Ozempic, the trendy drug that many say helps burn excess fat, had a horrific side effect for one woman with diabetes.
Maria Rosas, a professor of Pharmacology Health at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, penned a testimonial on her Ozempic use to Newsweek, revealing that she suffered “severe burns” and “charred skin” on her vagina, anus and buttocks owing to the once-weekly jabs.
At one point, she feared she would die from the excruciating pain from the medication — often called a “miracle” drug for its weight-shedding properties, despite being created to treat type-2 diabetes.
“I noticed ‘pieces’ of skin on my toilet seat and on the tissue paper when I cleaned [my genital] area,” she wrote.
“I checked, and my genitals, anus, and buttocks were severely burned, some areas with charred skin,” she said. “It was as if I was exposed to sunlight for days.”
Rosas did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The grandparent of three and doctor of medicine, who’s grappled with Type-2 diabetes for over 20 years, first began taking the pricks in April, hoping the ballyhooed pharmaceutical would stabilize her glucose levels and curb the frequency of her meds intake.
“It was only a once-a-week injection, and I was tired of taking a lot of medications twice a day for so long,” said Rosas.
For two decades, she’d been on metformin — an anti-diabetic medication — but after experiencing some gastrointestinal side effects from the prescription, Rosas decided to swap out the medication for Ozempic.
Initially, the educator believed she’d made a smart switch.
“My glucose level was great after taking Ozempic for the first week,” said Rosas, noting, however, that she did endure an emotionally taxing side effect.
“I suffered mild depression when I started with Ozempic, though it disappeared after one week,” said the Texan.
“But immediately after, I noticed a severe, burning pain in my back, shoulders, and arms. I was in excruciating pain,” she continued. “I had COVID before that, so I thought it was post-COVID neuropathy pain.”
However, the fiery pangs persisted.
“The burning pain in the back never disappeared,” confessed Rosas. “But in August, a worse burning pain in my genital area and buttocks appeared.”
After discovering her singed and sore undercarriage, the alarmed granny immediately notified her healthcare provider.
“The pain was so intense that I called my doctor,” Rosas remembered. “He immediately told me to discontinue Ozempic, and he told me it may have caused this issue, as one of the less talked about side effects is rashes, itching, or hives.”
“I panicked,” she added, “because I knew that these adverse effects were not normal.”
Unfortunately, Rosas is far from the only patient to sustain devastating damages after taking Ozempic.
In August, a 35-year-old Canadian named Amelia, a financial analyst and mother of one with type 2 diabetes, revealed to The Post that she suddenly became suicidal from the weekly dosages. And a number of dieters who’ve pumped their veins full of the drug in the hopes of achieving svelte physiques have been diagnosed with severe gastroparesis, or stomach paralysis, presumably as a result of the shots.
“I wish I never touched it,” Joanie Knight, from Angie, Louisiana, told CNN. “This medicine made my life hell.“
In the midst of her hellish nightmare, Rosas decided to take matters into her own hands.
She filed a complaint with Ozempic via the company’s 1-800 number and reported the medical mishap to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
The victim, too, embarked on an investigation into the downsides of the jabs.
“I researched on the internet and found that Ozempic can indeed cause hives, rashes, and other adverse effects,” said Rosas, who discontinued use of the drug on Sept. 5.
Her private areas have since begun to heal. But she’s not quite out of the woods yet.
“It still hurts when I have to urinate or defecate, and it often starts peeling again because of the friction,” said the survivor.
“I’m on a very strict diet and not taking any medication at this moment in time, but this will change in a few weeks,” Rosas added. “I want to heal before I start again with any medication, and due to the strict diet, my level of glucose is thankfully under control.”
Her harrowing experience notwithstanding, Rosas still lauds the injections for lowering her blood sugar.
“Ozempic helped me but I thought I was going to die at one point, because of what was happening to my body.”
“It was very good for my glucose levels,” admitted Rosas. “But I still don’t recommend the use of Ozempic because it has so many adverse effects that worried me and my family.”
