Gynaecologist explains little-known side effects as women detail their experiences of 'Ozempic vulva'
The phenomenon of 'Ozempic vulva', one of the medication's more hush-hush side effects, has been addressed by a gynaecologist.
Created to tackle Type 2 diabetes but sometimes used off-label for weight loss, popular drug Ozempic manages the patient's blood sugar levels whilst also slowing down their digestive system. As this causes a prolonged sense of fullness, it's been helping people shed the pounds.
And yet, you can't expect there to be no side effects. Users have complained of nausea, constipation, stomach pain, 'premature ageing' to the face, hair loss, and even changes to their smiles.
'Ozempic penis' is another thing its users encounter, but in his blog post, gynaecologist Dr. Michael Tahery focuses on the female version: 'Ozempic vulva'.
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Some women who have been using GLP-1 medications like Ozempic have noticed unwelcome changes to their private parts, and Dr Tahery has flagged three major changes to look out for, and what you can do about them.
Changes to the vulva's appearance
The physician began by warning readers: "It's important to note that Ozempic isn’t officially linked with any symptoms of what people are calling Ozempic vagina.
"It is still yet to be determined if Ozempic causes any side effects on vaginal health.
"The rapid weight loss that many people experience after beginning Ozempic is believed to be what’s responsible for these changes.
"In some women who take Ozempic, the rapid weight loss that occurs throughout the body may result in visible sagging of the labia or vagina because of overall fat and volume loss.
"This sagging is caused by loose labia, loose skin in the vaginal area, wrinkles, or some combination of all three. It’s also common for rapid weight loss to cause the labia to suddenly feel out of proportion compared to how it previously felt."
On Reddit, one Ozempic user revealed she was 'experiencing pain when biking and sitting for long periods', only to be told by her doctor she'd 'lost all my fat pads in my vulva'.
She said: "I was so surprised that it could change that much."
Changes in the bedroom and pelvic weakness
Some women may experience looseness in their private parts, Dr. Tahery pointed out that it's 'common to lose muscle mass' when shifting weight at a rapid speed - and this can have some unfortunate consequences.
"Unfortunately, muscle loss that results from Ozempic use can actually cause vaginal laxity," he added. "Vaginal laxity isn’t just a cosmetic issue.
"The loosening of muscles that occurs with weight loss can lead to pelvic weakness and incontinence, and some women have reported a feeling of looseness during intercourse."
The third and final unfortunate side effect, dryness, is all down to dehydration. This is linked to the other side effects such as diarrhoea and vomiting - they go hand in glove.
What treatments are available for 'Ozempic vulva'?
Dr Tahery said you should talk to your doctor about treatment options, and they might recommend the following:
- A labiaplasty - a cosmetic surgery to 'change the shape and size of the vulva’s labia minora and labia majora'
- Vaginal tightening - which involves tightening the vaginal canal
- Labia puffing - either through a simple surgery to inject dermal fillers into the labia, or using a fat graft
- Vaginal dryness creams
In response to these reported cases, a spokesperson for Ozempic's manufacturer Novo Nordisk told LADbible in a statement: "Patient safety is of the utmost importance to Novo Nordisk. We continuously collect safety data on our marketed GLP-1 RA medicines and work closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety.
"We recommend patients take these medications only for their approved indications and under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Treatment decisions should be made together with a healthcare provider who can evaluate the appropriateness of using a GLP-1 based on assessment of a patient’s individual medical profile.
"We recommend that any UK patient experiencing side effects while taking GLP receptor agonists including Wegovy®▼ or Ozempic® report them to their healthcare provider and via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/."
Dan Seddon