Research
Hormonal
GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, liraglutide, exenatide, dulaglutide, tirzepatide) are associated with statistically significant signals for otolaryngologic adverse events, specifically GERD, Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC), and Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (PTC), across all approved drugs.
If you take a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic or Wegovy, be aware that reports of acid reflux (GERD) and thyroid issues (MTC/PTC) are significantly higher than background noise in the FDA database. You should discuss these risks with your doctor and monitor for symptoms like persistent heartburn or neck lumps, but do not stop medication without medical advice.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Of the 22 analyzed AEs, only GERD, MTC, and PTC were associated with substantial signals in both ROR and PRR for every AE that met the threshold for analysis. It should also be of note that MTC, PTC, and GERD displayed the highest signal values of all AEs studied.
Why this rating
Level 4 evidence (retrospective database analysis); cannot establish causality, only association.
Source
Otolaryngologic Side Effects of <scp>GLP</scp> ‐1 Receptor Agonists
F. Khan et al. · The Laryngoscope · 2025
DOI 10.1002/lary.32061
cohort · n=9746Cited 12×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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