Medical Association Warns Against Taking Weight Loss Drugs Before Surgery
Medical experts are warning people to avoid certain weight loss drugs prior to surgery as they could result in complications during the procedure
Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Trulicity should not be used by patients prior to elective surgery to reduce the risk of complications when using anesthesia, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) said in a June 29 press release.
Both these drugs are used by people for treating Type 2 diabetes and weight loss. They work by delaying stomach emptying, reducing hunger, and minimizing how much people eat.
“Guidance reflects concerns of delayed stomach emptying, which may cause patients undergoing anesthesia to experience aspiration, nausea, and vomiting,” the release said.
“We’ve received anecdotal reports that the delay in stomach emptying could be associated with an increased risk of regurgitation and aspiration of food into the airways and lungs during general anesthesia and deep sedation,” said ASA President Michael W. Champeau.
The drugs belong to a class called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Initial reports suggest that patients who suffered gastrointestinal side effects like vomiting and nausea while taking GLP-1 agonists were more likely to have higher residual gastric content, the release said.
“These complications can be serious, so we are providing guidance on when GLP-1 agonists should be stopped in advance of an elective procedure,” Mr. Champeau stated.
Those who take GLP-1 agonists and will have elective surgeries have been advised to hold their medication a day or week before the procedure, depending on whether they take the drug daily or weekly.
If the patient is experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms on the day of the procedure, like severe vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, or bloating, the ASA advises considering delaying the procedure.
“If the patient has no GI symptoms, but the GLP-1 agonist medications were not held, use precautions based on the assumption the patient has a ‘full stomach’ or consider using ultrasound to evaluate the stomach contents,” the release said.
“If the stomach is empty, proceed as usual. If the stomach is full or if the gastric ultrasound is inconclusive or not possible, consider delaying the procedure or proceed using full stomach precautions.
Discuss the potential risk of regurgitation and aspiration of gastric contents with the proceduralist or surgeon and the patient.”
Health Agencies Concerned
Weight loss drugs like Ozempic have triggered concerns among health agencies due to their potential adverse effects.
In June, Health Canada, which is responsible for Canada’s national health policy, issued a warning that the use of Ozempic for weight loss “is not an approved indication” and that doing so can cause “serious side effects” such as pancreatitis, severely low blood sugar levels, gallbladder issues, severe allergic reactions, thyroid tumors, and kidney problems, including kidney failure.
In a May 31 update, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that although Ozempic injections are approved to lower blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes, they are “only available with a prescription.”
The FDA also warned against using off-brand versions of Ozempic due to safety concerns.
In response to reports about Ozempic’s side effects, a spokesperson from Novo Nordisk, which manufactures the drug, said in an emailed statement that “serious adverse events (pancreatitis, gall bladder disorders, serious allergic reactions, or kidney failure) are rare (<= 2.0 percent of patients studied in the clinical development program for Ozempic).”
“Ozempic had a well-tolerated profile across the SUSTAIN clinical trial program with the most common adverse events being generally mild to moderate gastrointestinal disorders, which diminished over time.”
Earlier this month, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced that it was looking into GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic, reviewing the drug’s data on the risk of suicidal thoughts and self-harm.
The review was triggered by the Icelandic medicines agency following reports of such side effects on people using the drug. “So far, authorities have retrieved and are analyzing about 150 reports of possible cases of self-injury and suicidal thoughts,” the EMA said in a July 11 press release.
“Suicidal behaviour is not currently listed as a side effect in the EU product information for any GLP-1 receptor agonists. The review of Ozempic, Saxenda, and Wegovy started on 3 July 2023 and has now been extended to include other GLP-1 receptor agonists. This review is expected to conclude in November 2023.”
Losing Appetite, ‘Ozempic Face’
One of the potential side effects of Ozempic is that it can change people’s relationship with food. In a June 12 interview with Wired, Professor Jens Juul Holst, a scientist whose work led to the development of drugs like Ozempic, warned that people who use the medication can lose their appetite as well as “the pleasure of eating.”
“The craving for food for some people is taken away when they take GLP-1 drugs,” like Ozempic, he said.
Ozempic works by mimicking the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) protein in the body. When ingested, the drug activates GLP-1 receptors and raises insulin to manage blood sugar. At the same time, feelings of hunger are artificially minimized.
“So, you don’t eat through GLP-1 therapy because you’ve lost interest in food. That may eventually be a problem, that once you’ve been on this for a year or two, life is so miserably boring that you can’t stand it any longer and you have to go back to your old life,” Mr. Holst said.
Another likely side effect is the “Ozempic face,” in which the rapid weight loss from the use of the drug can make people’s faces look hollowed out, rapidly aged, and saggy.
To treat this, people have to turn to other medical procedures like injecting dermal fillers in their face to make it look fuller.
See more here theepochtimes
Header image: Mario Tama / Getty Images
Please Donate Below To Support Our Ongoing Work To Defend The Scientific Method
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL, legally registered in the UK as a company 
incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX.
Trackback from your site.