Poison Centres Receive About 1,500% More Calls For Overdoses Involving Injectable Medications Used For Weight Loss.
Poison Centres Receive About 1,500% More Calls For Overdoses Involving Injectable Medications Used For Weight Loss. Semaglutide is an injectable drug used to treat diabetes and lose weight. Poison control centres around the country report a sharp rise in calls about this drug, with some patients citing symptoms from unintentional overdoses. A few even required hospitalisation due to severe nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain; however, after receiving intravenous fluids and antiemetic drugs, their symptoms appear to have improved. Nearly 3,000 calls regarding semaglutide were reported to the America’s Poison Centres from January through November, a 15-fold rise since 2019. This medication was the sole substance reported in 94% of calls. Dosing errors were recorded in the majority of calls, according to the association’s clinical managing director, Dr. Kait Brown. “Oftentimes, it’s a person who maybe accidentally took a double dose or took the wrong dose,” Brown stated. Doses for compound...