Title: Australian Woman Dies After Taking Ozempic for Weight Loss, Husband Warns Others
Subtitle: Husband claims popular weight-loss drug Ozempic is responsible for his wife’s death due to gastrointestinal illness
Date: Nov. 6, 2023
Author: Adriana Diaz
An Australian woman, Trish Webster, who took the weight-loss drug Ozempic to shed a few pounds before her daughter’s wedding, has tragically passed away from gastrointestinal illness. Her death has sparked concerns about the safety of the medication, with her husband warning others that Ozempic is “not worth it at all.”
Ozempic, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for people with Type 2 diabetes, has gained popularity as a weight-loss drug worldwide. The medication works by mimicking a natural hormone that slows down the digestion process, making individuals feel full for longer periods of time. However, if the drug slows down the stomach too much or obstructs the intestines, complications can arise.
Trish Webster, 56, was prescribed Ozempic alongside the injection Saxenda, ultimately losing around 35 pounds in five months. Despite achieving her weight-loss goals, the medications reportedly made her severely ill. In January, just a few months before her daughter’s wedding, Trish’s husband Roy found her unconscious with a brown liquid seeping from her mouth. Despite his CPR efforts, Trish passed away that night, with acute gastrointestinal illness listed as her cause of death.
While the official cause of Trish Webster’s death has not been directly linked to Ozempic and Saxenda, her husband strongly believes that the drugs played a role. In response, pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, stated that reports of intestinal blockage (ileus) were only made after the drug was released, suggesting it was unaware of the problem until recently.
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Company, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, are currently facing lawsuits in the US over allegations that their weight-loss drugs can lead to severe gastrointestinal issues, including gastroparesis or “stomach paralysis,” which can be fatal. Legal firm Morgan & Morgan has received around 500 inquiries from clients across 45 states regarding injuries allegedly caused by weight-loss drugs, including Ozempic.
Despite these concerns and lawsuits, Novo Nordisk maintains that Ozempic has undergone extensive clinical testing and has been used by millions of patients. The company points to gastrointestinal events as known side effects of the GLP-1 class of drugs. Lilly, the manufacturer of Saxenda, stresses its commitment to patient safety and actively monitoring and reporting safety information for its medicines.
In September, the FDA updated the labeling for Ozempic to acknowledge complaints of blocked intestines and other gastrointestinal issues from users. The agency had received numerous reports of such problems. Experts have raised concerns over the long-term effects of medications like Ozempic, including suicide risks, and caution against the misuse of these drugs as quick fixes for weight loss.
Trish Webster’s unfortunate death highlights the need for further investigation into the safety and potential risks associated with weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, urging both patients and healthcare providers to be cautious in their use.