After his suicide, a man’s family wants a warning label on Ozempic

In the months before his death, Anthony seemed in good spirits: He had recently proposed to his girlfriend and been promoted at work. At Christmas, his oldest daughter had surprised him with the news that she was pregnant with his second grandchild.

But Anthony’s sister, Merlene Hall — who asked that he be identified only by his first name to respect his children’s privacy — said her brother became uncharacteristically quiet around the time he started taking Ozempic in February to manage his Type 2 diabetes. By early May, Anthony’s family said, he seemed fatigued, and his newly sullen mood appeared to be getting worse.

“He’s usually very charismatic, talking and joking. He’s a pretty outgoing guy. But he was fairly quiet,” his fiancé, Carolyn Hasty, said.

On the morning of May 14, Anthony died by suicide at his home in Indiana.

Although he had experienced depression in the past, his family was shocked by his death and attributes it to Ozempic.

“I think the Ozempic was putting these suicidal thoughts in his mind,” Hall said.