Urgent Ozempic warning every Aussie needs to hear as concerning trend emerges: 'Follow the instructions'
Aussies have been issued a warning about Ozempic as the number of patients being hospitalised for mistakenly overdosing on weight loss medications soars in one state.
The NSW Poisons Information Centre received 332 distressed calls in 2024 from patients using semaglutide - a type 2 diabetes injection that trades under brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
Calls seeking advice on poisonings from semaglutide spiked by 1,176 per cent in four years, the Daily Telegraph reported
Hospital management was required in 21 per cent of cases. In 2020, just 26 residents called the centre for help.
NSW Poisons Information Centre senior specialist Genevieve Adamo said semaglutide was a GLP-1 agonist used to treat type 2 diabetes, but more recently had gained popularity among the public for off-label use for weight loss.
'To prevent accidental medication errors from GLP-1 agonists, NSW PIC advises the community to always write down or mark off the dose on a chart and always follow the instructions on the label,' she said.
'Ensure your doctor, diabetes educator, nurse or pharmacist has given you clear instructions on how to use your medicine, particularly on how to load a dose and inject correctly.'
Common symptoms of semaglutide overdose include persistent nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea, as well as intense headaches and hypoglycaemia (blood sugar).
More serious side effects that require immediate medical attention include acute pancreatitis and gallstones.
Last year, the PBS recorded more than 2.5 million prescriptions across Australia, a massive jump from 45,705 scripts in 2020 when the drug was first listed on the PBS.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has not approved Ozempic for weight loss, while Mounjaro and Wegovy can be prescribed for fat-loss purposes in 'very limited' cases.
The TGA announced this month that Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company that supplied Ozempic, had doubled the dose contained in the pre-filled pens from 1.5mL to 3mL.
The new 3 mL pen landed on chemist shelves this month and injects a slightly larger volume per dose.
The TGA urged doctors to warn Ozempic users to 'be careful' and check the dose before administering it.
Earlier this month, official data revealed more than 100 deaths in the United Kingdom had now been linked to blockbuster weight loss jabs.
Two of the victims were people in their 20s, according to a MailOnline analysis of logs kept by the medicines safety watchdog.
The findings come as the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency confirmed at least ten people in the UK who used the injections have died from pancreatitis, a life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas.
The country's Royal Osteoporosis Society has also linked weight loss drugs to osteoporosis and increased risk of bone fractures.
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So I got another and squeezed it all the way to 46.6kg. I'm not sure which reading is more realistic, but I know which is better for my ego. Still, to put both into proportion, the world-record squeeze is more than 170kg. But what can you do if you're not happy with your result? 'I often recommend turning everyday activities into opportunities for strengthening,' says Shann. 'Tasks like cooking, gardening or carrying laundry all challenge grip in a natural and functional way. Structured exercises can be added in when more support is needed, such as a tennis ball squeeze (hold for three seconds, release, and repeat 10 times per hand, daily) or a towel twist (roll a towel and twist it in opposite directions, for one or two minutes a few times a week). I usually tell clients they can expect to notice small improvements in four to six weeks if they're consistent.' And those little gadgets where you try to force two handles together with your hand, against the resistance of a spring? 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See how long you can hold it. You can play with the position of your arm (by your side, out in front of your body, above your head) and how bent or straight your elbow joint is. In the gym Dead hangs Try to hold on to a bar as long as your grip will allow you. You can change your hand position to challenge different hand and forearm muscles (neutral, supinated or pronated). This is a great exercise that helps activate your shoulder muscles, which are so important for grip strength. (Confused about those hand positions? If you stand with your arms by your sides, thumbs facing forwards is neutral. Palms facing forwards is supinated. And palms facing back is pronated.) Barbell bent-over rows This is a great multi-muscle exercise; the heavier you go, the harder your arm muscles, shoulders, shoulder blades and core have to work. Make sure you progress the weight steadily, and get a professional to guide you if you're concerned about your form. You can use either a pronated or a supinated grip. Reverse kettlebell above-head shoulder press. Hold on to the handle of an upside-down kettlebell (the ball part should be at the top and handle at the bottom). Try to keep your wrist in a neutral position (and straight) as you complete a strict above-head shoulder press. Try to move slowly and avoid the kettle collapsing down. This will challenge all of your arm and hand muscles as well as improving joint control and stability through the shoulder, elbow and wrist.
