It adds that the drugs should only be prescribed by a registered healthcare professional.
When appropriately used, in line with the product licence, the benefits of these medications outweigh the risks for patients, says the regulator.
But this benefit-risk balance is positive only for those patients within the approved indications for weight management or type 2 diabetes, as described in the product information.
Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said all medicines carry a risk of potential side-effects: “We encourage healthcare professionals to ensure patients being treated with these medicines are aware of the common side-effects and how to minimise risk.”
The most common side-effects include feeling sick, vomiting, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, told the BBC she had seen patients who weren’t overweight coming in with issues.
“The most common thing that we’re seeing is anything related to the gut. So diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, people not being able to eat, getting very dehydrated as a result of that.”