WHEN Aimee Chapman began using fat jabs just over a year ago, she never expected to end up in hospital fighting for her life, with a hole in her throat.
The 34-year-old lost four stone in a matter of months, but was left suffering complications so severe that doctors were left baffled as to how to help her. Now she says she regrets ever taking the injections.
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Aimee was rushed to hospital just a few months after starting on the jabs, where doctors discovered a hole in her oesophagus due to frequent vomiting, and a failing liver.
Aimee told The Sun: “They were trying all sorts of things to get my liver levels back to normal. It was failing.
“They had said it was down to the weight-loss jab, but they didn’t know why or how to fix it.
“There was so little out there medical-wise, doctors didn’t know how to fix it.
“I was terrified. It all happened so quickly and I hadn’t realised how serious it was until I was transferred and it sunk in that it was worse than I thought it was.”
And months after her ordeal, Aimee’s waist-length hair began falling out in clumps.
She’s now warning others against using the popular jabs.
The 34-year-old began using the GLP-1-class weight loss injections in March last year.
She claims it was for her health, as she’d been diagnosed with fibromyalgia 15 years ago.
The condition causes widespread pain, fatigue, headaches and mood problems, and is incurable.
But GPs advise exercise, therapy and antidepressants for managing symptoms.
Aimee, who lives in Southampton, Hampshire, said: “I’d never even thought about it until I saw a post on social media saying you can just buy [weight-loss jabs].
“I noticed that as my weight changed, I was taken less seriously by doctors. My thinking was that if I could weigh less, I would at least get taken a bit more seriously.
“It wasn’t about getting thinner or looking better for me. That hadn’t even crossed my mind.”
The family of drugs known as GLP-1 RAs were originally developed to treat diabetes – one notable example is Ozempic.
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Now, the same technology has been deployed for weight loss, in the form of drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy.
They suppress a patient’s appetite, mimicking hormones naturally released by the gut to signal fullness.
‘In denial’
Aimee bought her jabs from an online pharmacy. She paid around £200 for a month’s worth of them.
She lost a whopping four stone when she first began using the injectables, dropping from 14 stone to just 10 stone in four months.
However, in June last year, Aimee – who is married to Christopher Chapman, 41, a security officer – began feeling unwell and was barely able to eat.
She says: “[After a few months of using the jabs] I started noticing I didn’t have a lot of energy, I couldn’t really do much. I was only eating a couple of times a week.
“I stopped being able to walk. I would take a couple of steps and have to stop.”
I was throwing up all the time and started throwing up blood. I was sick between 50 and 60 times
Aimee
But worryingly, Aimee couldn’t stop being sick.
Feeling and being sick are among the most common side effects when taking GLP-1s, thought to affect around one in 10 people on them.
“I was throwing up all the time and started throwing up blood,” says Aimee. “I was sick between 50 and 60 times.
“I collapsed a couple of times. My husband came home and found me passed out in the hallway one night.
“I was in a bit of denial about it being linked to the jab because I was fine up until now. I just thought I was poorly and it was some sort of virus.”
‘Could have died’
When Aimee began experiencing chest pains a month later, she went to Winchester Hospital’s A&E.
It was then that doctors discovered she had developed a hole in her oesophagus that was leaking air around her heart and lungs.
Aimee was admitted to the intensive care unit on July 12, and her blood pressure and potassium levels began to plummet.
Then, she was rushed to ICU at Southampton General Hospital when doctors noticed her liver function was deteriorating.
An organ transplant was considered when Aimee’s liver began showing signs of failure.
But luckily, Aimee was able to return home after 11 days in hospital.
What are the other side effects of weight loss jabs?
Like any medication, weight loss jabs can have side effects.
Common side effects of GLP-1 injections include:
Nausea: This is the most commonly reported side effect, especially when first starting the medication. It often decreases over time as your body adjusts.
Vomiting: Can occur, often in conjunction with nausea.
Diarrhea: Some people experience gastrointestinal upset.
Constipation: Some individuals may also experience constipation.
Stomach pain or discomfort: Some people may experience abdominal pain or discomfort.
Reduced appetite: This is often a desired effect for people using Ozempic for weight loss.
Indigestion: Can cause a feeling of bloating or discomfort after eating.
Serious side effects can also include:
Pancreatitis: In rare cases, Ozempic may increase the risk of inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, which can cause severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Kidney problems: There have been reports of kidney issues, including kidney failure, though this is uncommon.
Thyroid tumors: There’s a potential increased risk of thyroid cancer, although this risk is based on animal studies. It is not confirmed in humans, but people with a history of thyroid cancer should avoid Ozempic.
Vision problems: Rapid changes in blood sugar levels may affect vision, and some people have reported blurry vision when taking Ozempic.
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): Especially if used with other medications like sulfonylureas or insulin.
Her liver made a full recovery and the hole in her throat healed itself.
But the 34-year-old was told she would never be able to touch GLP-1 jabs again.
“After coming out of ICU, the nurse told me this has happened because of these jabs and I can never take one ever again even if I had type 2 diabetes,” Aimee says.
“I don’t think they know whether this was a general side-effect or whether this was a rare case. I was really surprised about how much of my body it affected.
“I was told the hole in the oesophagus can kill people and I may have needed a new liver. They said I could’ve died.”
Liver issues are not a common side effect of weight loss injections, but there have been a isolated reports of people developing liver injury after taking the jabs.
On the other hand, research has indicated that GLP-1s could lower the risk of liver disease, as people with obesity have a higher risk of developing a particular type called fatty liver disease.
Some weight loss jab users develop gallstones or an inflamed gallbladder, which can be connected to liver function.
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‘Don’t do it’
In September 2024, a few months after her ordeal Aimee began to notice her hair was coming out in clumps.
She believes this is related to a vitamin B12 deficiency linked to being on the weight loss jabs.
Aimee said: “[The hair loss] kept happening and the handfuls kept getting bigger. I would be so sad. My hair was just above my bum when I went into hospital.
“My husband just said why don’t you just cut it off? My hair was such a massive part of my identity and to cut it off just felt really traumatic. But I said to myself it was just hair, it’ll grow back.
“This feels like another result of the injections.”
The 34-year-old was diagnosed as vitamin B deficient after blood tests in October.
She now has to get quarterly vitamin B12 injections.
Aimee, who doesn’t work due to her disability, is now calling on others who are considering using the injectables to do their research and consult a doctor.
“I’m not going to tell people what they can and can’t take but I do believe more research needs to be done into these jabs,” she says.
“I regret ever taking them. I’d say to other people thinking about trying them, don’t do it online, go through your doctor who can give you blood tests and check how you’re doing.”
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients’ sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients’ mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
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