FDA Issues Alert About Overdosing on Weight-Loss Drug After Some Take 5 to 20 Times the Intended Dose

Some patients have been self-administering incorrect doses of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, two popular weight-loss and Type 2 diabetes drugs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states in an alert on Friday. As a result, some patients took five to 20 times the prescribed dose, with several requiring medical attention or hospitalization. These patients administered compounded versions of the drug from compound pharmacies rather than drug manufacturers, the agency said. Dosing errors may have occurred due to patients’ lack of experience with self-dosing, and some occurred due to doctors’ dosing miscalculations. Reported semaglutide overdose adverse events include gastrointestinal effects (e.g., nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain), fainting, headache, migraine, dehydration, acute pancreatitis, and gallstones, the FDA reported....