Ozempic, marketed as an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes, has been linked to severe gallbladder complications in some patients. Gallbladder disease is a serious condition that can significantly impact your quality of life, leading to chronic pain, dietary restrictions, and potentially dangerous complications if left untreated. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with gallbladder issues after using Ozempic, you deserve answers, support, and fair compensation for your suffering. A specialized Ozempic lawyer at Estey & Bomberger can represent your case.
How Ozempic Affects the Gallbladder
Ozempic contains the active ingredient semaglutide, which works by mimicking a hormone that regulates blood sugar and appetite. However, emerging evidence suggests that this drug may increase the risk of gallbladder complications.
Clinical trials revealed gallstones occurred in 1.5% of patients taking the 0.5mg dose and 0.4% of those on the 1mg dose, while none occurred in the placebo group. Alarmingly, 90% of these cases required surgical removal of the gallbladder. Despite these risks, Novo Nordisk—the manufacturer of Ozempic—did not warn patients until March 2022.
Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that medications like Ozempic are associated with an increased risk of gallstones and a higher risk of gallbladder inflammation compared to other treatments. These risks appear to increase with higher doses, longer treatment duration, and when Ozempic is used primarily for weight loss.
Warning Signs of Gallbladder Disease
Your gallbladder stores bile that helps digest fats. When problems develop, you may experience painful symptoms that require immediate medical attention.
The most common sign of gallbladder disease is pain in the upper right abdomen. This pain is usually sudden, sharp, and persistent, and may radiate to your back or right shoulder. Unlike muscle issues, gallbladder pain does not improve when you change position.
Other warning signs associated with gallbladder disease include:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fever or chills
- Chronic diarrhea lasting more than four weeks
- Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin
- Light-colored stools
- Dark urine
If you experience any unusual symptoms while taking Ozempic, go to the doctor right away—it may be a sign of something much more serious.
Filing a Lawsuit for Gallbladder Disease Caused by Ozempic
Patients who were diagnosed with undisclosed health complications after taking Ozempic deserve justice. If you used Ozempic before April 2022 and subsequently developed gallbladder disease, you may qualify for a lawsuit against Novo Nordisk.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers have a legal duty to warn patients and providers about known risks associated with their products. Novo Nordisk’s failure to disclose the increased risk of gallbladder disease until years after the medication entered the market represents a failure to uphold this important duty.
Your Ozempic gallbladder disease lawsuit can seek compensation for the financial and personal toll this condition has taken on your life. This includes covering your medical expenses, reimbursing lost wages from missed work, and acknowledging the pain and suffering you’ve endured.
Discuss Your Case with Estey & Bomberger, LLP
Living with gallbladder disease from Ozempic means dealing with pain, medical bills, and life disruptions you never signed up for. The attorneys at Estey & Bomberger, LLP can help you seek fair and full compensation.
Our firm has built a 99% case success rate by putting our clients first and refusing to back down against powerful pharmaceutical companies. Contact us at (800) 260-7197 for a free, no-obligation case review and learn how we can fight for you.