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Double fat jab health warning as women told risks to unborn babies are unknown & injections may affect the pill
WOMEN on fat jabs must take effective contraception, health chiefs have warned for the first time.
It comes amid claims of an ‘Ozempic baby boom’ – with more women becoming pregnant while using weight-loss injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro.
To date, the Medicines and Healthcare products Agency (MHRA) has received more than 40 pregnancy-related reports involving the jabs, with women online raising fears after discovering they’re pregnant while taking the drugs.
Now, top doctors say the drugs must not be used during pregnancy, while trying to conceive or breastfeeding, over fears they could lead to miscarriage or birth defects.
The MHRA said today: “This is because there is not enough safety data to know whether taking the medicine could cause harm to the baby.”
Dr Bassel Wattar, a consultant gynaecologist and medical director of clinical trials at Anglia Ruskin University, told The Sun: “It’s not the medication itself, but the weight loss that helps regulate a woman’s hormones allowing her ovaries to function properly again.
“Pregnancy is more of a happy side effect.”
What’s more, it is thought that GLP-1 drugs could reduce the absorption of contraceptives, due to the fact they slow down the emptying of the stomach.
Professor Rebecca Reynolds from the University of Edinburgh warned we don’t fully understand the effects these drugs could have on an unborn baby, due to a lack of scientific evidence.
She said: “There is hardly any available data from human studies to be able to advise if these weight loss drugs are safe in pregnancy.
“The data from animal studies suggest the potential for harm with low birth weight and skeletal abnormalities, though more evidence is needed to assess if there are risks of taking these drugs in pregnant humans.”
Dr Wattar added it is rare for pregnant women to be involved in trials like this, due to the fact it can be “riskier and more expensive”.
Studies on pregnant rats showed semaglutide – the active drug in Wegovy and Ozempic – caused early pregnancy loss and birth defects.
Meanwhile, similar results were seen in rabbits and monkeys, with miscarriages and developmental issues found in offspring.
The MHRA says women should use reliable contraception if they are taking GLP-1 weight-loss injections, and for up to two months between stopping the jabs and trying to get pregnant.
That means women should take either the oral pill or non-oral options, the implant, coil or use condoms effectively.
The MHRA guidance also warns those specifically taking Mounjaro to use a non-oral method of contraception after studies found the active drug tirzepatide may reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives in women who are overweight.
Dr Alison Cave, from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said: “This guidance should not be used as a substitute for reading the patient information leaflet or having a conversation with a healthcare professional as part of the prescribing process.”
‘The power to harm as well as to heal’
The warning comes as the jabs fuel a boom in demand, with community pharmacies seeing a surge in requests.
Jasmine Shah, of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said: “Medicines are not like ordinary goods for sale, they must be handled with great care because they have the power to harm as well as to heal.”
Officials also warned against buying the jabs from dodgy sellers online or in beauty salons, where fake or unsafe products could pose a serious risk.
Stop the injections if you're pregnant
DR Zoe Williams is The Sun’s resident GP.
Q: What if I am pregnant and taking fat jabs?
The fact these drugs suppress appetite means the majority of women who got pregnant on them will have come off, because they are nourishing their baby.
The advice is to come off them immediately if you’re either pregnant or breastfeeding and speak to your doctor if you have any concerns.
Q: Why has this advice been issued now?
It is because not enough is known about the effect on pregnancy.
It’s not from studies that found any adverse effects.
As a result, the advice is preventative until more is known.
If women are on any weight loss jabs and want a baby, the advice is to come off it at least two months before trying.
Q: Are fat jabs going to be the ‘new thalidomide’ scandal?
No, the GLP-1 drugs are peptides that work by mimicking existing proteins in our bodies. In contrast, thalidomide is a drug that can affect blood vessel growth.
It is not likely that the jabs would cause such significant birth defects, as seen with thalidomide.
So far there has been no evidence of danger to the baby, despite many women getting pregnant on them.
Q: I’m worried and don’t know what to do?
When news like this breaks, it is common to have patients get in touch with concerns.
Stop taking the medication.
But be reassured, there is nothing your GP or midwife will need to do urgently.
If they are really concerned, they will get in touch.
Anyone concerned about side effects, including severe stomach pain that radiates to the back, a sign of pancreatitis, should seek medical help immediately.
GLP-1 drugs work by mimicking hormones that make you feel full, and some, like Mounjaro, also target blood sugar control.
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk that makes Wegovy and Ozempic, told The Sun: “There is limited data with semaglutide use in pregnant women to inform a drug-associated risk for adverse maternal and foetal outcomes.
“Semaglutide should be discontinued in women at least two months before a planned pregnancy due to the long washout period.
“Semaglutide should not be used in pregnancy. Women of childbearing potential are recommended to use contraception when treated with semaglutide.
“In other pharmacology trials, semaglutide did not affect the absorption of oral medications (including the oral contraceptive medication ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel) to any clinically relevant degree.
“Therefore semaglutide is not anticipated to decrease the effect of oral contraceptives.
“Nonetheless, caution should be exercised when oral medications are concomitantly administered with semaglutide.”
What are the other side effects of weight loss jabs?
Like any medication, weight loss jabs can have side effects.
Common side effects of injections such as Ozempic include:
Nausea: This is the most commonly reported side effect, especially when first starting the medication. It often decreases over time as your body adjusts.
Vomiting: Can occur, often in conjunction with nausea.
Diarrhea: Some people experience gastrointestinal upset.
Constipation: Some individuals may also experience constipation.
Stomach pain or discomfort: Some people may experience abdominal pain or discomfort.
Reduced appetite: This is often a desired effect for people using Ozempic for weight loss.
Indigestion: Can cause a feeling of bloating or discomfort after eating.
Serious side effects can also include:
Pancreatitis: In rare cases, Ozempic may increase the risk of inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, which can cause severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Kidney problems: There have been reports of kidney issues, including kidney failure, though this is uncommon.
Thyroid tumors: There’s a potential increased risk of thyroid cancer, although this risk is based on animal studies. It is not confirmed in humans, but people with a history of thyroid cancer should avoid Ozempic.
Vision problems: Rapid changes in blood sugar levels may affect vision, and some people have reported blurry vision when taking Ozempic.
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): Especially if used with other medications like sulfonylureas or insulin.
UK’s cheapest supermarket for 82 essentials revealed – it’s not Lidl, Asda or Tesco
THE cheapest supermarket for May has been revealed.
Shoppers could save nearly £50 on their weekly food shop depending on where they go.
Aldi has bagged the top spot once again as the UK’s most affordable supermarket for a basket of everyday essentials, beating rivals Lidl, Tesco and Asda.
That’s according to new research by consumer group Which?, which compared the price of a typical shop of 82 items across eight major UK supermarkets.
At Aldi, the shop came in at just £135.48 on average – the lowest of the lot.
Lidl followed closely behind, with a near-identical total of £135.79 if using a Lidl Plus loyalty card, or £135.82 without it.
This makes Lidl just 31p more expensive than Aldi.
The shopping list included branded and own-brand favourites such as Birds Eye peas, Hovis bread, milk and butter.
Special offers and loyalty card prices were factored in, but multibuy deals were excluded from the analysis.
Tesco customers using a Clubcard would have paid £150.26, while those without the loyalty scheme forked out a bit more at £152.35.
Sainsbury’s shoppers with a Nectar card paid £151.82, while non-cardholders saw their shop rise to £155.59.
Waitrose proved to be the most expensive supermarket for the smaller shop.
Here, 82 items totalled to a massive £184.03 on average.
That’s £48.55 more than Aldi, or 36% higher.
Which? also looked at prices for a bigger weekly shop of 198 items.
Aldi and Lidl weren’t included in this comparison due to their smaller ranges.
Asda took the crown for that larger trolley, with the full list costing £485.79, which was over £10 cheaper than Tesco, where Clubcard holders paid £496.59.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, the same large shop would cost £559.02 at Waitrose, making it £73.23 more expensive than Asda, or around 15% more.
Reena Sewraz, retail editor at Which?, said: “Aldi continues to be the UK’s cheapest supermarket in our monthly price analysis for May while Lidl has narrowed the gap to just 31p.
“For a bigger list of groceries, Asda continues to be the cheapest supermarket, beating shopping at Tesco with a Clubcard by more than £10.
“Food prices are still high and are likely to rise again, so many people will be looking to cut costs where they can.
“Our analysis shows that by switching supermarkets, shoppers could pay up to 36% more – highlighting the advantages of shopping around where possible.”
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes – plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury’s also sells £2 “Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me” fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps – food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go’s app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains – yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains – sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they’ve found on the cheap, including food finds.
“Downshift” – you will almost always save money going for a supermarket’s own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as “downshifting” and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.