A family tragedy has made headlines in Australia and drawn global attention to the risks associated with taking the weightloss drug Ozempic. Trish Webster, 56, died of an acute gastrointestinal illness after taking Ozempic for weight loss for her daughter’s wedding. The news, reported by the NY Post newspaper, spread across several media outlets following the grieving husband’s interview with the show 60 Minutes Australia.
Ozempic is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and is widely popular worldwide as a weight loss medication. The drug simulates the effect of the hormone GLP1, slowing down the transport of food through the stomach and intestines and thus prolonging the feeling of satiety. However, problems such as excessive slowing of stomach activity or intestinal obstruction, known as “ileus,” can occur. As of the end of September, the FDA had already received 18 reports of ileus in Ozempic users.
Trish Webster, who wanted to fit into her dream dress, had lost about 30 pounds in five months with the help of Ozempic and another prescribed injection, Saxenda. But even though the medication was effective in losing weight, she became seriously ill. On January 16, months before his daughter’s wedding, Roy Webster found his wife unconscious with brown fluid coming from her mouth.
“I realized she wasn’t breathing and started CPR,” Roy Webster said. “The fluid just ran out and I laid her on her side because she couldn’t breathe.” Trish Webster died that night and her husband’s grief brought with it a warning message: “If I had known something like this would happen If she could, she wouldn’t take it.”
Ozempic’s maker, Novo Nordisk, said reports of ileus only surfaced after the drug was commercialized, suggesting the company became aware of the problem after the product was brought to market. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Company, makers of Mounjaro, are facing lawsuits in the United States alleging that their weightloss drugs can cause serious gastrointestinal problems.
The FDA updated Ozempic’s label in September to address complaints of intestinal blockages in some people taking the drug after receiving thousands of reports of gastrointestinal problems. Experts warn that drugs like Ozempic have not been available long enough for longterm studies and may be misused by some as a quick way to lose weight.
Patient safety is the highest priority, say the manufacturers, and gastrointestinal disorders are known side effects of the GLP1 class. Still, Webster’s case is a warning sign for those looking for quick weight loss solutions and underscores the importance of responsible and monitored use of such medications.