Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@averyofficial
Topics: Drugs, Health, Mental Health
Joe Yates
Warning: This article contains discussion of eating disorders which some readers may find distressing.
American singer-songwriter Avery posted two videos on her social media accounts warning fans 'to be careful' with Ozempic unless prescribed it.
Avery - whose real name is Anna Iannitelli - recently shared a video to Instagram, where she claimed she had been diagnosed with osteoporosis after allegedly taking Ozempic for a year.
Ozempic comes in the form of a weekly injection that helps lower blood sugar levels in your body by assisting the pancreas in producing more insulin, and It was approved in the US back in 2017 for use in adults with type 2 diabetes.
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According to UC Davis Health - the University of California's medical center - Ozempic isn't approved for weight loss, but a drug under the name Wegovy is approved that contains a greater dose of semaglutide - which Ozempic and Wegovy both cover.
According to Diabetes UK, adults with type 2 diabetes can take Ozempic, with guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend it be prescribed if 'using three medications have not been effective' or 'you have not been able to take the medications'.
In her first social media post, Avery said that she had been for a checkup as she'd 'been off of Ozempic for two months now' and wanted to see if her body was in 'better condition'.
However, she says she's been left 'in shock' after being told she has osteoporosis, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, can causes bones to 'become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a break'.
Adding that she 'wasn't expecting this', she says: "I guess Ozempic can cause bone density loss, and I didn't think that that would happen to me, because I was only on it for a year, but I have significant bone loss.
"I have osteoporosis and osteopenias that I don't know. There's, like, several of them that I have, and I just wasn't... I just wasn't, like, expecting... I wasn't expecting that."
She wrote in her description that she didn't get it prescribed by a doctor, claiming it is 'very easy to get now days', as well as adding that she has an eating disorder.
"I made a mistake. I take responsibility for my actions. Please learn from mine." she said, adding she will 'be going on medication and starting a treatment plan'.
"Please please please be careful with Ozempic if you are not someone that needs to take it." Avery continued.
In a follow-up video, she clarified that she wasn't attempting to 'demonize' Ozempic and she wanted 'to make people aware of what can happen' when you use it unprescribed.
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the company that develops Ozempic, told UNILAD: "Novo Nordisk does not condone, suggest, or encourage misuse of any of our medicines outside of their approved indications. Ozempic (semaglutide injection) is not licensed for the treatment of weight loss.
"We understand the health challenges this individual has faced and the safety and wellbeing of patients taking our medicines is our top priority.
"We strongly recommend that all patients stay in close contact with their healthcare professional for proper diagnosis, ongoing guidance, and careful monitoring."
They continued: "It is important to note that Ozempic (semaglutide injection) is a prescription-only medicine, meaning that it must be prescribed by a healthcare professional under strict supervision.
"Patients must make any decisions about treatment together with their healthcare professional so that their doctor can assess whether it is appropriate to prescribe the medicine or not, based on their assessment of the patient’s individual medical profile.
"Accessing prescription-only medicines without a valid prescription or without the care of a healthcare professional can pose a direct danger to health."