Ozempic Maker Sued After Woman Died From Stomach Paralysis

The maker of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, has been hit with a lawsuit over allegations of wrongful death after a woman using the drug died from gastroparesis, a condition also known as stomach paralysis. Novo Nordisk denied the allegations.

Marsha Ettinghoff, 76, who had been taking the weight loss drug for six months, died from stomach paralysis, a condition where food passes through the stomach slower than it should, in August 2024 after feeling ill on holiday, attorneys representing her husband, Tracy Ettinghoff said. The attorneys, from the law firm Motley Rice, said the couple believed she had food poisoning after Ettinghoff experienced nausea and vomiting and said doctors prescribed her antibiotics and anti-nausea medications.

But after a few days, Ettinghoff complained she felt as if she had stuff regurgitating in her throat, Motley Rice said. They said her son then found her struggling to breath and as her family drove her to hospital she aspirated on her vomit and died.(snip)

Ettinghoff's family filed a lawsuit alleging that Novo Nordisk knew or should have known the risks posed by GLP-1 RA medications, including severe gastrointestinal complications and other injuries, but failed to update their warnings and labeling to adequately inform doctors and patients," Jonathan Orent, a Motley Rice attorney said. "They had a responsibility to disclose what they knew, and they didn’t."

The patients expect that there is some shot that cures a half-century of sitting on your fat ass and overeating outrageously.

And yes OF COURSE this drug is extremely refined and specific, targeting receptors in the center of the brain, as well as the gut, from head to toe. It is an amazing, powerful, and really pretty safe drug, compared to predecessor weight-loss drugs.

So some person gets gastroparesis and of course was warned about it several times by the doctor prescribing AND in the package insert. Totally ignored all that. Went ahead and ate lots, probably.

And when the gastroparesis gets worse and she throws up and regurgitates, she doesn't have the abdominal and diaphragmatic strength to clear her airway -- again because of a half-century of sitting on her ass eating and not walking or exercising.

And so she has lived a normal lifespan, in spite of being morbidly obese and in very poor health, and still obese in spite of disregarding the advice of all to exercise and lose weight, and so her doctors relented, stuck their necks out prescribing this medicine instead of telling her "No, just diet and exercise. No shot for you."

You can imagine how well such a discussion would go over with this kind of patient.

She would go home, get online, and smear the physician for being cruel, insensitive, backward, ignorant, racist, sexist, incompetent. You can flesh out the details.

She might file a complaint with the state medical society or the hospital saying that the doctor insulted her or refused to care for her or some other lie. Lots of patients have no problems whatsoever doing that.

So now it goes to the insurance companies, maybe to trial, the the National Practitioner Data Bank, etc., etc.

I cry bullshit. This was a high-risk medicine that everyone and his dog is taking, and yes, sooner or later you are going to have a GI complication that is serious or fatal.

It isn't in their commercials that bombard you every 10 minutes with clownish smiling dancing fatasses who are young and healthy enough, otherwise, to lose weight normally.

But NO! Make some third party pay for my fat-person shot to the tune of a rent payment per month. I deserve it!

And when I get sick and die from taking this injected CNS peptide that alters my brain physiology because of its common and very dangerous side effects, I or my estate will just sue the doctor who prescribed it. It's all the doctor's fault. And the Pharma company's fault.

Hi Fido - I took my first 2.5 tirzepitide shot Tuesday.
Interesting week followed.

My endocrine system and metabolism were broken by a pituitary tumor 30 years ago and I’ve been fighting fat since.

I’ve done Keto, Atkins, low carb- they all work a bit but are hard to stick to.

18 months ago I had 3 different emergency surgeries - none related to weight or health, or each other - and basically ate broth and scrambled eggs for 4 months.

I lost around 25 pounds, a lot of it muscle. But was finally convinced that managed Anorexia was the only way to lose serious weight.

Since then I’ve put 10 of it back on and am tired of fighting and trying with no success. I have my grandma’s body. Shory, chubby, Italian lady.

My a1c has been 6.1 for years which is not diabetes but my endo keeps harping it’s pre-diabetes which is not diabetes.

Anyway, my sister- who doesn’t have any of my endocrine problems- has lost 40 pounds and talked me into thinking about it which I’ve done for the last month.

And I waited to ask my endo if Terzeptide would be safe and she rushed to get a sample pack.

So 24 hours after I took it, my stomach got very sour and I didn’t want to eat anything. The sour lasted another 24 hours and then I just didn’t want to eat anything much.

That lasted until just a few hours ago whem some appetite came back.

Debating about finishing the trial pack, I have 3 more 2.5 mg pens. 40 pounds less would sure be nice. If I can do it on a low dose that would be great.

I think Hollywood has shown enough examples of how NOT to use these drugs.

Luck and smaller pants to us both :)

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