Letter: May 6, page A1 “Weight loss drugs reshape diet industry”

Interestingly, this supportive article about these miracle weight loss drugs failed to mention the common and unsettling side effects experienced by

24-48% of patients taking them.

Here are a few: nausea, upset stomach, vomiting,

diarrhea, feeling bloated, heartburn, headache,

blistering and burning sensations on skin and perhaps the most horrifying - the possibility of undigested food in the stomach becoming a solid mass called a bezoar, which can be life-threatening

because it blocks food from passing into the small

intestine.

These miracle drugs slow down the digestion of food, causing it to remain in the stomach longer

and resulting in the patient feeling full or bloated and possibly nauseous. In simpler terms- they make you so sick you cannot eat.

If the patients stop taking the drugs, many regain the weight, because the reasons for their weight gain were never properly address.

These are miracle drugs only for investors and industries benefiting from huge profits.

Karen Papagapitos

Northwest side

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.