Pharmacovigilance data links GLP-1 agonists to dose-dependent dysesthesia, burning skin sensations

The widespread use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists for type 2 diabetes and weight management has led to an increase in anecdotal reports of dysesthesia, particularly burning skin sensations, on social media and medical blogs. While these medications are highly effective, the emergence of such reports highlights a potential underrecognized adverse effect. Understanding the full spectrum of side effects is crucial for patient safety and informed prescribing, especially for a class of drugs with rapidly expanding indications. This study addresses the gap by formally characterizing these dysesthesia cases using pharmacovigilance data.

Researchers conducted a pharmacovigilance data-mining analysis using VigiBase data for GLP-1R agonists (ATC code A10BJ) and tirzepatide, focusing on the High Level Term (HLT) 'Paraesthesia and dysesthesia'. A disproportionality analysis was performed using the Information Component (IC). Additionally, all narratives of dysesthesia cases from the French Pharmacovigilance database were reviewed to extract clinical and pharmacological characteristics. A comprehensive literature review complemented these quantitative and qualitative analyses to provide a broader context.