FDA Says People Are Overdosing on Semaglutide Weight Loss Drugs

Weight loss drugs are nothing new — from the Ozempic craze to newer medications like Wegovy and Rybelsus. But recently, there have been reports of patients taking a version of compounded semaglutide and overdosing.  

A semaglutide weight loss drug  is drawn from a vial and injected via a needle by the patient it is prescribed to. But it seems that patients are misdosing themselves, sometimes as much as 20 times the amount they should be taking, according to a report by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  

Medications to lose weight like Ozempic and Wegovy, however, are measured before being given to a patient in a pre-filled pen, while Rybelsus is taken via an oral table. Taking semaglutide injections can be more dangerous, as some patients may not know how to measure correctly.  

What is semaglutide and what is the FDA warning? 

Semaglutide is an antidiabetic medication but can also be used as an anti-obesity medication. Semaglutide is also the active ingredient in other weight loss drugs, like Ozempic and Rybelsus. Amid increased Ozempic use and other popular weight loss drugs, patients have turned to trying a compounded form of semaglutide, But the FDA is warning people who are using the drug. 

“Many of the patients who received vials of compounded semaglutide lacked experience with self-injections…Unfamiliarity with withdrawing medication from a vial into a syringe and coupled with confusion between different units of measurement (e.g., milliliters, milligrams and “units”) may have contributed to dosing errors,” the FDA warned as of July 29, 2024.  

How are weight loss drug miscalculations and mismeasurements happening? 

The miscalculations can happen at either end, by the patient or the prescribing doctor. Some patients are being provided instructions on how to dose themselves through a telemedicine service, which can cause confusion on how to properly take the medication.  

The FDA is encouraging “health care providers and compounders to provide patients with the appropriate syringe size for the intended dose and counsel patients on how to measure the intended dose using the syringe.” 

Patients should also be consulting a professional on how to accurately measure and administer the correct dose.  

The FDA has warned patients about compounded semaglutide before 

This is not the first time the FDA has warned against these types of semaglutide drugs. Just last year, there was a warning issued for patients to avoid any “copycat” drugs. These off-brand versions may be unsafe for use, especially if there is already an approved drug for the same treatment.  

While the compounded semaglutide drugs may be cheaper, they also may not be approved or monitored by the FDA, making them unsafe to patients. These drugs are created by compound pharmacies, who create their own drugs using raw ingredients. 

But the compounded semaglutide is different from finding a generic drug, which would be FDA-approved. However, as of now, there are no generic versions of Ozempic or Wegovy.  

“Compounded drugs pose a higher risk to patients than FDA-approved drugs because compounded drugs do not undergo FDA premarket review for safety, effectiveness or quality,” according to the FDA. 

Symptoms of overdosing on compounded semaglutide 

If you are taking a compounded version of semaglutide for weight loss and are worried about whether you have overdosed or might accidentally, there are side effects to look out for. “Symptoms include severe nausea, vomiting, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels), abdominal pain, fainting, headache, migraine, dehydration, acute pancreatitis and gallstones,” according to the FDA. 

Some patients who have overdosed have even sought medical attention or had to be hospitalized. If you or someone you know is taking a compounded semaglutide, please be aware of the symptoms of an overdose of the medication.  

“FDA encourages compounders, health care providers and patients to report adverse events and medication errors associated with compounded semaglutide products to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.”

For more information on how to properly inject a semaglutide, watch this video:

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