Is Oprah’s Stomach Illness Due to Ozempic?
Oprah Winfrey is one of the most well-known talk show hosts and media tycoons. And she made a splash with her recent admission of using weight-loss drugs. Winfrey opened up about struggling to maintain or lose weight in the past. In December 2023, she discussed using the drugs, and the public speculated that she used Ozempic, the popular type 2 diabetes medication. However, in June 2024, Winfrey had a severe stomach bug. Is Ozempic to blame?
Oprah Winfrey entered the hospital in June 2024 — does it have to do with Ozempic usage?
Oprah Winfrey made her journey with weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic, public. She’s been in the public eye for decades, and the media consistently commented on her weight. Now, as Winfrey approaches 70, she announced that she wants to destigmatize the use of weight-loss drugs, as some people might want additional help in maintaining their preferred weight.
Winfrey has publicly championed the use of drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, the controversial type 2 diabetes drug that several celebrities have used for weight management. She hasn’t mentioned adverse side effects from the medication she takes. However, Winfrey was hospitalized for a stomach bug five months after admitting to using one of the drugs.
“She had some kind of stomach thing where — stomach flu where stuff was coming out of both ends,” Gayle King said of Winfrey on CBS Mornings, according to DailyMail.com. “I won’t get too graphic. … But needless to say, she ended up in the hospital, dehydration, she had an IV, so it was a very serious thing.”
King was interviewing novelist David Wroblewski for Oprah’s book club when she made the announcement. “I hope she’s not mad at me for sharing that detail,” King added.
King added a clip of her speaking to Winfrey virtually on Instagram. Winfrey explained her situation.
“I was in the emergency room; I was so dehydrated,” Winfrey told King. “I had a dry mouth, and I couldn’t keep enough water down to get hydrated, so I went to the emergency room for that, and that’s just it.” While Winfrey is on the mend, she said she’s “not 100,” but she’s on her way.
So, is Ozempic to blame for this possible side effect? Winfrey said multiple other people in her home had this illness, so it’s not related to weight-loss drugs.
“Five people in my household had the same,” Winfrey said, adding that the doctor told her to wash her hands continuously. “A doctor told me that it lives on doorknobs and railings for 10 hours,” she added.
Ozempic side effects can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach (abdominal) pain, and constipation, according to the site. It can also cause pancreatitis, hypoglycemia, vision changes, kidney failure, gallbladder issues, and allergic reactions.
The celebrity opened up about using a popular weight-loss drug
Oprah Winfrey opened up about the use of weight-loss drugs and how they changed her life for the better. In December 2023, she opened up to People about feeling ashamed for using the drugs. But she’s now happy to share her experience.
“I eat my last meal at 4 o’clock, drink a gallon of water a day, and use the WeightWatchers principles of counting points,” she explained. “I had an awareness of [weight-loss] medications but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it.” She added that she “no longer feels that way.”
Winfrey said she uses her weight-loss medication “as a tool” so her weight doesn’t dramatically shift. “The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for,” she continued. “I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself.”
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