Fake Ozympic: Mom Almost Dies After Taking Weight-Loss Job

A mother-of-two who nearly died after receiving a fake weight-loss injection is urging others to be careful about what they buy online.

Michelle Talwar, 46, from Carterton, Oxfordshire, ordered the slimming pills from an online beauty company last year.

She believed she had received an Ozympic injection, but instead, it was rapid-acting insulin, which sent her into a diabetic coma.

“I can’t believe I let my insecurities almost kill me,” Ms Talwar said.

She first bought an Ozympic injection from a legitimate online pharmacy in 2020, which helped her lose nearly 26lb (12kg) in six months.

“I ate a lot less, I lost weight and I felt better at the time,” she said.

But in the fall of 2023 her weight increased again so she decided to take another jab.

“Ozympic was very difficult to take, so I didn’t go the traditional way of doing it,” she said.

“Beauty companies and online aesthetic companies all seem to have it.”

She managed to get hold of one of them and they said they could deliver immediately.

Ms. Talwar said that unlike the previous provider, there were no medical tests.

“Because I had done it, I thought it would be OK,” she said.

Immediately after the injection, she collapsed and suffered a seizure.

Her blood sugar dropped to about 0.2 milliliters per liter, the normal range of between four and seven, sending her into a diabetic coma.

“I was taken to the hospital and a team arrived, held me around and tried everything they could to stop what was in my body at the time,” she said.

Weight loss pills have become popular because of social media Celebrities use it Get rid of extra pounds quickly.

however Recommended on the NHS For those who are or have obesity Type 2 diabetesthey can be taken in person, with Not all providers are legitimate.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said a total of 869 counterfeit pens were seized in the UK.

They all contain insulin but are repackaged as weight loss drugs.

Legitimate drugs contain an ingredient called semaglutide, which matches a hormone in the gut that suppresses appetite and aids in weight loss.

The BBC tried to contact the company that sold Ms Talwar the fake medicine but it appears that the business has gone out of business.

Novo Nordisk is the only company in the UK with MHRA approved products containing semaglutide.

A spokesman said the company was “in close discussions with the MHRA to support patients against counterfeit products”.

Obesity specialist Professor Barbara McGowan said the case was “unfortunately not isolated”.

“Many people are desperate to get these drugs because they are so difficult to access from the NHS,” she said.

“So they go to other providers and some of those providers unfortunately don’t give drugs that have gone through the proper channels.

“They have not passed strict quality control and can contain insulin, which is, of course, very dangerous.”

Ms Talwar said she regretted taking slimming drugs “every day”.

“I want to remind people to put that same value on themselves,” she said.

“If you’re going to do it, do it right.”