Woman’s Warning After Weight-loss Injections Led To Surgery And Unexpected Side Effects

A female from Northern Ireland has spoken publically astir superior wellness complications she knowledgeable aft utilizing weight-loss injections, informing others to cautiously see nan risks earlier starting akin treatments.

Sarah-Jayne Crawford, 32, from Co Antrim, began taking Wegovy successful August 2024 aft reaching 19st 9lb. The mum-of-one said she had struggled pinch her weight for years and decided to effort nan medicine successful nan dream of losing weight up of her wedding successful November 2025.

Crawford said she obtained nan injections privately done an online pharmacy, paying £199 for an first proviso astatine a 0.25mg dose. She later accrued nan dose, and said she paid a further £350 arsenic her curen continued and nan dosage roseate to 1mg. Despite nan expense, she said she did not spot a important alteration successful her weight.

Severe symptom began astir 3 months into nan injections

In nan early weeks, she said her appetite slow vanished and she initially felt positive. However, astir 12 weeks into nan injections, she began suffering crisp precocious abdominal symptom and predominant vomiting. The symptoms escalated quickly, pinch Crawford describing an excruciating trapped-wind sensation that near her incapable to get retired of bed.

Within a 24-hour period, she besides noticed an different and alarming change, her lingua had turned black. She said nan rima symptom was terrible and that she could not tolerate spicy foods, including peppers and onions. She besides knowledgeable foul, ‘egg-smelling’ sulphur burps, which are commonly linked to slowed digestion.

Fearing nan worst, Crawford stopped taking nan injections and attended A&E astatine Antrim Area Hospital. CT and MRI scans revealed aggregate gallstones blocking her bile duct, a information that tin lead to superior complications specified arsenic pancreatitis if near untreated. Doctors besides identified diverticulitis, an inflammation of mini bulging pouches successful nan wall of nan ample intestine.

Most of nan weight nonaccomplishment was believed to beryllium owed to nan broadside effects alternatively than nan injections

She was booked successful for a full cholecystectomy and, connected February 10, 2025, underwent room to person her gallbladder removed. Crawford said her surgeon encouraged her to stay disconnected Wegovy up of nan anaesthetic. By that stage, she said she was astir 18 chromatic and had “hardly mislaid immoderate weight”, adding that she believes astir of nan weight nonaccomplishment she did person was owed to being unwell alternatively than nan injections.

Now recovering, Crawford said she remains baffled by nan achromatic lingua symptom, noting that nary expert could afloat explicate it. She said her lingua returned to its normal colour aft she came disconnected nan injections successful December 2024. Over a twelvemonth later, she said she weighs 18st 8lb.

Crawford, who useful arsenic a individual caput for nan NHS successful Northern Ireland, has decided to stock her acquisition arsenic a informing to others. Her connection is that weight-loss injections whitethorn activity good for immoderate people, but nan risks are not ever evident and should beryllium researched cautiously earlier starting treatment.