A woman with type 2 diabetes has chosen not to start Ozempic after expressing concerns about a rare but serious eye disorder linked to the medication, highlighting ongoing safety considerations for popular diabetes treatments.
A woman with type 2 diabetes has described turning down Ozempic after being approved for the drug, saying the risk of a rare but serious eye complication was enough to change her mind.
Ozempic, which contains semaglutide, is licensed to help manage blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is not approved as a weight-loss medicine, although its appetite-suppressing effect and slower digestion have made it widely known for that use. The Mirror reported that the woman, using the pseudonym Jane, had initially been hopeful the treatment would help her with both her diabetes and her weight.
But after consultations with her doctor and a discussion of side effects, she said she decided not to proceed. Her concern centred on non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, a rare condition in which reduced blood flow damages the optic nerve and can cause sudden, usually painless, vision loss in one eye. Diabetes UK and the Cleveland Clinic both say that while the complication is very uncommon, it has been associated with semaglutide products including Ozempic. The European Medicines Agency has gone further, concluding that NAION is a very rare side effect of semaglutide medicines and saying the condition may affect up to 1 in 10,000 users.
Common side effects of Ozempic include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, according to Diabetes UK and other medical guides. The drug can also worsen diabetic retinopathy in some patients, particularly if blood sugar falls quickly, and health organisations advise people with existing eye disease to tell their doctor before starting treatment. Diabetes UK says anyone who notices sudden changes in vision should seek urgent medical advice.
The woman said she had weighed the possible benefits against the possibility, however small, of permanent sight loss and decided the trade-off was not worth it. Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic, has said patient safety remains its priority and that, based on the totality of evidence, it does not believe the data show a reasonable possibility of a causal link between semaglutide and NAION. It says the overall benefit-risk profile of the drug remains favourable.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
