Burning to be thin?
Dr. Daniel Rosen, a NYC-based surgeon and weight-loss doctor, has taken to TikTok to share the unusual complication he has observed in patients using GLP-1 drugs.
“Something I’ve been seeing with my patients lately, a very few but a legitimate number of my patients, is allodynia,” Rosen (@drdanielrosen) told his 70,000 followers.
Rosen explained that allodynia is a type of nerve pain that occurs when things that should not cause discomfort do. Examples include pain or irritation from brushing your hair or wearing a shirt.
There are three types of allodynia:
- Mechanical: pain results from objects coming into contact with the skin
- Static: pain results from light touch or pressure on your skin
- Thermal: pain results from a slight change in temperature, such as moving from indoors to outdoors
“Allodynia is a sensation of the skin that is inconsistent with the stimuli being applied; the notion that you would have a burning or painful sensation on your skin just from the wind blowing on it or just from your clothing brushing against it.”
Rosen shared that his patients have reported this pain on their shoulders, thighs and back. He noted that the side effect is listed in the literature of some GLP-1 medications but not on Zepbound (tirzepatide).
“I think GLP-1 medications, in general, in some way sensitize cutaneous nerves or nerves of the skin and give people this reaction where they are hypersensitive to stimuli of the skin and causes the sensation in your brain of pain or burning or tingling or itching.”
Rosen maintained that the symptom can be mitigated by lowering the dosage and then gradually increasing it.
“I don’t think it’s something that is very concerning unless it becomes so bothersome that it’s worth getting off the meds and sacrificing the positive benefits.”
And that long list of positive benefits extends beyond weight loss. GLP-1 researchers have been testing the drug’s superpowers on chronic diseases, such as colorectal cancer, osteoarthritis, drug and alcohol addiction, brain disorders and more.
On the flip side, and in addition to nerve pain, users of these same medications have reported side effects like erectile dysfunction, personality changes, uncomfortable gastrointestinal issues, an increase in reckless behavior, and the dreaded, droopy reality of Ozempic butt and boobs.
Still, for some, trading breathing for burning may be worth it.
On Dec. 20, the FDA announced that the agency had approved Zepbound to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity.
