DEAR PEOPLE’S PHARMACY: If you watch tv and see the drug commercials, diabetes is the happiest illness you can hope to have. The advertisements make you nearly need to have it, as a result of individuals are all the time having a lot enjoyable.
What a farce. Some of those medicine which can be additionally marketed for weight reduction may simply cease your digestion and put you within the hospital.
I’m not a contented diabetic because of the multitude of issues related to the illness and the medicine. I solely misplaced 12 kilos on Ozempic after two years. That was adopted by elimination of a foot of my colon when slowed digestion resulted in a tear in my gut. How a lot enjoyable am I having?
A. As with many medicine, the extra we study semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), the extra unwanted effects seem. We are sorry you had such difficulties.
For many individuals with diabetes, semaglutide helps management blood glucose. It additionally aids many individuals in shedding pounds.
A slowdown of the digestive tract (gastroparesis) is usually a critical aspect impact, although. Researchers who analyzed the well being information of 16 million folks revealed that pancreatitis and bowel obstruction are additionally a threat for these taking semaglutide (JAMA, Oct. 5, 2023).
As you level out, commercials don’t provide an unbiased perspective. Always ask about unwanted effects earlier than starting a prescription. Unfortunately, some will solely be found after many individuals have been taking the treatment.
Q. I had a nasty expertise with Ambien. I totaled my automobile solely two homes from my residence. One night, about 10 minutes after I had taken the drug, my husband talked about that he had forgotten to choose up one in every of his prescriptions. I instructed him I might go choose it up. The pharmacy is barely about 5 minutes from our residence. I felt high quality to drive.
I crashed right into a mailbox and tree. I by no means felt sleepy whereas driving. I’ve questioned if a research has been accomplished concerning the variety of site visitors accidents which have occurred after somebody took zolpidem.
A. The sleeping tablet zolpidem (Ambien) can start to exert an impact fairly rapidly, relying partly on the formulation and timing. Most folks begin to really feel sleepy inside 15 to half-hour, so your impairment got here on very quick. We have heard from others who’ve engaged in harmful actions after falling asleep.
The official prescribing data states: “Complex sleep behaviors, together with sleep-walking, sleep-driving, and fascinating in different actions whereas not totally awake, might happen following the primary or any subsequent use of AMBIEN. Patients will be significantly injured or injure others throughout complicated sleep behaviors. Such accidents might lead to a deadly consequence. Other complicated sleep behaviors (e.g., getting ready and consuming meals, making cellphone calls, or having intercourse) have additionally been reported. Patients normally don’t keep in mind these occasions.”
You can be taught extra concerning the execs and cons of varied sleeping capsules and lots of non-drug choices for coping with insomnia in our eGuide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep. This on-line useful resource will be discovered below the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
Another reader shared a considerably related expertise. “I took Ambien, jumped within the bathe, ate one thing and fell asleep watching TV. Apparently, I obtained in my automobile and drove into {an electrical} pole, knocking it over. I awakened in a hospital emergency room the following day with no recollection of something.”
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In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon reply letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or electronic mail them through their web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their latest e-book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”
(c) 2024 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
