CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Health experts are cautioning women who are using GLP-1 weight loss medications about potential complications related to changes in body balance. It is estimated that one in eight people are currently taking these medications, which delay gastric emptying to aid weight loss. However, they may also lead to lesser-known side effects in women.
Health experts are cautioning women who are using GLP-1 weight loss medications about potential complications related to changes in body balance. (WKRC, Provided)
Dr. Kesha Williams, founder of Cool Comforts, has developed a product called the V-Pod to help relieve infection itching and irritation. “I suffered for many years with chronic yeast infections with my monthly cycle,” Williams said. The V-Pod, which is placed in a freezer and then in undergarments, is designed to provide relief.
Icy Williams, interim COO of Cool Comforts, highlighted the product’s importance for elderly and menopausal women. “She is an inventor of an amazing product that really she only talks about it from a standpoint of yeast infection but those of us who are in the elderly age, menopausal is very important for this product,” she said.
Dr. Susan Oakley, a urologist and pelvic reconstructive surgeon, noted that many women are using the V-Pod to relieve heat, pain, and itching. She explained that GLP-1 medications, such as semiglutides like Ozempic, can affect the gut and digestive system, disrupting the body’s pH balance. “Ozempic vagina or ozempic vulva is a real thing, and we are seeing a lot more potential for incontinence, fecal seepage, and these will also impact the rate of infections,” Oakley said.
To manage symptoms, Dr. Oakley recommends using products like the V-Pod and suggests over-the-counter supplements such as proanthocyanidins (PACs) and probiotics. “So a probiotic for the gut or stool and then the proanthocyanidin for the bladder or urine and these are going to be great things to help women combat the risk for infection,” she said. PACs are found in the deep red color of plant foods like cherries, while probiotics, which contain good bacteria, can be found in yogurt.