Mayim Bialik's GLP-1 drug ordeal: Severe side effects after 1 shot

Mayim Bialik revealed her severe reaction to a single dose of a GLP-1 drug, taken for health conditions, not weight loss. The actor suffered debilitating side effects, including severe diarrhoea and dehydration, leading her to stop the treatment.

Actor-former Jeopardy! Host Mayim Bialik has opened up about her experience with a GLP-1 medication and revealed that a single injection left her dealing with severe side effects for several weeks. According to PEOPLE magazine, in an essay published in a U.S.-based digital news outlet, Bialik shared why she decided to try the medication and what happened after taking the first dose.

Why Bialik Tried the Medication

The actor, in her essay, said that she did not start the drug to lose weight. Instead, several doctors suggested it might help ease symptoms linked to health conditions she has been managing for years. "I went on a weight-loss drug because a doctor told me it might help ease symptoms I've struggled with for basically my entire adult life," Bialik wrote.

Bialik, best known for her roles in Blossom and 'The Big Bang Theory,' also spoke about her long relationship with body image and weight. She said she began gaining weight after taking medication as a teenager and later developed a difficult relationship with food. The actress also shared that early menopause contributed to weight gain in recent years. However, she said weight loss was not the main reason she agreed to try the medication.

The actress also shared that early menopause contributed to weight gain in recent years. However, she said weight loss was not the main reason she agreed to try the medication. According to Bialik, doctors believed the drug's anti-inflammatory properties could help with symptoms related to conditions including Graves' disease, connective tissue disease, mast cell activation syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome and dysautonomia.

'An Understatement to Say I Had an Adverse Reaction'

After receiving recommendations from three different doctors, Bialik decided to try a GLP-1 medication. However, she said the reaction was far more severe than she expected. Recalling her experience, Bialik wrote, "I took one shot of the lowest dose of a synthetic GLP-1, and to say I had an adverse reaction would be somewhat of an understatement."

She said she suffered from explosive diarrhoea, severe bloating, cramping, body aches and was unable to keep food or water down. The symptoms became so serious that she eventually needed IV fluids because she could not stay hydrated. Describing the first few days after the injection, Bialik wrote, "For the first two days, I ate maybe one cup of rice and half a banana. I couldn't even keep electrolyte drinks down."

The actress said she remained in close contact with her doctor throughout the experience. She also learned that nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea are among the commonly reported side effects of GLP-1 medications.

A 'Devastating' Realization

Bialik admitted that the experience also made her reflect on her long-standing concerns about weight and body image. "And yet, in the depth of my misery, my exhausted body, my aching joints, another pair of ruined underwear--a piercing, devastating thought occurred to me: At least you might lose some weight," she wrote.

Following the experience, Bialik decided not to continue the treatment and said she gave away the remaining doses she had purchased. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)