Weight loss drugs

GLP-1 drugs (Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) have become very popular in recent years to help people lose weight quickly but there are concerns as we still don't really know sufficiently how they work and what long term dangers there may be.

A very high proportion, if not most, reflux issues are due to being overweight, as too are other potentially life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, so these drugs can be possible life-savers.

The Danish company, Novo Nordisk, developed semaglutide (marketted as Ozempic and Wegovy) for use with Diabetic patients; the NDA approved it for that use in 2017, but it was soon discovered it also helped weight loss.

The US company, Elli Lilly, then developed a diabetic drug tirzepatide (Mounjaro) which was approved by NDA in 2022 and found to have a similar weight loss property.

Neither were originally approved for weight loss but their use in this regard took off when the TV doctor Dr Oz in US promoted them.

In UK, The MHRA issues advice detailed here: GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know.
Ozempic and Mounjaro are licensed to treat diabetes alongside a reduced calorie diet and exercise and Wegovy and Mounjaro are licensed for weight loss/management alongside a reduced calorie diet and exercise in people with obesity, or people who are overweight with weight-related health problems.

They may be prescribed on the NHS for up to 2 years for patients with a BMI greater than 35 who have other health issues, such as underlying heart health concerns.

According to an article in Medscape, "millions of Americans are being prescribed the drugs, often outside close medical supervision. A May 2024 national survey found that 1 in 8 US adults had taken a GLP-1 drug. A 2025 survey reported similar results: 11.8% of Americans have tried a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, including about one fifth of women aged 50-64 years.

Possible dangers.

It is thought they work on the hypothalamus in the brain, reducing the pleasure sensations associated with food. They have also been found to reduce other potentially pleasurable experiences including recreational drugs, gambling and sex.

As this Medscape article, "The Scary Health Risk That can Creep up on GLP 1 Users" relates, reduced appetite can lead to malnutrition. “We see cases where people take a GLP-1 medication and become so severely malnourished that they need to be hospitalized,” said Rebecca Boswell, PhD, director of Penn Medicine Princeton Center for Eating Disorders, in Philadelphia.

This artcle highlights other risks: Two deaths reported to drug watchdog over potential link to weight-loss jabs.
It also includes the list below:

Source: MHRA Yellow Card Scheme

*A single adverse drug reaction report can contain multiple suspected reactions in an individual

Otolaryngologic Side Effects of GLP-1 Receptor Antagnists published in Larygoscope in 2025, were associated with various otolaryngologic side effects such as sinusitis, post nasal drip, rhinorrhoea (runny nose) etc. These symptoms are also often associated with extra-oesophageal reflux which seems to increase with these drugs.

Ischemic optic neuropathy with semaglutide published in the British Medical Journal of Opthalmology, found "‘Eye strokes’ [ischaemic optic neuropathy (ION)] that reduce blood flow to optic nerve likely to be side-effect of active ingredient semaglutide." ION can lead to rapid loss of vision. "This study provides the first evidence of a formulation- and dose-dependent ION risk, with the strongest association observed for Wegovy."

The bottom line is:

These drugs should only be used with adequate medical supervision.

Page last updated 10 March 2026

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