An Australian woman who wanted to shed a few pounds before her daughter’s wedding has tragically died after taking a popular weight loss drug.
Trish Webster, 56, embarked on a weight loss journey with hopes of squeezing into her dream dress for her daughter's forthcoming nuptials.
She was prescribed Ozempic by doctors, which is a medication for people with Type 2 diabetes and is given as an injection under your skin, according to Healthline.
The drug - which has been widely used as a weight-loss drug around the world - works by imitating a natural hormone, GLP-1, which delays the passage of food through the stomach and intestines, making people feel full longer.
While this has yielded weight loss benefits for some, it also has risks such as it can slow down the stomach too much or block the intestines - which results in a condition called ileus.
For Trish's part, she managed to lose a total of 35 pounds in five months after taking Ozempic alongside another prescription injection, Saxenda - which is used to help people with high body mass indexes (BMI).
However, this transformation was accompanied by negative effects as the medications reportedly took a toll on her health. Webster's heartbroken husband, Roy, revealed to Nine’s 60 Minutes Australia that while his wife was shedding weight, she was also frequently ill - often suffering from diarrhea and nausea.
But, despite these side effects, Trish continued using the medication as she was determined to reach her goal so she could wear the gown of her dreams for her daughter’s big day.
But in January this year - just a few months before the wedding - things took a devastating turn as Roy is reported to have found his wife unconscious with a brown liquid seeping out of her mouth.
"She had a little bit of brown stuff coming out of her mouth, and I realized she wasn’t breathing," he told the publication. "I started doing CPR. It was just pouring out and I turned her to the side, trying to get it out. She couldn’t breathe."
Tragically, Trisha passed away that night and her death certificate states the cause was an acute gastrointestinal illness.
Though the link between her death and her use of Ozempic and Saxenda remains unestablished, her grieving spouse firmly places blame on these drugs for the tragic outcome.
"I never thought you could die from it," he said. "If I knew that could happen, she wouldn’t have been taking it. I couldn’t save her, that’s the hard part."
Roy explained that while his wife did not have diabetes, her doctor thought it would be a good option to help aid in her weight loss. "She saw it on TV. She got the prescription from a doctor, and the doctor thought it was a good idea for weight loss," he explained.
"She just kept mentioning that dress she wanted to wear, so she went to the drastic measures of doing what she was doing. It was just one big nightmare from there," Roy added.
Endocrinologist Dr. Kathryn Williams explained to the publication that there was evidence that the active ingredients in drugs like Ozempic can cause digestive difficulties.
"When we prescribe them, we warn people," she said. "So if I say to someone, 'Yes, it might be that you do vomit once or twice, but if you are having recurrent vomiting, you need to let me know and you need to stop the medication.'"
In addition to this, the manufacturer of the medication, Novo Nordisk, said in a statement that ileus was only reported after what it calls its "post-marketing setting" - this indicates that they only became mindful of the problems after the prescription became a pharmaceutical blockbuster.
"Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and efficacy of Ozempic® and all of our medicines when used consistent with the product labeling and the approved indications," the statement read. "For Ozempic®, the most commonly reported side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach (abdominal) pain, and constipation."
The company explained that stomach issues are a well-known side effect of the prescription and that they were always observing the safety of their products.
"Ozempic® has been extensively examined in robust clinical development programs, large real-world evidence studies and has cumulatively over 9.5 million patient years of exposure," they continued. "We recommend patients take these medications for their approved indications and under the supervision of a healthcare professional."
"We are continuously monitoring the safety profile of our products and collaborate closely with authorities to ensure patient safety, including adequate information on gastrointestinal side effects in the product information," Novo Nordisk added.
Our thoughts are with Trish's family and friends at this time.
