New data reveals a sharp rise in hospitalizations linked to weight-loss drugs, with cases increasing by 46% in just one month. Nearly 400 people have required medical treatment after using drugs such as Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Saxenda, according to figures from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
As of October 2024, the number of hospitalizations over the previous six years stood at 279. However, in just the four weeks leading up to the end of November, 118 new cases were reported, as the Daily Mail noted.
The sudden rise has alarmed healthcare professionals, who have raised concerns over the safety of these drugs.
Around 500,000 people in the UK are now using weight-loss medications that promise to help users shed up to 20% of their body weight in a few months. These drugs are approved for people with a BMI of 30 or higher. However, only 5% of users access them through the NHS, with the majority purchasing them privately, including through online pharmacies and social media.
This includes people who are not clinically obese but are trying to lose a few pounds, even though the medications are intended for those with obesity.
One of the cases highlighted in the report is that of 24-year-old Paige Roberts, a healthcare assistant from North Wales. She said she “almost died” after using weight-loss injections bought from social media in November. Despite being a size 14-16, Roberts experienced severe vomiting for three days and was rushed to Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl.
“I honestly felt like I was dying,” Roberts recalled. “It was like the worst flu – my body couldn’t stop shaking, I had hot and cold sweats, and I couldn’t stop being sick. I couldn’t eat or drink.”
After a day in the hospital for rehydration and anti-nausea treatment, tests revealed her syringes contained a high dose of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy.
Another case involved 28-year-old Chad Teixeira, a PR manager from London, who was hospitalized in July 2024 after collapsing due to side effects from Ozempic, a weight-loss drug. Teixeira experienced severe nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite after his private doctor increased his dosage. When he returned to the doctor with worsening symptoms, he was told the side effects were “normal” and advised to drink more water.
Doctors in Portugal diagnosed him with malnutrition and low blood sugar.
The MHRA reports that most patients using these weight-loss drugs experience gastrointestinal problems, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which can lead to severe dehydration. In some cases, patients have suffered from life-threatening complications like seizures, bowel obstruction, and pancreas inflammation.
The MHRA also warned about the risks of counterfeit weight-loss drugs bought online. Some patients have been hospitalized with hypoglycemic shock and coma after unknowingly taking drugs containing insulin instead of semaglutide.
By the end of November, the number of suspected side effects reported to the MHRA had jumped 19% to 17,831.
Dr. Vicky Price, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, expressed deep concern over the increasing number of patients with complications from weight-loss drugs. She highlighted serious conditions such as pancreas inflammation and dangerous changes in blood salt levels.
Tory MP Greg Stafford, a member of the Health and Social Care Committee, called for immediate action to regulate access to these drugs. He emphasized that while these medications are an important tool for tackling obesity and diabetes, their misuse could place additional strain on the NHS, potentially increasing waiting lists instead of reducing them.
