Severe Gastroparesis-Like Syndrome Following Single-Dose Liraglutide Administration: A Case Report

Abstract

As a GLP-1 analogue, liraglutide is given to patients as a treatment for both obesity and type 2 diabetes. It taken safely most of time, though there are also reports of effects on the digestive system. In this case, a 30-year-old healthy female developed severe slowing of her stomach after a single injection of liraglutide (1 mg) for weight loss, without a doctor’s care. Within a few hours of getting the treatment, the patient began having severe abdominal pain and kept vomiting. A thorough review using imaging and lab tests did not find anything wrong with her system to explain her symptoms. It points out that a single dose of liraglutide may result in major gastric motility problems for some patients. She recovered from her condition over two weeks with supportive care which eliminated her symptoms. Further study is required to explain these reactions and to set up rules for safer use of GLP-1 receptor agonists outside the diabetic population.