Explosive Ozempic side effect 'sweeps Hollywood' and could affect more than 1 in 10 patients, experts say

They've been dubbed “Hollywood's worst-kept slimming secret.” But for at least one celebrity who uses injections like Ozempic to stay slim, it comes at a mortifying social cost.

An anonymous celebrity taking the drug apparently lost control of her bowels in bed, while spending the night at the home of actress and owner of wellness and lifestyle brand Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow.

The incident happened “recently” at the star's Hamptons estate, where wealthy New York residents typically descend during the summer, according to a celebrity gossip site. Popbitch.

He added that“Ozempic-induced diarrhea is becoming a very hot topic” in Hollywood because so many people are taking the drug.

But this unfortunate side effect is not limited to celebrity circles: more than one in ten patients are said to be affected.

Ozempic contains the active ingredient semaglutide and, although classified as a diabetes medicine, has been used by some people for weight loss.

The drug works by mimicking a hormone that the body uses to tell us that the stomach is full and we should stop eating, helping to suppress appetite and slow overall digestion.

However, it can also trigger what is medically known as the gastrocolic reflex.

This basically means that the stomach sends a signal to the brain that since a large amount of food has been consumed, space needs to be made available later.

As a result, the colon and rectum must empty their contents.

But if the digestive process is not completely completed, which is more likely when the signal is artificial in the case of drugs like semaglutide, it can lead to explosive diarrhea.

Since Wegovy, the weight loss version of semaglutide, contains the exact same ingredient, people taking this drug are also at the same risk.

Previous clinical trials showed that 30 percent of patients experienced diarrhea on Wegovy, compared to 16 percent on placebo.

The medicine information leaflets distributed with Ozempic and Wegovy describe diarrhoea as a “very common” side effect reported in more than 1 in 10 patients.

But they add that this phenomenon usually occurs when people first start taking the drug and usually goes away over time as their bodies adjust to the drug.

Ozempic and Wegovy, made by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, belong to a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, named after the hormone they mimic.

Competing drugs that work similarly, such as Mounjaro, which contains the drug tirzepatide, are just as likely to cause the same side effect.

Online, vaccine users have also recounted their own digestive problems while taking the drugs.

One, who shared his experience on Reddit, wrote: “I literally get shit while I sleep. It's a first.

They added: “I had a few difficult days of diarrhea after my first semaglutide injection.”

Another user, an anonymous 43-year-old man, said on Wegovy: “I feel so embarrassed to be an adult who soiled his pants!”

Another patient described how he was on his way to a birthday dinner, but added that he “ended up shitting on myself probably 15 minutes into the ride.”

Digestive problems are an unsurprising consequence of many dedicated weight loss medications, even among non-GLP-1 agonists.

Orlistat, sold under the brand name Xenical, has been prescribed for years by the NHS to people who need to lose weight.

This medication works by physically preventing the absorption of fats in the intestine and keeping them trapped in the stools which are then passed out of the body.

Disruption of the normal digestive process can also cause patients to experience diarrhea, oily or greasy stools, or oily discharge from the anus, nicknamed “anal leakage.”

Patients who experience diarrhea while taking weight-loss drugs can do little to stop this effect, although some take drugs such as loperamide, sold under the brand name Imodium, to try to combat the symptoms.

People suffering from diarrhea in general are advised to avoid eating foods and drinks which can worsen digestive problems or act as natural laxatives, according to the NHS.

These include high-fibre foods, fruit juices, nuts and dried fruit, raw fruit and vegetables, beans, lentils and pulses, cauliflower, cabbage and onions, spicy or fatty foods, and alcohol, strong tea and coffee.

Celebrities who have admitted to using weight-loss drugs like Ozempic include Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, Sharon Osbourne, Chelsea Handler and Robbie Williams.

In June 2023, comedian Amy Schumer admitted to taking it the previous year but stopping due to side effects.

“I was one of those people who felt very sick,” she said.

In the UK, there is growing concern about the number of normal weight and underweight patients needing A&E care after receiving vaccinations in a bid to become 'beach ready'.