Definition: Gallbladder disease on a drug label usually means gallstones (cholelithiasis) or an inflamed gallbladder (cholecystitis). The gallbladder is a small organ under the liver that stores bile. NIDDK describes gallstones as hard pieces, usually of cholesterol or bilirubin, that can block the bile ducts and cause sudden pain in the upper right belly.
| Label | On the medicine | On placebo |
|---|---|---|
| Wegovy injection: gallstones | 1.6% | 0.7% |
| Wegovy tablets: gallstones | 2.5% | 1% |
| Zepbound: gallstones | 1.1% | 1% |
| Zepbound: gallbladder inflammation | 0.7% | 0.2% |
| Ozempic 0.5 mg / 1 mg: gallstones | 1.5% / 0.4% | 0% |
The Wegovy label says the excess was seen even after accounting for weight loss. Its Medication Guide lists pain in the upper stomach, fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes, and clay-colored stools as possible gallbladder problems.
Premarin and the estradiol tablet labels say a 2- to 4-fold increase in gallbladder disease needing surgery has been reported in postmenopausal women taking estrogens. Gallbladder disease also appears in their lists of adverse reactions.
NIDDK notes that gallstones range from the size of a grain of sand to a golf ball, and that the gallbladder can make one large stone, hundreds of tiny ones, or both. Many cause no symptoms until one blocks a duct.
Upper belly pain is common on GLP-1 medicines for many reasons. A log of dose dates, weight and when pain started or came after meals gives a clinician a clearer picture than memory alone.
Read more on Dose Track: Gallbladder problems on GLP-1 medicines · Estrogen and gallbladder disease · Wegovy side effects · Zepbound side effects