AUSTIN, Texas — Drugs Wegovy and Ozempic have become popular tools for people looking to lose weight, but they may have unintended consequences.

What You Need To Know

  • Suicide has been a long-standing concern with medications that alter the desire for food, and now, scientists are split on the effect this latest weight-loss trend may have on users’ mental health

  • A U.K. regulator found no evidence tying Ozempic and Wegovy to suicidal thoughts, but a separate study using data from a World Health Organization (WHO) database of adverse events reported by patients and health care providers spotted a potential link when it comes to semaglutide — the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic

  • That study, released in August, showed that people taking a semaglutide had a 45% higher risk of reported suicidal thoughts, compared with all other drugs in the database

  • Both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency completed their own investigations into the issue in 2024 and found no link between popular weight-loss drugs and suicidal thoughts

Suicide has been a long-standing concern with medications that alter the desire for food, and now, scientists are split on the effect this latest weight-loss trend may have on users’ mental health.

Spectrum News National Mental Health Correspondent Dr. Nicole Cross breaks down the literature and what people need to know.

A U.K. regulator found no evidence tying Ozempic and Wegovy to suicidal thoughts, but a separate study using data from a World Health Organization (WHO) database of adverse events reported by patients and health care providers spotted a potential link when it comes to semaglutide — the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic. That study, released in August, showed that people taking a semaglutide had a 45% higher risk of reported suicidal thoughts, compared with all other drugs in the database.

“Patients with depression should be quite careful before taking the medication. They should be informed that they can experience this, so they can monitor it regularly and involve a mental health professional if the patient starts to have thoughts of suicide,” said study co-author and psychiatrist Chiara Gastaldon.

Gastaldon said that while more research is needed, patients should be alerted to the possibility of having thoughts of suicide while on the medication.

Both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency completed their own investigations into the issue in 2024. Both health regulators determined there was no link between popular weight-loss drugs and suicidal thoughts.

Still, researchers say appetite suppressants should be prescribed with caution in people with a history of depression or suicidal thoughts, and if patients experience a new episode of depression while on the medication, Dr. Gastaldon said physicians may want to consider immediate discontinuation.