United States: Some injected medications for managing diabetes and obesity boost the chances of a rare but serious side effect: uncovering intestinal adhesions and other complications that have emerged with new information about the actual application of the drugs to people’s stomachs.
More about the research
New research of at least three databases of patients’ records proves that laxatives cause an increased likelihood of gastroparesis, which is stomach paralysis, CNN Health reported.
The findings that have been provided in all the above-proposed studies have not been peer-reviewed or officially published in any medical journals, and as such, the given information is still considered experimental.
Two were revealed on Saturday at the Digest Liver Disease Week 2024 conference in Washington; the third will be revealed on Monday.
Agonist injections that are injected, known as GLP-1 agonists, are something that many people are seeking as they are very effective for weight loss.
These medicines are being tested in clinical trials such as Wegovy and Zepbound and according to various studies they are effective for people to lose 10 percent of their initial body weight. There has also been research that shows that they have a positive impact on the heart as well as the belly.
Copenhagen based drugmaker, Novo said that as many as 25,000 people are initiating the Wegovy programme in the US on a weekly basis.
The drugs reduce appetite by acting on the gut’s ability to digest food items. They also aid in the production of insulin by the body and assist in sending signals to the brain that would signs the control of hunger.
These medications are safe for the majority of the sufferers, but in some cases, they, too, may lead to uncomfortable/severe vomiting episodes. They can also sexual the stomach sufficiently that diagnostic punctures present the existence of a condition called gastroparesis.
As in most cases, after the discontinuation of the said medication, the doctor reveals that gastroparesis would get better. However , there are others who state that they did not observe the improvement of their health even after they stopped the use of the drug, which led to changes in their lives.
Side-effects of GLP-1
The people who are consuming GLP-1 medications were majorly. Start to feel nausea or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and also described as a proton pump inhibitor.
The study author, Dr. Prateek Sharma, a professor of medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, said, “Although these drugs do work and should be used for the right reason, we just want to caution everyone that if you do decide to start this, be prepared that you have a 30 percent chance that you may have GI side effects, and then the drug may have to be discontinued,” as CNN Health reported.
Some side effects with the medications may also diminish over time as people get used to their doses. This is one reason doctors start with a low dose of the drug and work up to higher amounts over time.
According to him, “The drug was the only thing which was different between these two groups,” and “We do show that all GI side effects or symptoms, nausea, vomiting, and gastroparesis, were significantly higher in the GLP-1 takers as compared to the controls.”