – even enjoying a family meal – can turn into a constant battle against nausea and pain.”

In the UK, only 14 per 100,000 individuals are diagnosed with gastroparesis. It affects people of all ages, but women are twice as likely to suffer from it.

According to Guts UK, it’s most often diagnosed in people aged 18 to 39. The NHS encourages those experiencing symptoms such as feeling full quickly after eating, nausea or vomiting post-meal, chronic stomach pain, persistent heartburn for three weeks or more, and bloating for three weeks or more, which could be signs of the condition, to consult a GP.

Ms Grayson expressed her concerns, stating: “What concerns me further is that these gut symptoms often lead to increased prescriptions of acid-reducing medications like proton pump inhibitors. These are one of the most prescribed medications in the UK, and long-term use has been linked to a number of conditions including dementia.

“Patients taking GLP-1s see their GPs complaining of heartburn or reflux-like discomfort, and the obvious response is to treat it with a PPI. While this can relieve some of the acid-related discomfort, it doesn’t address the underlying problem, which is delayed gastric emptying.

“In fact, taking PPI medication for gastroparesis can sometimes worsen symptoms rather than help, as it doesn’t address the underlying delayed stomach emptying and may contribute to further digestive issues. With GLP-1 medications being prescribed at higher doses to maximise weight loss, I predict we’ll see more people experiencing both persistent gastroparesis and reliance on PPIs.

“The irony is that a treatment intended to improve health can indirectly cause long-term gastrointestinal complications and additional medication use.”

The NHS offers advice for managing a gastroparesis diagnosis, which includes switching to four to six small meals a day, reducing the amount of indigestible insoluble fibre (found in wholegrain bread, beans and some vegetables and fruit) in your diet, and adopting a liquid diet, consuming soups or meals blended in a food processor.

Ms Grayson stated: “I would urge patients and healthcare professionals to take this seriously. Anyone starting these injections should be fully aware of the potential for severe and, in some cases, permanent digestive issues. Doctors need to monitor symptoms closely and consider alternatives for people with a history of gastrointestinal problems. Patients experiencing persistent nausea, vomiting, bloating or early satiety should speak to their GP immediately.

“Early recognition may help manage symptoms before they become chronic. These medications have a place in treating obesity and diabetes, but the risks are real, and awareness is crucial. We cannot underestimate the impact permanent gastroparesis has on quality of life, and we must be vigilant to prevent this silent, debilitating side effect.”

The medications have also been associated with other serious adverse reactions. Ms Grayson had previously raised concerns about a rise in individuals requiring gallbladder removal surgery.

Hundreds of patients have documented pancreatic complications connected to using weight loss and diabetes injections, leading health authorities to initiate a fresh investigation into adverse effects. There have been reports of some fatal cases of pancreatitis linked to GLP-1 medicines (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists).

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recorded hundreds of instances of acute and chronic pancreatitis among individuals using GLP-1 medications since they were approved.

These incidents are not definitively attributed to the drugs, but the individual who reported them suspected a possible connection.

GLP-1 agonists can reduce blood sugar levels in those with type 2 diabetes and may also be prescribed to aid certain individuals in losing weight. The majority of side effects associated with these injections are gastrointestinal, including nausea, constipation, and diarrhoea.