Britt Jones
Ozempic users have been complaining about a very explosive topic in the weight loss community which has been dubbed ‘Ozempic poo’.
Now that Novo Nordisk has announced a slash in its price for the weight loss drug Wegovy, and its diabetes drug Ozempic, it has never been easier to access the medications if you meet the criteria.
However, Ozempic users have been dealing with a messy side effect that has caused them to go online to seek advice for the issue, so it’s something to be aware of.
Previously, we have reported on various reports of ways that Ozempic allegedly impacts your body.
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From Ozempic vulva, Ozempic penis, to Ozempic butt and its common gastrointestinal aches and pains, there is a wide range of ways it can affect you.
For some, it means that they just can’t stop ‘s**tting’ the bed.
“Any advice for not s**tting in the bed while sleep?’ asked one Reddit user, as the phenomenon has been coined as the ‘sleep s**ts’ on social media’
The desperate Ozempic user called it 'the most annoying side effect’ and they had been ‘struggling’ with pooping the bed for the last ‘couple months’ after taking the semaglutide.
Another user in the comments claimed it 'also has an anti-constipating effect’ on them, with them having to 'switch out pants’ as they nearly poop the bed.
While many said they had the opposite issue with constipation since taking the GLP-1, others were sympathetic, with a user simply suggesting wearing ‘diapers’ to bed until the situation calmed down.
Someone else advised that it's an 'extreme' side effect and they 'should talk' to their doctor and steer clear of greasy food and big meals.
So, what’s it all about?
According to Wegovy's prescribing information, 30 percent of patients in its clinical trials have experienced diarrhea and 24 percent experience constipation.
However, some also expressed they faced the same symptoms while taking the placebo.
Ozempic, which is approved as a type 2 diabetes medication and is not intended for weight loss, despite it being used off-label, also lists constipation and diarrhea as common side effects.
Dr Daniel Rosen, a weight loss doctor, explained in a TikTok video that it could be caused by the body’s alert system.
“When you eat a large meal, there's something called the gastrocolic reflex, where the stretch in the top of the stomach alerts the very end of the colon and rectum to empty,” Dr Rosen said in a video.
He added that GLP-1 medications can ‘trick your brain into thinking that food has arrived to the end of the intestines’, which prompts you to defecate.
Dr. Eric Goldstein, a gastroenterologist in New York City, told Insider that it could also be down to liquid stool leaking around the constipation, or from taking too many laxatives to help bathroom issues.
Whatever the reason, users are in a mess.
Novo Nordisk shared with UNILAD in a statement: "Gastrointestinal (GI) events are well-known side effects of the GLP-1RA class. For semaglutide, the majority of GI side effects are mild to moderate in severity and of short duration. GLP-1’s are known to cause a delay in gastric emptying, as noted in the label of each of our GLP-1 RA medications. Symptoms of delayed gastric emptying, nausea and vomiting are listed as side effects.
Novo Nordisk recommends patients take these medications for their approved indications and under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
Patient safety is of utmost importance to Novo Nordisk. We recommend that any patients experiencing side effects while taking Novo Nordisk GLP receptor agonists report them to their healthcare provider and via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/. Adverse events should also be reported to Novo Nordisk via the Customer Care Centre by calling 0800 023 2573."