By DR. SHEILA NAZARIAN
A bizarre new side effect linked to GLP-1 weight loss drugs is almost impossible to believe: Patients hearing their own breathing, heartbeat, blood flow and even eye movements.
Sufferers say it sounds like Darth Vader is in their head.
The condition, called patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction (pETD), is reportedly being seen more frequently in patients who lose weight rapidly on medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound.
‘This used to be something we wouldn’t even see once a year,’ a board-certified otolaryngologist at Charleston ENT and Allergy in South Carolina told the New York Post. ‘Now it’s gone up to one every other month.’
Doctors believe the loss of fat surrounding the Eustachian tube within the inner ear can prevent it from closing properly, creating a disturbing echo chamber within the body.
While I personally have not yet encountered a patient with this condition, I suspect we may begin seeing more unusual side effects as increasingly effective weight-loss medications hit the market.
The next-generation of obesity drugs – like retratrutide – are generating enormous buzz. Early studies suggest it may produce faster and more dramatic weight loss than today’s GLP-1 medications.
And that’s exactly why this conversation matters.
I want to be very clear: I am not anti-GLP-1. I treat many patients nationwide through my longevity and weight loss program and have been on these drugs myself for years.
A bizarre new side effect linked to GLP-1 weight loss drugs is almost impossible to believe: Patients hearing their own breathing, heartbeat, blood flow and even eye movements
Doctors believe the loss of fat surrounding the Eustachian tube (pictured in lower right of image) within the inner ear can prevent it from closing properly, creating a disturbing echo chamber within the body
I can personally attest to their life-changing benefits.
Beyond weight loss, GLP-1s are contributing to significant reductions in cardiovascular risk, including lower rates of heart attack and stroke, improvements in blood pressure, better blood sugar control and protection against diabetes complications.
Emerging research also suggests benefits for fatty liver disease, kidney protection and even reductions in the risk of certain obesity-related cancers.
Finally, the world is treating obesity like the chronic medical condition it is instead of dismissing patients as lazy or lacking willpower.
That is progress.
But somewhere along the way, our culture began to view these medications like Amazon Prime for thinness: click a button, lose 40 pounds, arrive at your dream body in two months.
That mentality is dangerous.
The human body is not designed for extreme, rapid shifts without consequences.
When weight drops too quickly, whether from bariatric surgery, crash dieting or GLP-1 medications, the body can respond in unexpected ways. We’ve already seen reports of gallstones, hair loss, muscle wasting, facial aging, nutritional deficiencies and changes in skin quality associated with dramatic weight drops.
Now comes news of patients literally hearing their own blood course through their bodies. That should tell us something.
The issue is not necessarily the medications themselves, but how they are being used.
Too many people are obtaining GLP-1 drugs through online questionnaires, med spas or social media platforms where the focus is on speed, not safety.
Weight loss should never be treated like a race.
A responsible physician should monitor not just the number on the scale, but the patient’s nutrition, muscle mass, hydration, lab results, mental health and rate of loss.
Next-generation of obesity drugs – like retratrutide – are generating enormous buzz. Early studies suggest it may produce faster and more dramatic weight loss than today’s GLP-1 medications
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: The human body is not designed for extreme, rapid shifts without consequences
Losing weight too quickly can stress nearly every system in the body.
And with stronger medications on the horizon, this becomes even more important.
Retatrutide may ultimately become an incredible medical tool. But more potent drugs also mean we may uncover more severe side effects. Medicine always involves trade-offs.
In aesthetics and medicine, I always tell patients the same thing: the goal is not simply to become smaller. The goal is to become healthier while preserving vitality, strength, skin quality and long-term wellness.
Sometimes slower is smarter. Sometimes slower is safer. And sometimes slower produces better long-term outcomes because the body has time to adapt.
I worry that we are normalizing medically unsupervised rapid weight loss before fully understanding the downstream consequences.
Obesity is dangerous. But reckless weight loss can be dangerous too.
The answer is not fearmongering about GLP-1s. These medications are here to stay, and for many people they are life-changing in the best possible way.
The answer is responsible use.
Patients need proper medical supervision, realistic expectations and an understanding that this is a journey, not overnight shipping for a new body.
Dr. Sheila Nazarian is the founder of Nazarian Plastic Surgery and NazarianSkin
