I have diligently documented at PJ Media the pitfalls of the drug that the corporate state media has alternately lauded as a “breakthrough” and “miracle” with such marketing effectiveness that many diabetics, who rely on the drug to maintain their blood sugar levels in normal ranges, have reported being unable to procure it after the manufacturers won FDA approval to market it for weight loss in 2021.
Now we can add another potential danger to the long and growing list of risks associated with semaglutide, sold in the United States under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic.
Via Associated Press (emphasis added):
Patients who take blockbuster drugs like Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss may face life-threatening complications if they need surgery or other procedures that require empty stomachs for anesthesia…
Some anesthesiologists in the U.S. and Canada say they’ve seen growing numbers of patients on the weight-loss drugs who inhaled food and liquid into their lungs while sedated because their stomachs were still full — even after following standard instructions to stop eating for six to eight hours in advance.
The drugs can slow digestion so much that it puts patients at increased risk for the problem, called pulmonary aspiration, which can cause dangerous lung damage, infections and even death.
Whenever I publish anything regarding the latest risks associated with semaglutide (see here and here) — such as gastrointestinal upset, kidney damage, rebound weight loss, and now complications from anesthesia — a minority of readers reply with indignant emails or comments along the lines of “how dare you malign such an important therapeutic.” They put aside the fact that the rush on semaglutide by corporate state media addicts who believe the pharmaceutical advertisements disguised as “news” on the television has reportedly cost diabetics, who have a much more legitimate need for it, access to the drug.
At the risk of sounding overly preachy, woe unto he who blindly trusts in the magnificence of the pharmaceutical industry and the products it offers as alternatives to healthy, commonsense lifestyle practices like eating responsibly. There are no shortcuts on the road to optimal health, despite how tempting reaching for a bottle or injection may be.
Woe unto he who artificially manipulates hormone levels with no expectation of possible adverse effects. Even under the most carefully supervised conditions with relatively better-vetted drugs, like an aging male receiving testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in carefully titrated dosages with ongoing blood monitoring, there are risks that can never be totally discounted. This isn’t to say that the unavoidable risks always outweigh the potential benefits — only that prudence dictates that the calculation must be made with a sober mind.
I recognize that I’m largely preaching to the choir on this stuff, but for any reader who feels slighted or offended at such common-sense suggestions that sustainable weight loss for the vast majority of individuals — with notable exceptions for those with exceedingly rare genetic conditions and/or chronic illnesses — only results from responsibly eating and exercise, perhaps you should inquire within as to why. Might it be that, somewhere deep down, through all of the cognitive dissonance, you know that what I’m saying is true?