In a recent breakthrough study, the researchers identified previously hidden and unreported side effects stemming from GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide.

The study is based on an analysis of more than 400,000 posts on the social media platform Reddit, spanning more than 5 years. 

The findings published in Nature Health, have highlighted two main types of symptoms, including reproductive and temperature related symptoms.

Specifically, the users reported the symptoms like irregular menstrual cycles, heavy bleeding, intermenstrual bleeding, hot flashes, fever and chills which have not been described during the clinical trials.

Moreover, the users also complained about fatigue as a persistent symptom in these online posts.

According to Sharath Chandra Guntuku, Research Associate Professor in Computer and Information Science (CIS) at Penn Engineering and the study's senior author, “Some of the side effects we found, like nausea, are well known, and that shows that the method is picking up a real signal.”

“The underreported symptoms are leads that came from patients themselves, unprompted, and clinicians could potentially pay attention to them,” Guntuku added.

While the study’s findings are limited by the specific demographics of Reddit, highlighting younger American males, the side effects reported by this group align closely with established clinical data for semaglutide and tirzepatide.

Roughly 44% of users reported experiencing at least one known side effect, with gastrointestinal issues being the most frequent complaint.

Lyle H. Ungar, PhD, a professor at Penn Engineering, notes that while clinical trials are excellent at flagging high-risk safety concerns, they often overlook the day-to-day symptoms that bother patients the most.

“Online patient communities work a lot like a neighbourhood grapevine. People who are living with these medications are swapping notes with each other in real time, sharing experiences that rarely make it into a doctor’s office visit or an official report. Even though social media is not necessarily representative, a large collection of posts may reflect additional concerns,” he added.

According to researchers, these findings will encourage the experts and drug developers to take into account symptoms posted online by users.

In the near future, the authors of the study are hoping to expand their research beyond Reddit with an aim to delve into further unreported symptoms. 

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