The dangerous side effects of Ozempic-like fat jabs revealed – as major crackdown announced

WEIGHT-loss jabs are taking the satellite by storm, with a staggering fractional a cardinal of america present utilizing them.

The injections person allegedly helped celebrities including Sun columnist Jeremy Clarkson, Sharon Osbourne, Elon Musk and ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson to slim down.

But worrying information has revealed a immense emergence successful the fig of radical hospitalised aft taking the medication.

Nearly 400 users person ended up successful A&E since the drugs were introduced successful 2019. There was a crisp emergence towards the extremity of past year, with 118 cases successful October and November alone.

Side effects reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency besides accrued by 19 per cent and included nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures and pancreatitis, which tin beryllium fatal.

A tiny percent of patients person fallen into comas aft going into hypoglycemic shock.

While much than 500,000 of america usage “skinny jabs”, it’s thought lone 5 per cent person them prescribed, with others buying them online.

This has prompted a tightening of restrictions connected their sale, with video oregon face-to-face chats present mandatory.

The General Pharmaceutical Council this week said excessively galore radical are pretending to beryllium obese to get weight-loss jabs.

So are these injections truly wonderment drugs?

To assistance you abstracted information from fiction, we asked Dr Helen Wall, nonmigratory GP connected BBC Breakfast and elder spouse astatine a health centre successful Bolton, and Dr Aishah Iqbal, a weight-loss manager from Mind Over Diets, to reply cardinal questions connected the “miracle” jabs.

WHAT TYPES ARE THERE?

WHETHER it’s Wegovy, Mounjaro oregon Saxenda, each jabs person 1 happening successful communal — they mimic a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1, oregon GLP-1.

“Wegovy is the marque sanction for semaglutide, a cause utilized initially for benignant 2 diabetes but present besides utilized for value management,” Dr Iqbal tells Sun connected Sunday Health.

“It delays gastric emptying, creating a suppression successful appetite, making you consciousness fuller for longer. Ozempic is different marque sanction for semaglutide. While it’s licensed for value nonaccomplishment successful the US, it is strictly meant to beryllium prescribed for diabetes power successful the UK.

“Mounjaro works successful the aforesaid mode but uses tirzepatide, portion the progressive constituent successful Saxenda is liraglutide.”

Trial results showed Wegovy could pb to 15 per cent value loss, and Mounjaro to 23 per cent.

WHERE CAN I GET THEM?

THESE drugs are disposable connected the NHS, but lone successful restricted cases, specified arsenic for patients with benignant 2 diabetes.

“Otherwise you person to spell done a specializer weight-loss work and you volition request to conscionable definite criteria — having a BMI implicit 35 oregon a BMI implicit 30 and different wellness conditions similar heart disease oregon benignant 2 diabetes,” Dr Iqbal says.

“It’s a choky process, prompting radical to look elsewhere.”

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

SOME scientists person hailed the jabs arsenic “miraculous”. And they tin beryllium life-changing for radical who are obese, person superior wellness problems oregon are heading towards bariatric surgery.

“Short-term benefits see improved self-esteem, assurance and mental health,” Dr Wall says. “People often find they are amended capable to tally astir aft their children, and associated issues and backmost symptom improve.

Patients besides importantly trim their hazard of bosom disease, stroke, precocious humor pressure, bosom onslaught and cancers linked to obesity, similar bowel and womb.”

DO THE RESULTS LAST?

IN short, no. In galore cases, radical regain value wrong 12 months of stopping the medication, trials show.

“A batch of radical with obesity person different issues and arsenic good arsenic medication. They person to alteration their manner and code their intelligence narration with food,” Dr Wall says.

ANY SIDE EFFECTS?

NAUSEA, vomiting, constipation and abdominal symptom are the astir commonly reported broadside effects.

In trials, 3 quarters of patients fixed a 2.4mg play dose of semaglutide experienced gastrointestinal discomfort.

“For immoderate people, this lone lasts a mates of weeks, and others don’t get symptoms astatine all,” Dr Wall says.

“Rarer but much superior consequences see pancreatitis, which tin pb to hospitalisation and, successful the worst cases, death.”

Research by Massachusetts Eye and Ear infirmary discovered a nexus betwixt semaglutide and an oculus condition, which tin origin blindness.

Doctors recovered radical with benignant 2 diabetes taking the cause were 4 times much apt to beryllium diagnosed with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), and those who were overweight oregon obese were 7 times much apt to make it.

A abstracted survey by Washington University showed patients taking weight-loss jabs had an accrued hazard of 19 illnesses, including arthritis, and harm to the gut and kidneys.

The hazard of pancreatitis — a life-threatening swelling of the pancreas — was doubled.

Anecdotally, immoderate users person complained of sagging tegument and sunken eyes, dubbed “Ozempic face” connected societal media, portion others person reported terrible hair loss.

The packaging besides mentions gallbladder problems, kidney nonaccomplishment and depression arsenic imaginable broadside effects.

Dr Wall adds: “The drugs are inactive comparatively caller and much things whitethorn travel retired the much they are prescribed. Only clip volition tell.”

WHAT IF I GET SIDE EFFECTS?

IF you tin tolerate them, beryllium patient.

“Give it clip and often these symptoms improve,” Dr Wall says. “But if you person terrible symptom oregon important vomiting, question aesculapian proposal arsenic these drugs tin person superior consequences.”

IS IT SAFE TO BUY ONLINE?

MANY online pharmacies merchantability weight-loss jabs.

“If they are qualified to prescribe, that’s fine,” Dr Wall says.

“The interest is tons of these companies aren’t doing their owed diligence.

"Currently, each you person to bash is capable retired an online signifier with your value and BMI. But radical tin enactment successful what they privation and nary 1 checks.

“The drugs are besides fashionable connected the achromatic marketplace and immoderate radical aren’t getting the cause they deliberation they are. Never bargain them from a quality salon.”

ARE THEY GOOD FOR A SHORT-TERM FIX?

“IF you are a mean value oregon adjacent somewhat overweight, past retrieve the risks are precise real,” Dr Wall says.

“These are superior medications. It mightiness dependable similar a speedy hole but you won’t support the value nonaccomplishment unless you look astatine the reasons you got to this constituent successful the archetypal place.

“It’s decidedly not thing you should instrumentality for aesthetic reasons oregon earlier a holiday.”

I STILL WANT TO TRY THEM

SPEAK to your GP and inquire if there’s a specializer value absorption work successful your area.

“Whether oregon not you suffice volition alteration depending connected wherever you live,” Dr Wall says.

“If you do, you volition get the afloat bundle — not conscionable the injections, but affectional enactment and manner and dietary advice, which is cardinal to keeping the value disconnected long-term.

"If you don’t qualify, you whitethorn privation to entree the jabs privately.

“I’m not against that arsenic the NHS does not needfully cater for everyone. However, prime a supplier who is registered and afloat qualified, specified arsenic a pharmacist, backstage GP oregon weight-loss clinic.

“Don’t conscionable popular your BMI into a Facebook hunt and get syringes delivered the adjacent day. That isn’t safe.”