Users of weight-loss injections are reportedly facing a troubling new side effect, as highlighted by a leading surgeon.
An emerging concern among those using GLP-1 medications is that some patients are experiencing nerve dysfunction severe enough to hinder their ability to lift limbs.
Tim Sinnett, a prominent orthopaedic surgeon in the UK, has noted that he anticipates a growing number of patients exhibiting these symptoms as time progresses.
Sinnett, who specializes in foot and ankle surgery and is affiliated with the renowned Grosvenor Orthopaedic Partners, revealed that over the past six months, he has encountered several cases of patients suffering from foot drop linked to weight-loss injections—a condition he has only observed this year.
“The rapid weight reduction associated with these treatments is the root of the issue,” Sinnett explained.
He elaborated that nerves are naturally cushioned by a layer of fat, and the sudden reduction of this protective fat due to weight loss can lead to nerve dysfunction affecting the foot and ankle.
‘Patients with foot drop can have difficulty lifting the front part of the foot, causing it to drag on the floor.
‘Although losing weight is generally beneficial for the feet and ankles, in terms of reducing the force on the joints, the speed of the weight loss appears to be causing the nerves to malfunction.
The alarming trend spotted amongst GLP-1 users means some patients cannot lift their limbs due to nerve dysfunction (file image)
One of the UK’s leading orthopaedic surgeons, Tim Sinnett (pictured), has said he ‘expects to see more patients presenting these symptoms over time’
‘Luckily, the nerves are not damaged; however, restoring their function takes time and months of physio.
‘Quite often I will ask them to use a splint to help with their walking, It is a slow process and also involves patients having to stabilise their weight, which can be difficult in some circumstances.’
It is estimated that 1.5 million people in the UK are currently using GLP-1 drugs, with many unaware of the potential side-effects.
Mr Sinnett said there was unfortunately ‘no way of preventing foot drop’ for those on the jabs.
He added: ‘I expect to see more patients presenting these symptoms over time, as I believe this is just the start of the trend.
‘It is likely that more patients presenting with foot drop are weight-loss jab users, they just have not disclosed it or even considered it to be the cause.’
Earlier this month, the Daily Mail revealed how dozens of deaths of middle-aged Britons had been linked to jabs like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
Watchdogs received 52 fatal reports for GLP-1 injections since the beginning of 2024, with experts sounding the alarm over the figures as millions more are expected to get in line for the injections to curb the nation’s bulging waistline.
Tam Fry, chair of the National Obesity Forum, claimed that, although the drugs were hugely effective for those who need them, they were being used ‘inappropriately’ by slimmer adults who ‘fancy losing a bit of weight’.
He added: ‘If you take them and you don’t need them, and you break the rules, you run the risk of serious complications – or death.
‘People think “its not going to happen to me” but it will happen to them. So they take them and they get severe complications.’
The data, kept by a Government body, does not state whether any of the people who died while using the jabs had been using them inappropriately.
In total, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which polices the safety of every drug used in Britain, has received 173 ‘reports with fatal outcomes’ from GLP-1 injections.
