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Reuters By Robin Respaut and Chad Terhune
Dawn Heidlebaugh felt trapped in a disturbing pattern while taking Ozempic, the popular drug used to treat diabetes and obesity.
Each Sunday for more than a year, the 53-year-old Ohio real estate agent took her weekly injection to help control her blood sugar. Then every Tuesday, she felt lethargic, depressed and sometimes suicidal, thinking her husband and four children might be better off without her. These feelings would last a few days, and the cycle repeated every week — except when she skipped a dose.
“I knew it was the drug,” said Heidlebaugh, who said she had not previously suffered from depression.
Heidlebaugh is one of four U.S. patients who told Reuters about experiencing suicidal thoughts while taking Novo Nordisk’s (NOVOb.CO) popular Ozempic drug, approved to treat type 2 diabetes, or Wegovy, another Novo top-seller approved for weight loss. A fifth patient said he experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after taking Mounjaro, a similar diabetes medicine from Eli Lilly (LLY.N), which is also used for weight loss. All three drugs are GLP-1 receptor agonists, which slow digestion and reduce hunger…
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