Doctors are drawing attention to a lesser-known issue appearing in some people who use GLP-1 medications.
GLP-1 drugs were first approved to help treat diabetes, working through hormone-based pathways that support blood-sugar control.
They’re also widely associated with appetite suppression, as many users report feeling fuller sooner and staying satisfied after smaller meals.
Alongside changes to diet and exercise, that effect can contribute to significant weight loss, helping explain the surge in demand for these prescriptions.
As with most medicines, GLP-1 treatments can come with side effects. But clinicians say they’re also seeing a different kind of problem that isn’t directly caused by the drug itself—rather, it may be linked to the rapid loss of weight some patients experience.
Sarah Ago described her experience to the New York Post, explaining that after losing weight she began noticing an unsettling change in how her ear felt and sounded.
“It was like being in a tunnel, only able to hear my own magnified voice,” she said. “You’re in your own head, hearing yourself like Darth Vader.”
The issue is known as patulous eustachian tube, a condition where the eustachian tube stays more open than it should, making internal sounds—like breathing or your own voice—seem unusually loud.
While it typically isn’t considered dangerous, it can be disruptive and distressing, especially when it persists and starts to impact day-to-day life.
The eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the back of the throat. It normally remains closed and briefly opens when you swallow, yawn, or chew to help equalize pressure in the ear.
Dr. Jessica Lee, an otolaryngologist at Charleston ENT and Allergy in South Carolina, said she has noticed the condition appearing more frequently in recent months.
“This used to be something we wouldn’t even see once a year. Now it’s gone up to one every other month.”
Ago said the medication had “worked beautifully” for her and that she lost 60lbs, adding that she felt a “huge relief” at being “confident in my own body.”
However, she explained that following the weight loss, her right ear became dominated by internal noise—describing it as being overwhelmed by the sound of her breathing and her voice, which felt far louder than normal.
Dr. Lee also warned the condition can be missed at first, with patients sometimes told it’s something else entirely.
“Many patients are initially misdiagnosed with things like allergies or fluid in the ear. Some people, women especially, are just told it’s anxiety.
“It’s something that people don’t know about but should absolutely be aware of, because with these medications, the incidence is increasing.”