Latest news with #NataliaGH
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Health
- Extra.ie
Weight-loss injections linked to 'Ozempic baby' boom as fertility seems to increase
Women taking weight-loss jabs have been warned to use contraceptives or risk having unplanned 'Ozempic babies'. The UK's health watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), issued an alert this week telling women taking any slimming injection, including Ozempic and Wegovy, to use effective birth control. The injections have been linked to a 'baby boom', with women reporting online they have had surprise 'Ozempic babies' despite using contraception or having fertility issues in the past. Ozempic. Pic: Natalia GH/Shutterstock To date, the MHRA has received over 40 reports about pregnancy among women on the drugs. When approached Ireland's Health Products Regulatory Authority about figures here, the HPRA stated that it was made aware of six pregnancies following treatment with similar weight-loss drugs. The HSE has said it doesn't have any data on unplanned pregnancies linked to Ozempic or other GLP-1 receptor agonists used for weight loss, such as Mounjaro or Wegovy. However, it also said: 'Very common and common side effects include diarrhoea and vomiting, which could potentially impact on any medication taken orally', such as the Pill. Pic: Shutterstock Professor Donal O'Shea, HSE national clinical lead for obesity, said: 'If you respond to Ozempic and lose weight, you are more likely to populate. 'The mechanism by which weight loss makes you more fertile is that the weight loss leads to insulin sensitivity, and if you're more sensitive to your insulin, then your ovaries work better and you start ovulating again.' He continued: 'There's also an issue with how your stomach absorbs things like the oral contraceptive pill. For some women that may use it as their main contraceptive, it may well not be as effective. Ozempic. Pic: REX/Shutterstock 'We do routinely advise women that they stop Ozempic some months before attempting to conceive. The problem is many pregnancies are unplanned, so you can't always do that. If somebody gets pregnant on Ozempic, they should discontinue it immediately.' The HPRA operates the national adverse reaction reporting scheme, which tracks side effects from medicines. The authority said that, of the six pregnancies linked to weight-loss drugs, many were linked to drugs other than Ozempic. 'This product is a prescription-only medicine, and patients should discuss any queries or concerns regarding pregnancy with their doctor,' the HPRA stated. Meanwhile, those using the 'King Kong' of weight-loss jabs, Mounjaro, were told to 'double-up' their methods of contraception if using the Pill. 'Mounjaro may reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives in those who are overweight,' the MHRA alert read, adding that safe sex is 'especially important for the four weeks after starting Mounjaro and after any dose increase'. Officials added that women who become pregnant while using the medications must cease them immediately. Those who are breastfeeding are also advised to stop the injections.
Extra.ie
01-05-2025
- Health
- Extra.ie
Rise in illegal weight-loss drugs being smuggled into state
An increase has been recorded in the number of illegal 'knock-off' weight-loss drugs being smuggled into the state. The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) announced yesterday that it had seized over one million units of illegal medicines in 2024, a 14% increase from the previous year. While anabolic steroids, sedatives and erectile dysfunction medication made up close to half of the seized items, there has been a sudden rise in weight-loss drug seizures in the past three years. Weight-loss drugs. Pic: Getty Images Gráinne Power, director of compliance at the HPRA, told 'We've seen the numbers increase as we've seen the rise in the public awareness over the last few years. It's certainly something that's changing more quickly than others.' In 2022, only 32 units of falsified semaglutide – the active ingredient in the prescription diabetes injection Ozempic – were seized. This rose to 286 units in 2023 and 1,225 units last year. Seizures of falsified liraglutide, another weight-loss chemical, and fake Botox have also seen significant increases in the same period. Weight-loss drugs. Pic: Natalia GH/Shutterstock Ms Power said: 'There's a general familiarity with these products and even some of the active ingredients. They wouldn't necessarily all have branded names on them. 'Some would, and they could either be products that are legitimate but that have fallen into the wrong hands or are medicines that have been made nowhere near companies that have the marketing authorisation for them. 'Whether it's an anabolic steroid, a pen that says Ozempic or a generic form of its active ingredients, they aren't legitimately on any market, so there's no safeguards in place for anyone taking them.' REPORTING BY JAMIE MCCARRON
