Could Weight Loss Jabs Really Put Your Pancreas At Risk? Symptoms, Causes And Treatments You Must Know

As the number of people reporting pancreatic issues after taking the weight loss and diabetic jabs increases, UK health officials have launched an investigative study to figure out the unexpected side-effects of the drug. In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Genomics England are asking anyone who was using these shots and ended up in the hospital with a sudden pancreas problem called acute pancreatitis to get in touch. Hundreds of people have reported pancreas issues after taking drugs like Mounjaro, Ozempic, and Wegovy, but doctors haven't yet proven that the shots caused these problems.The study is part of the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme, this system lets anyone report a problem with a medicine, vaccine, or medical device, which helps doctors find safety issues early. People aged 18 and older who had a serious reaction to these weight loss shots (which are also used for type 2 diabetes) should report it on the Yellow Card website. They'll then be asked if they want to join the study. This study will check if some people's genes make them more likely to get acute pancreatitis when taking these medicines. Patients will give more information and a saliva sample, hoping to reduce these side effects in the future.As of May 13 this year, 10 deaths from pancreatitis in people using weight loss drugs were reported to the Yellow Card website, though other health factors might have been involved. It's tough to track exact user numbers since many buy these drugs online without a prescription. While health officials suggest these shots can aid obesity efforts, they caution that they're not a "magic solution" and often cause side effects like nausea, constipation, or diarrhea. The MHRA also warned that Mounjaro could reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills for some users. Does Weight-Loss Injection Affect Pancreas?A January 2025 study published in the Nature Medicine had looked into this question before. The study observed how the weight loss drug GLP-1, affected 175 different diseases. The study found that while GLP-1 users saw some benefits, they also had a higher risk of 19 side effects or diseases compared to those on traditional medications.The most significant finding was that people on GLP-1 agonists were nearly 2.5 times more likely to develop drug-induced acute pancreatitis, a serious condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed.Other common side effects included a 30% higher risk of nausea or vomiting, an 11% higher risk of arthritis, and a 6% higher risk of low blood pressure. These findings highlight that while beneficial for some conditions, these drugs come with a range of potential risks.In 2024 a case study published in the journal Cureus, also looked into this, however at the time, they did not have enough evidence to back it. The study explained that some reports had connected Semaglutide to a sudden swelling of the pancreas, called acute pancreatitis. This report talked about a 36-year-old woman who came to the emergency room with sudden, severe stomach pain. She was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. She had just started using Semaglutide shots for weight loss, which she got from a friend without talking to a doctor first.After she stopped taking Semaglutide, her pancreas levels (lipase) went back to normal, and her symptoms got much better. This suggests that Semaglutide was likely what caused her acute pancreatitis.What Is Pancreatitis? Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, and this can either be acute or chronic. Finding out whether one has pancreatitis as well as getting it under control is very important as if left unchecked, it can lead to long-term damage and other complications. As you may know, our pancreas makes important digestive enzymes as well as insulin, which helps us break down glucose components and transform it into energy. Pancreatitis happens when the pancreas enzymes damage the pancreatic tissue itself. The key difference between acute and chronic pancreatitis is that they are actually different conditions. According to a 2021 study published in the Cureus journal, acute pancreatitis is a sudden, short-term inflammation of the pancreas. When someone has acute pancreatitis, they usually feel severe pain in the upper part of their belly, either in the middle or on the right side. This type of pancreatitis often comes on quickly and, with proper treatment, can resolve. Here are the symptoms, causes and treatment options, according to National Health Services UK.Chronic pancreatitis is a long-lasting inflammation of the pancreas that often gets worse over time. Unlike acute pancreatitis, the symptoms of chronic pancreatitis can be much broader. People might have ongoing belly pain, but they can also show signs that their pancreas isn't working properly. This can lead to problems with digestion and even diabetes.Symptoms of PancreatitisAcute pancreatitis is a sudden, short-term swelling of your pancreas. The most common signs are severe, sudden pain in the middle of your stomach. You might also feel or be sick, and have diarrhea.Whereas, the main symptom of chronic pancreatitis is repeated, severe stomach pain, usually in the middle or left side, that can spread to your back. This pain is often described as burning or shooting and can last for hours or days, sometimes without a clear trigger.As the condition worsens, these painful episodes might happen more often and be more severe. Eventually, you might feel a constant, dull pain in your belly even between bad episodes, especially if you keep drinking alcohol.Causes of PancreatitisAcute pancreatitis happens when digestive chemicals inside your pancreas start to attack the organ itself. It's most often linked to two main things: gallstones, which cause about half of all cases, and drinking alcohol, which is behind about a quarter of cases. You can lower your risk by drinking less alcohol and making diet changes to prevent gallstones.The most common reason for chronic pancreatitis is drinking too much alcohol for many years. This can cause repeated attacks of sudden pancreatitis, leading to more and more damage. In children, cystic fibrosis is the most common cause. Other less common causes include smoking, your immune system attacking the pancreas, genetic problems, injury, gallstones blocking ducts, or radiation. Sometimes, no cause is found.Treatment Options for PancreatitisTreatment for acute pancreatitis focuses on supporting your body while the swelling goes down. You'll usually need to stay in the hospital for fluids through a vein, pain relief, food support, and oxygen. Most people get better within a week and can leave the hospital in 5 to 10 days, though severe cases might take longer due to complications. The damage to your pancreas from chronic pancreatitis is permanent, but treatment can help manage the condition and symptoms. Doctors usually advise stopping alcohol and smoking. You'll also get medicine to relieve pain. In some cases of severe pain, surgery might be an option to help control the condition and improve your quality of life.Researchers have explained that like many other medicines, weight loss jabs also have side-effects, some of which are very serious. The next steps they are taking is to make the medicine safer by gathering more information and helping more personalized prescriptions to prevent any such situation from arising in future.

Could Weight Loss Jabs Really Put Your Pancreas At Risk? Symptoms, Causes And Treatments You Must Know

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Could Weight Loss Jabs Really Put Your Pancreas At Risk? Symptoms, Causes And Treatments You Must Know