What’s behind the mental health concerns from Ozempic use?

In July, the European Medicines Agency announced it was investigating mental health side effects associated with Ozempic, including self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

According to NPR pharmaceutical correspondent Sidney Rapkinthe FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) has received at least 489 reports of patients experiencing anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts while taking drugs such as Ozempic, which contains the active ingredient semaglutide.

Ozempic, a drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of type 2 diabetes but not for weight loss, has gained immense popularity, especially on social media platforms, and various celebrities have also endorsed the use of the drug. It’s advertised. This injection contains the active ingredient semaglutide, which stimulates the release of insulin, a hormone that lowers blood sugar levels. It also slows the emptying of food from the stomach, keeping you feeling full for longer, and acts on the hunger center in the brain to reduce food cravings.

Common side effects of Ozempic include nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. More serious side effects may include inflammation of the pancreas, gallbladder problems, kidney failure, worsening vision, and the development of some thyroid tumors. There was no mention of anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation. Mr. Ozempic Instructions for use. For more on these mental health side effects, Wegoby’s The FDA drug uses the same active ingredient as semaglutide and is approved for weight loss at higher doses than Ozempic, according to its instructions for use.

So is it a coincidence that people taking Ozempic may also experience mental health issues, or does this drug actually cause suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression?

The hundreds of reports received by FAERS are unverified and anyone can post them on their site. Website . Reports are also not immune to replication. These reports are an important opportunity for the public to voice their concerns and communicate the side effects of various drugs, but the reports themselves do not suggest the truth or the cause of any particular side effect. In other words, the FAERS report does not mean that Ozempic causes suicidal thoughts, but rather it should prompt FDA to further investigate whether the drug is associated with or could cause unwanted side effects. ing.

There is no doubt that Ozempic may be associated with suicidal thoughts and depression, as a drug with the same active ingredient, Wegovy, is clearly associated with depression. However, more research and research is needed to prove this claim.

Another possibility is that the report filed with FAERS is purely coincidental. This means that there may not be a link or connection between Ozempic and the development of mental health side effects. People who develop feelings of anxiety or depression may develop those feelings purely by chance, absent the biological effects of drugs.

Another plausible scenario is that hundreds of reports filed with FAERS regarding mental health side effects from Ozempic indicate that people taking this drug are more likely to have mental health problems. It may be that this is happening. People who are already depressed at baseline may be overweight or obese, so they take Ozempic to lose weight. This drug can worsen feelings of depression or anxiety that are already present in an individual at baseline.

The bottom line is that the FDA needs to conduct further research to confirm the actual link between Ozempic and mental health side effects. At this time, we do not know exactly what caused the report filed with FAERS. Patients taking Ozempic should continue to be monitored by their doctor for signs and symptoms related to anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts.