Latest news with #YellowCardScheme
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Thousands of reported reactions to weight-loss jabs, including death
Adverse reactions to weight-loss jabs are set to soar by more than 350% in a single year, according to the latest data. Between January and mid-May 2024, some 2,780 reports of spontaneous suspected adverse drug reactions to semaglutide were reported to the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. This already exceeds the total reported for all of 2023 - when 1,592 reactions were reported to the MHRA's Yellow Card Scheme, to which patients, carers and medics and submit worries. Semaglutide is used to treat type 2 diabetes, but it is also increasingly used as a weight-loss jab. Reports for 2024 - which include four fatal reactions - have only been processed up to mid-May. But if trends remain the same, more than 7,200 reactions will be reported - a 357% surge for 2024. It comes after reports of nasty side effects - including eye problems, infections and gastrointestinal disorders - nearly tripled from 2022 to 2023. READ MORE: This Morning's Alison Hammond to make Gogglebox debut with new co-star READ MORE: Britain's Got Talent winner chokes up as she says semi-finalist 'caught my heart' Five years ago, in 2019, just 114 reactions were reported. The data is the latest available from the Yellow Card scheme, run by the MHRA, which recorded 5,500 adverse reactions to semaglutide since 2019, up to mid-May 2024. Most of these were gastrointestinal disorders, with 50 to 59-year-olds the most common age group, with women outnumbering men by more than three to one. For liraglutide, adverse reaction reports appear to have slowed, with just 22 in January to May 2024 , compared to 304 in 2023. The same comparison for tirzepatide is harder to make because it was only approved for use in the UK in November 2023. But there were 209 reports of adverse reactions up until May 2024 - including one fatal. The most common complaint after gastrointestinal disorders was fatigue followed by headaches - but less common reports included increased menstruation bleeding, joint problems and heart rhythm problems. The NHS lists nausea, diarrhoea, and abdominal cramps as potential side effects of the injections. Eli Lilly - who make tirzepatide - said: "Patient safety is Lilly's top priority. We take any reports regarding patient safety extremely seriously and actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines. The Mounjaro (tirzepatide) Patient Information Leaflet warns that various gastrointestinal side effects – including nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain, and constipation – are common or very common side effects. "We encourage patients to consult their doctor or other healthcare professional regarding any side effects they may be experiencing and to ensure that they are getting genuine Lilly medicine." According to the Yellow Card website "it is important to note that reported adverse reactions have not been proven to be related to the drug, and should not be interpreted as a list of known side effects". Of the 2,780 reports for adverse reactions to semaglutide in 2024, up to May, 281 were deemed "serious". 2019- 114 2020 - 144 2021 - 336 2022 - 534 2023 - 1592 2024 (up to May 19) - 2780
Scottish Sun
28-04-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Eight horrifying side-effects of tablets to reverse male baldness ‘revealed' by nation's drug watchdog
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BLOKES taking a baldness medication have complained it shrunk their manhood. Forty-one reported a smaller todger after using Finasteride, while more than 400 said they suffered impotence. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Blokes taking a baldness medication have complained it shrunk their manhood (stock picture) Credit: Getty A further 306 men moaned of losing interest in sex — while two said their libido had risen. They were among 2,778 reports of side effects logged with the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Others included wonky willies or 'man boobs'. Scores more say the drug — often sold under the brand name Propecia — caused pain in their scrotums, flatulence, blurred vision or toothache. Prescription-only pill Finasteride is one of the most common hair loss medications and is taken by tens of thousands in the UK alone. It works by preventing testosterone turning into a hormone that can stop hair growing. A Freedom of Information req-uest to drug watchdog MHRA also revealed there were 16 claims linking it to suicides and 200 people blamed it for depression. Dr Alison Cave, MHRA chief safety officer, said: 'Patient safety is our top priority. 'We have robust safety monitoring and surveillance systems in place for all healthcare products. 'When a safety issue is confirmed, we always act promptly to inform patients and healthcare professionals and take appropriate steps to mitigate any identified risk. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery says this is why men lose their hair 'It is important to note that a reaction reported to the Yellow Card Scheme does not necessarily mean it has been caused by the medicine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have. 'On the basis of the current evidence, the benefits of Finasteride outweigh the potential risks.'
The Sun
28-04-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Eight horrifying side-effects of tablets to reverse male baldness ‘revealed' by nation's drug watchdog
BLOKES taking a baldness medication have complained it shrunk their manhood. Forty-one reported a smaller todger after using Finasteride, while more than 400 said they suffered impotence. 1 A further 306 men moaned of losing interest in sex — while two said their libido had risen. They were among 2,778 reports of side effects logged with the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Others included wonky willies or 'man boobs'. Scores more say the drug — often sold under the brand name Propecia — caused pain in their scrotums, flatulence, blurred vision or toothache. Prescription-only pill Finasteride is one of the most common hair loss medications and is taken by tens of thousands in the UK alone. It works by preventing testosterone turning into a hormone that can stop hair growing. A Freedom of Information req-uest to drug watchdog MHRA also revealed there were 16 claims linking it to suicides and 200 people blamed it for depression. Dr Alison Cave, MHRA chief safety officer, said: 'Patient safety is our top priority. 'We have robust safety monitoring and surveillance systems in place for all healthcare products. 'When a safety issue is confirmed, we always act promptly to inform patients and healthcare professionals and take appropriate steps to mitigate any identified risk. 'It is important to note that a reaction reported to the Yellow Card Scheme does not necessarily mean it has been caused by the medicine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have. 'On the basis of the current evidence, the benefits of Finasteride outweigh the potential risks.'
