HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – Calls to Connecticut\u2019s Poison Control Center related to the use of GLP-1s have tripled in just a two year time period.<\/p>\n
GLP-1s aren\u2019t new. They\u2019ve been around for more than two decades to treat diabetes, but it wasn\u2019t until the last few years that their popularity soared as a way to lose weight.<\/p>\n
Suzanne Doyon is the medical director for the Connecticut Poison Control Center.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, the accessibility has skyrocketed. People are using it a lot, a lot, a lot, but the pharmacology and the basic understanding of GLPs was there before 2024,\u201d said Doyon.<\/p>\n
Doyon says they are now answering a lot more questions about GLPs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey usually call the poison center because, again, they can\u2019t keep any food down and it\u2019s a problem for them,\u201d said Doyon.<\/p>\n
The I-Team requested the number of GLP-1 related calls from the Connecticut Poison Control Center. In 2023, there were 54 calls related to GLP-1 exposure. In 2024\u2014that number went up 70% to 92 calls. Then in 2025, it nearly doubled to 172 calls, meaning calls more than tripled in just 2 years.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a trend happening all across the country. The National Poison Data System, America\u2019s Poison Centers, reports calls about GLP-1s have increased 1500% since 2019.<\/p>\n
Doyon says the calls can be for several reasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get calls from people to whom this product is prescribed. They either made a medication error, so you have to dial up the dose. They misdial the dose or they themselves took it upon themselves to increase the dose or they misunderstood directions and gave themselves an extra dose. Those are the kinds of calls we get,\u201d said Doyon. \u201cThen there\u2019s a smaller proportion of calls. People on it, they\u2019re using it as prescribed, but they\u2019re running into an adverse effect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doyon says they will refer people to an emergency room if they worry the caller\u2019s symptoms are too severe. Each call is different and will lead to a different outcome.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the takeaway for the user, the person who\u2019s been recently prescribed or has been on it for a year, is really to follow directions,\u201d said Doyon<\/p>\n
You can reach your local poison center by calling the poison help line 1-800-222-1222.<\/p>\n
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