Doctors warn of new drug risk.

Warning: Weight Loss ⁢Drugs May⁣ Pose Life-Threatening Risks Under Anesthesia

Doctors are sounding‍ the alarm⁤ about popular​ weight ‌loss‍ drugs ‍like Ozempic and⁤ Wegovy, cautioning​ that they ⁤may carry the risk of life-threatening ⁢complications during ​anesthesia.

Patients who rely on drugs‍ such as Wegovy or Ozempic to shed pounds ‌could face severe complications if they ‍require surgery or other procedures that necessitate an ‍empty ‍stomach for anesthesia.

However,‌ recent guidance advising patients to ⁤halt the medication for up to a‍ week‌ may‌ not be ⁤sufficient. An increasing number of anesthesiologists in the United States and Canada have reported cases ⁤of patients on these weight-loss drugs inhaling food‌ and⁣ liquid into their lungs while sedated, as their stomachs remained full ‌despite following the standard⁣ instructions to ⁣refrain from eating for six to⁤ eight hours prior to the procedure.

The ‌drugs can significantly slow down digestion, putting patients⁣ at a higher risk of⁢ a condition called pulmonary aspiration. This condition can lead to ⁤dangerous lung damage, infections, and even death, according to Dr. Ion Hobai, an anesthesiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

“This is such ⁤a serious potential complication​ that ⁤everybody who takes this drug should know ⁣about ‌it,” said Dr. Hobai.

Dr.​ Hobai⁢ recommends that individuals taking these drugs inform their doctors ‍before undergoing ‍sedation and discuss the associated risks.⁤ “If you’re taking⁢ this drug and you need an operation, you will ⁢need to⁣ take extra​ precautions,” he emphasized.

While it ⁤is ⁤unclear how many patients taking these anti-obesity ‌drugs may be affected by ​this issue, the consequences are ‍so severe that Dr. Hobai and ⁤a group of colleagues ⁢have called for the ⁣drug to be discontinued for an even longer period—approximately three weeks before sedation.

This timeframe accounts‍ for‌ the duration that semaglutide, the ⁤active ‌ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, remains in the body. ⁣Dr. ​Philip Jones, a Mayo Clinic ‌anesthesiologist and ​deputy​ editor-in-chief of the Canadian Journal of‌ Anesthesia, explains, “When 90 percent ‍of ‍it is gone,⁤ which​ is after three ‍weeks, ⁢hopefully ⁣everything should ⁣go back to normal.”

A few weeks ago, the American ⁣Society​ of Anesthesiologists (ASA) advised individuals who take⁤ GLP-1 agonists like Wegovy or Ozempic daily to⁤ discontinue the drugs on the day of ‍their ⁢surgery.

Dr. Ronald L. Harter, the incoming president of‌ the ASA, expressed concern ⁤over‌ reports of patients‌ who ⁤vomited despite fasting⁣ before or⁣ after anesthesia. He⁢ stated, “This ⁢was very‌ concerning and something we needed to address and communicate to ⁢the public like we⁣ are doing right now.”

Anesthesiologists have highlighted‌ the importance of‌ taking these risks seriously⁤ and ensuring patient safety during surgical procedures.