Weight loss drug users are having to make daily change because of 'Ozempic vulva'
Ladies using weight loss jabs have been left stunned by the impact it has had between their legs.
A host of women have reported experiencing 'one of the weirder side effects' that comes with using GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Dubbed 'Ozempic vulva', this strange phenomenon has struck a range of women who have been taking the drugs, which were originally designed to treat Type-2 diabetes.
The jabs can also aid weight loss, as they regulate a patient's blood sugar levels, prompting their body to produce more insulin while suppressing the amount of glucose that their liver makes.
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As well as this, the drugs slow down how quickly your food is digested, making you feel fuller for longer.
Although weight loss medications have been touted as a magic fix by some people, in reality, that's really not the case.
You need to implement a variety of important lifestyle changes if you want long-term success, while there's also the risk that you might experience some unfortunate side effects along the way.
The five most common side effects you're likely to experience with Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and abdominal pain.
But for women who claim to be experiencing 'Ozempic vulva', these sound like a walk in the park in comparison to what they're dealing with.
Numerous females who have been using the GLP-1 medications for weight loss purposes have complained that this side effect has now started to cause them aggravation on a daily basis.
Although Ozempic vulva isn't an official medical term and is not a recognised side effect by manufacturers Novo Nordisk, a Los Angeles-based physician explained that loads of women have been complaining of it.
Dr Michael Tahery explained that weight loss drugs can impact the vulva and vagina in three ways - causing sagging of the outer labia, weakness of the vaginal muscles, and vaginal dryness.
As those consuming weight loss drugs often shed the pounds rapidly, this can cause their skin to sag...and unfortunately ladies, the vulva is not immune to this either.
"It may result in visible sagging of the labia or vagina because of overall fat and volume loss," Dr Tahery said. "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."
The latter part of that sentence has hit the nail on the head for a number of ladies who have been complaining about Ozempic vulva and everything that comes with it on Reddit.
One woman shared a post explaining that she wanted to know if she was the only one who was left feeling seriously out of sorts by the change in appearance of their private parts.
"I have lost 30% of my starting weight and obviously have had a significant change in body shape,' she said. "One of the weirder side effects is that I am far more aware of my labia now, not in a sexual way, but just in a being aware of a body part I was not previously very aware of.
"I am not a prudish person by nature, but it is sometimes to the point where I feel uncomfortable about it. I wonder if it's to do with the size of my upper thighs, actually - that there used to be a lot more cushion and now there is a gap? Anyway, it's weird and probably the thing I least expected to occur."
This ended up sparking quite the mother's meeting about how their protruding labia's were seriously getting in the way, how people are struggling to adapt to it and how it can impact your sex life.
One person said: "Yep. And I also have to clench my legs together when I pass water because it now comes out at a different angle!"
Another wrote: "Oh my god thank you for this. I have less fat down there and now it's more outward? I'm very confused and getting used to this new way of life."
A third added: "Mine's gone saggy," while a fourth commented: "I can't feel my wee coming out anymore, what is that?!?!"
In a statement, Novo Nordisk told LADbible that 'patient safety is of the utmost importance to' the pharmaceutical firm.
"We continuously collect safety data on our marketed GLP-1 RA medicines and work closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety," it said. "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/."
LADbible has contacted Eli Lilly for comment.
Olivia Burke