Mum of Three Warns Against Fake Weight Loss Injections After Near-Fatal Reaction
Jodie Jones, a 37-year-old mother of three from Eryrys, Wales, nearly lost her life after using what she believes were fake weight loss injections bought for just £20 on Facebook. Jodie’s life took a critical turn when she was rushed to the hospital after one of her children called an ambulance. She was found unconscious, vomiting blood, and in a delirious state following her use of the injections, told Liverpool Echo.
Doctors remain uncertain about the contents of the jabs, leaving Jodie hoping that further tests will reveal what caused her severe reaction. Jodie had gained weight after being prescribed pregabalin for nerve pain and struggled to exercise due to degenerative discs in her spine. Determined to slim down from a size 14 to a size 10, she decided to try weight loss injections after hearing about their success from others. A friend recommended a beautician on Facebook, and Jodie purchased four injections from a beauty salon in Liverpool.
Initially, the injections seemed effective. Jodie shared her story on Good Morning Britain: “I’d gained a fair bit of weight due to being on pregabalin, which is a nerve pain drug, and unfortunately one of the biggest side-effects is the weight gain. So I’ve gained this weight, which causes more pain for me, so I really wanted to do something. I physically can’t go to the gym, I tried swimming, I tried gentle walking – the more I do, the more I’m in pain.”
Jodie’s optimism turned into a nightmare when she experienced a severe reaction after her second injection. “I’d heard about this weight loss jab through a friend, and got in contact with the lady about it and went from there. I thought ‘why not give it a go? It sounds really good and everyone is losing weight on it.’ I have no idea what was in them. The doctors don’t know either. I’m hoping to get them tested.”
She recalled how the effects escalated quickly: “After the first injection, I actually lost half a stone that week. I just felt full all the time… But it was the second injection a week later that made me very poorly – only about 5-6 hours after taking it. I was vomiting all night and couldn’t keep anything down, not even a sip of water.”
Her condition deteriorated rapidly, leading her daughter to call emergency services. “I started vomiting blood, I was in and out of consciousness, I was delirious and not making much sense. My daughter had to call the ambulance in the early hours, and they took me straight to the hospital where I was given fluids, anti-sickness drugs – I was just a mess.”
After receiving treatment at Wrexham Maelor Hospital and being discharged, Jodie has sworn off such injections, fearing they were counterfeit. She now cautions others against using similar products and advises consulting the NHS for weight loss solutions.
“Go to a GP and do it properly through a dietician. If it’s something you’re really interested in, do not do it through a beautician,” she advised. “After my experience, I couldn’t even risk it. Why pay for it when you can go through the NHS if you need it that badly? There are some women out there using it who don’t even look like they need it. Don’t. It’s just really not worth it.”