‘It Was Like Hearing Darth Vader’ — The Bizarre GLP-1 Side Effect Leaving Some Users Terrified
A bizarre ear condition called PETD is emerging among some GLP-1 users, with rapid weight loss potentially leaving patients hearing their own voices, breathing and bodily sounds at startling volumes. The post ‘It Was Like Hearing Darth Vader’ — The Bizarre GLP-1 Side Effect Leaving Some Users Terrified appeared first on MadameNoire.
Black News 
A growing number of people taking GLP-1 medications are reporting an unusual ear-related condition known as patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction (PETD). The rare disorder occurs when the Eustachian tubes, which normally remain closed and open briefly when a person swallows or yawns, remain open for extended periods.
While PETD is generally not considered dangerous, the condition can be uncomfortable and can significantly alter the way a person hears their own voice, breathing and other internal sounds.
According to Stanford Medicine Healthcare, the primary symptom of patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction is hearing your own voice unusually loudly, a phenomenon known as autophony. This happens because an open column of air develops between the sinus cavity and eardrum. Patients may describe the sensation as an echo inside their head or as though they are speaking into a barrel. Some people can also hear their breathing, chewing and other sounds generated inside their bodies.
Rapid Weight Loss May Play a Role
Some medical experts believe the rapid weight loss associated with GLP-1 medications may contribute to the development of PETD in some patients.
During an interview with the New York Post on May 27, Dr. Jessica Lee explained that she has noticed an increase in patients developing PETD after experiencing rapid weight loss while taking GLP-1 medications.
“This used to be something we wouldn’t even see once a year,” Dr. Jessica Lee, a board-certified otolaryngologist at Charleston ENT and Allergy in South Carolina. “Now it’s gone up to one every other month.”
Dr. Hamid Djalilian, an ear specialist and tinnitus specialist at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, also spoke with the New York Post about the bizarre condition, describing a possible reason why rapid weight loss could contribute to PETD.
“The Eustachian tube is surrounded by tissue. Some is cartilage, some is bone and some is fat. The first two are fixed, but in cases of rapid weight loss, the fat pad around the Eustachian tube can shrink,” he explained.
Read more about this bizarre GLP-1 weight loss side effect after the flip.
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The post ‘It Was Like Hearing Darth Vader’ — The Bizarre GLP-1 Side Effect Leaving Some Users Terrified appeared first on MadameNoire.
